Been experimenting a bit ...

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Kaspar

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Well, I've had trouble with the usual curly maple stripes on the Jr. Statesman version of that inlay kit, and I've been wanting to try this anyway, so I inlayed it with finely crushed pearlescent glass beads.
 

JimGo

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NIFTY! I'm fighting with ONE stripe on an otherwise-completed pen, sso I feel your pain! The beads look really cool, and are an interesting alternative. Thanks for sharing!
 

clement

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Very beautifull pen and great work !
I wish that in few time i will be able to realise similar things [:p]
Of course the belgian flag is easyer to make, only 3 color stripes [:D]

clem
 

Kaspar

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Originally posted by JimGo
<br />NIFTY! I'm fighting with ONE stripe on an otherwise-completed pen, sso I feel your pain! The beads look really cool, and are an interesting alternative. Thanks for sharing!

I asked Ken about that. He said the tapered lower barrel on the Gent/Statesman Jr. is what make them a bit harder. I take it you've done a bit of sanding around the amplitudes on that one troublesome stripe? It also helps to take a dull Exact-o blade and try to open up the grooves a bit.

That's an awesome kit and the effect really is worth the trouble.
 

Kaspar

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Originally posted by jaywood1207
<br />I don't see any problems. I like it better than the maple stripes. Great job.

That is the only drawback. The white stripes are a bit too yellowish. I would imagine Ken can do one in Holly, which would be quite a bit whiter, but that gives up the curly maple grain. As Thomas Sowell has said, there are no solutions; only trade-offs. A purist would want this all wood, and he would have a point.

Although the picture exaggerates it because it is a hi-res scan, there is some bleed through on the stripes, and not all of the stars are so well defined. I crushed that stuff fine, but not uniformly so and it caused problems. The solution will be to use white inlace epoxy, and add the crushed beads to it. That will give me the working time I need to pack it in and really fill the smallest details.
 

Rifleman1776

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The picture I see appears to have considerable bleed-through into the white and spoils (sorry) the whole appearance. Another reason why I haven't yet spent the $50.00 for a single blank. In assemble yourself kit form, yet.
 

Kaspar

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Originally posted by Rifleman1776
<br />The picture I see appears to have considerable bleed-through into the white and spoils (sorry) the whole appearance. Another reason why I haven't yet spent the $50.00 for a single blank. In assemble yourself kit form, yet.

Yep, I agree. Although the hi-res scan makes it look worse than it is, that's the problem. The other is that not all the stars are as well defined as those seen here. I think if I mix the glass beads with white inlace (Grizzly here has it), I'll get the best of both worlds. Well defined stars and stripes much whiter than any wood.
 
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