Only 2 Today

[OldWrangler]

Spent most of my shop time on flatwork but did manage to turn 2 pens.

The one closest to the camera is a gum ball pen (seed pod of the Sweetgum tree) cast in blue pearl PR. The balls were packed into the mold extra close so there were no gaps in the pattern........worked!!

Second one is a casting of Tumbleweed Lichen. This is Masonhalea richardsonii, a long filament lichen that grows from the Rockies into Alaska and the Arctic. It grows in shallow rock depressions with little or no soil. The wind moves it around as it never gets anchored thus the name Tumbleweed.

Interesting day!!!

 

[DSallee]

Interesting blanks, I like them! I especially like the design of the gumball blank, very cool looking!

Thanks for sharing!
Dave

 

[Ligget]

Looking good from over here too, great work!

 

[toolcrazy]

Very nice pair of pens.

 

[akbar24601]

Those look great! I love the Gumball blank. Great pattern on it.

 

[VisExp]

Those gumball pens always remind me of some prehistoric creature

The lichen made me think of Spanish Moss, which is pretty common here in Florida. I wonder what that would look like cast.

 

[arjudy]

Very nice. The gumball is my favorite. Almost looks like polished marble.

 

[Dalecamino]

Amazing !!

 

[Skye]

You're going to become to Sweetgum blanks what Curtis is to cactus blanks. I think these are by far the best ones yet! Are you pressure casting them?

 

[OldWrangler]

Don't have a pressure tank yet so castings are just poured and must settle to wherever. There are a lot of voids to fill turning the gum balls. I just fill them with shavings and thin CA, The blanks take a lot of extra time to turn. Gotta get a pressure tank. Everyone seems to like the pattern so I will turn more of them in other colors. I think a burgundy would look classy. So far none of these blanks have exploded past the point of repair. Extra scary sharp tools and light cuts really help. Cutting the slot for the center ring is a tough trick and uses some extra CA.

Gotta collect more gum balls tomorrow. I have found a better place than my driveway. Neighbor 3 houses up has 2 monster Sweet Gum trees and a yard full of balls. I know he looks out and sees me collecting and thinks I am crazy but so far he hasn't said anything.

I gotta collect a couple of big bags tomorrow as I think this pen has a future. So far in December I have sold 17 pens and have orders for 2 more and a couple to have names engraved. Looks like it's gonna be a good month. Gotta make the rounds of my retailers this week and make sure they have plenty of stock for the holidays.

If Dec is good in sales I will sell about 350 pens for the year and have given away about 75. They have been donated to raffles at churches, schools and political campaigns. Also to friends and relatives but many of them result in orders for more pens. About 20 went to Freedom Pens and hopefully are somewhere writing letters home. And I have a inventory of maybe 300 pens at this time. Hard to believe I have turned over 700 pens this year but I guess 3-4 pens a day adds up. That is definitely all I want to do. This is not gonna turn into a job just a funded hobby. Want to try bowls and bottle stoppers this coming year. I've got wood running out my ears, left over from Hurricane Ike. Gotta use it up as I don't have a fireplace.

 

[Skye]

Well bottle stoppers are a natural progression from pens. Bowls are another art form all together, stoppers you'll step right into. You should defiantly go for it.

So, are you making sure the balls are totally dry before you turn them? I'm going to have to grab some from my back yard before the fall turns them all to garbage.