Keeping Ancient Amber Beautiful?

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SteveG

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Dec 21, 2009
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The Lucite Ancient Amber Blanks look fantastic...as a blank. But the finished pens made from this material tends to look a bit washed out compared to the blank. Has anyone been able to retain those special visual characteristics in your finished pen? Can you share your technique? I have my four blanks just sitting there, wanting to be pens. They need help!
I thank you, and my A. Amber thank you. (And NO, I am NOT going to send my blanks to a better home)
Steve
 
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76winger

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I believe painting the inside of the tubes is absolutely necessary on many of the Lucite blanks. Then it's a matter of picking a color that will enhance it's appearance.
What I've tried so far has been to pre-drill the blank for the pen to be made, paint a small dowl that fits in the hole with about 3 or 4 different possible colors, then slide it through the hole to see which background color looks best.
 

IPD_Mr

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If you use a tube or kit pen then you will need to reverse paint the tube and I recommend the tube as well. If you are wanting the great see through effect, then you will need to not use a tube and go with a kitless design. This will also require you to polish the inside of the blank. Here is an examble.

aakitless.jpg
 

IPD_Mr

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This will also require you to polish the inside of the blank.

Mike, can you please share a little more on this?
Tom

Tom, finish the inside of the barrel the same as you would the outside. MM and plastic polish/scratch remover. The real key here is to drill slow with a sharp bit and use a lubricant when drilling. DO NOT let it get too hot.

I got some of the antient amber with a red tint to it and am dying to see how it turns out. I think being slightly darker will make for a much more pleasing look. It also means you don't have to work as hard to get the inside polished up since the dark tint will help cover up inside scratches.
 
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SteveG

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Thanks to all for the responses.

To Manny: you are right, it did not happen. I have not made a pen using the amber yet. I have just recalled seeing other postings which had lost the pizzaz of the original blank.

Mike, your example photo is great. It looks like in addition to the smooth drilling, polishing and painting of the hole, the finished pen will look the best if it is a thick-walled variety in order to preserve the internal swirls and color. I bought some metallic gold and copper paint just for these blanks. I do not do kit less, so I will need to use a euro style or other 7mm kits. Can anyone suggest other thick-walled kits?
 

MrWright

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Steve, I did a Mesa pen in Ancient Amber, with a Q-tip I painted the inside of the drilled blank, let it dry, then painted the outside of the tube. I used an acrylic paint from Jo-Ann's. It is in one of those 2fl oz bottles. "FolkArt, #658 Metallic Antique Gold" The CA on the tube did not desolve and it stuck very good on inserting to the blank. I finished off with a Plast-Z , or One Step and the pen looks nice. Hope to put in on post soon. Frank
 

BSea

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I have to agree with the op. I've done 1 of these, and even used a colored dowel. The problem is that the blank, while drilled and polished, wasn't turned down to it's final diameter. It turned out fine, but it would have been better if I'd used some yellow in the reverse paint. I gave it to my sister as a gift. She really liked it, and asked "What kind of wood is that?"

And just to prove that it really happened.:wink:

ancientamber1.jpg
 
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