Need to make a Aspalt like pen with potholes

[Coop]

I have a fellow who wants a pen that will look like Aspalt with Potholes! It is for a gift for a Road Commissioner. Anybody have any idea what I could use? I thought about caseing a label with some art work but really do not know how to do it. I have been informed some have went this route. Let me hear from you folks. Ideas anyone, [:I]Coop

 

[ed4copies]

Black Polyresin, poorly turned, will have lots of pits. Use a rotary tool to make some go right to the (black painted) tube.

 

[great12b4ever]

Cast some black colored sand in PR, paint tubes Dk Grey or Black, turn, leave a little rough, and like Ed said, use a Dremel or rotary tool to make some potholes. Will look just like our roads!

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

As Ed said poorly turned black PR, just run your skew across the blank at a slight angle and you'll have plenty of pits (Pot holes)DAMHIKT, you'll actually hear it when done <s>right</s>wrong.

 

[PaulDoug]

Black with a yellow or white strip down it and get a "caution" thingy to put on the clip!

 

[MarkHix]

Don't forget to have someone else stand around and watch you make it. Include their time in your price!

 

[winpooh498]

What about black dyed kitty litter, cast in black PR? When you turn it don't turn it smooth, then dig some "pot holes" out.

 

[monkeynutz]

Don't forget the miniature gold reflectors and road-kill...

 

[wdcav1952]

Use my first attempt at turning resin! [)][)]

 

[Buzz]

Originally posted by MarkHix

Don't forget to have someone else stand around and watch you make it. Include their time in your price!

Excellent work Mark!!

 

[workinforwood]

Surprised nobody mentioned corian as well. There's some corian choices that look exactly like asphalt with the black and gravel. You would have to use a rotary tool to make potholes of course.

 

[bfrikken]

Originally posted by Buzz

Originally posted by MarkHix

Don't forget to have someone else stand around and watch you make it. Include their time in your price!

Excellent work Mark!!

Agreed! This made me laugh out loud, and I hope it doesn't get skimmed without others realizing the real humor here

 

[PaulDoug]

I just now got it!

 

[follow3]

What about casting black pepper in acrylic?

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Oh, and don't forget that you have to plan on taking the entire summer to make the pen, then after you give it to him, come back a week later and tell him you need to make a new body for it! [}]

 

[fiferb]

Dig out a few pot holes in the pen, then fill them in as repairs. Don't forget to overfill them and leave them bumpy.

 

[1JaredSchmidt]

I agree with putting some roadkill. Get some of that decal paper and print out some tire tracks and put it on there. I was gonna mention corian. Make it textured too.

 

[david975]

All great suggestions


---Be thankfull his friend isn't the sewage and waste water commissioner- try to intentionaly make a pen look like a 'real' piece of crap!!

 

[desertyellow]

my vote is with the yellow stripes

Tony,
Las Vegas

 

[EeyorIs21]

I like the idea of yellow stripes. Although I think you could just put in 2 yellow bands and they would get the idea. I agree a rotary tool for the potholes is a nice touch. And filling in 1 or 2 of them could be funnier still. I would make all the crazy stuff on the top half by clip so it is not in the way of comfort when holding, after all it is going to be some sort of a gift.

As far as the material. I might try casting some of that gravel stuff they sell in hobby stores next to all the model trains. Not sure what it is made of, could be stone or some sort of plastic. I personally am not setup to cast yet and if I wanted to do something quickly without buying casting materials I might try:

A brass tube, painted black, coat with medium CA, roll in gravel stuff for train models. Build 2nd layer on top if want thicker. Then dip or coat in an epoxy or thick CA to get a top coat I can sand and polish with plastic polish or MM. It might have a bumpier (road type) texture with a thin top coating, no sanding needed just a light buffing.

Just a quick and dirty idea, afterall it is supposed to look like the roads right?[]

 

[babyblues]

How about some black polymer clay? You could just mold it around the tube and maybe roll it on something to give it a texture like asphault. Then paint a couple yellow lines and press some rocks into it to make some potholes. You wouldn't even have to put it on your lathe.

 

[PenPal]

Pen,
To create a pen with potholes since they are irregular cut the shapes and depths with a Dremel, using super glue fill in the potholes with ground up Ebony dust.I have a hand Coffee Grinder I use it works perfectly filling voids in some burl.Try Holly for absolute contrast.
Very effective pens with paw prints same principle.You also could make the potholes like footprints to remind them pedestrians count or in the shape of cars to remember a truckies greatest hazard.This could lend itself to a number of derivations.Last but not least a pair of tracks parallel deviating down the pen to one pothole or whatever.

Peter