BobNashvillega
Member
Here is my attempt at giving instructions on making a pine cone pen
First start out with a cone about this size
(all I usually find on my land) some have larger ones.
I then cut it on a band saw to get ready for polyresin.
Next place the cone in some aluimiun foil or what ever container you want to use. I use the foil because after pouring the resin we go back to the band saw
Here is were you need to decide if its going to be a thick pen or maybe a slim line. The examples I will use here are of a new European pen I am making so it will require me to add a colored resin to fill gaps in the cone.
the top two are filled with a colored tan resin and the bottom with clear resin
these were turned round after cutting the resin that was poured in the mold.
Once they are round like this I then will drill them for the pen tubes and square off the ends
Important to note here is as you turn them to get round you will get closer to the pine and you will need to put some CA on as you go to prevent the pine cone from breaking off
this is one side of the two tans one turned with eurpean bushings
here is the opposite side of the same two tubes
Notice how the filled in areas are taken care of. Some say at this point it starts to look like a snake skin blank.
I usually do not turn all the way down to the final size because of fear it will break the cone. Remember more CA between turnings soaks into the core and helps prevent the ocone from flying apart. If you do have problems you usually can fill the gaps with shavings and CA.
First start out with a cone about this size
(all I usually find on my land) some have larger ones.
I then cut it on a band saw to get ready for polyresin.
Next place the cone in some aluimiun foil or what ever container you want to use. I use the foil because after pouring the resin we go back to the band saw
Here is were you need to decide if its going to be a thick pen or maybe a slim line. The examples I will use here are of a new European pen I am making so it will require me to add a colored resin to fill gaps in the cone.
the top two are filled with a colored tan resin and the bottom with clear resin
these were turned round after cutting the resin that was poured in the mold.
Once they are round like this I then will drill them for the pen tubes and square off the ends
Important to note here is as you turn them to get round you will get closer to the pine and you will need to put some CA on as you go to prevent the pine cone from breaking off
this is one side of the two tans one turned with eurpean bushings
here is the opposite side of the same two tubes
Notice how the filled in areas are taken care of. Some say at this point it starts to look like a snake skin blank.
I usually do not turn all the way down to the final size because of fear it will break the cone. Remember more CA between turnings soaks into the core and helps prevent the ocone from flying apart. If you do have problems you usually can fill the gaps with shavings and CA.
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