casting peacock feathers?

[txbatons]

I don't do any casting...yet, but would like to know if anyone has cast feathers before? I did a quick search on the site and couldn't find much at all.

I have peacock feathers (well, in my possession, not ON me ) and would be interested in having someone cast a couple for me maybe in exchange for a couple of feathers.

They might look better as a bottle stopper?

 

[Mudder]

I'm experimenting with it now and not having much luck.

The "Eye" does not want to form properly around a tube to be cast []

 

[laspringer]

Brian,
I've used pheasant feathers.
I am working on goose & duck feather pens.
Good luck on the peacock feathers.
Alan

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[Brewmeister35]

Wow Alan, that is 1 awesome pen!

 

[Stevej72]

I just got a pheasant skin so I can try and cast some of the feathers. Nice job Alan!

 

[DCBluesman]

I did this one in February '06 from a Rhode Island chicken feather.

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[Darley]

Lou, I though you did a peacock feather too, didn't you?

txbatons some of us glue the feather directly onto the tube and cast in PR, I did a pen with Emu feathers I cut the feathers in piece then cast in PR.

this is the blank

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this is the pen

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[RONB]

I now have a reason that I kept that bunch of Phesant feathers (that my wify wanted me to throw out)I'm going to give it a try.
Do you glue the feathers directly on the tubes with C.A., or cast them into the resin?[?]

 

[txbatons]

Those are good looking pens, but like Mudder mentioned, the eye of the peacock feather is the focus (no pun intended) and he's had trouble getting it to lay right on the tube. If the eye isn't dominant, then I think the pen would look "woody" and that's not my goal. I'm sure that the challenge with the eye is keeping it intact when bending it around the tube (the eye breaks apart) in either direction.

 

[jrc]

WOW, feathers makes the most beautiful pens. Any chance I can buy or trade for 1 or 2 for the sierra vista?

 

[madmix]

Hi all, had some success with peacock eye by binding the feather
to tube with cotton at top and bottom rather than gluing, used
two feathers at opposite sides of tube and after getting the eyes
in shape trim of excess with scissors, then cast.
I used standard polyester resin, but this caused all the blue
section of eye to come out black, but the green section came
out very well.
Will have to get some clear resin next time and try again.

cheers Mick

 

[Darley]

Originally posted by jrc
<br />WOW, feathers makes the most beautiful pens. Any chance I can buy or trade for 1 or 2 for the sierra vista?

I'm waiting to have a better wheather to cast, to cold for me now ( we are in winter [] ) PM me around October, November

 

[Darley]

Originally posted by madmix
<br />Hi all, had some success with peacock eye by binding the feather
to tube with cotton at top and bottom rather than gluing, used
two feathers at opposite sides of tube and after getting the eyes
in shape trim of excess with scissors, then cast.
I used standard polyester resin, but this caused all the blue
section of eye to come out black, but the green section came
out very well.
Will have to get some clear resin next time and try again.

cheers Mick

Any chance on photos? did you presurised the blank?

 

[madmix]

Sorry Darley No pics,
It was sitting in my drawer of failures for a while, but
then I turned it off to reclaim the tube. Didn't have a
pressure system them, but I think it was the slight green hue of
the PR that caused the blues to look black but stil allowed
the green to really stand out.
For the binding I used silver metallic thread and mounted
tube/mandrel in lathe (no tail stock) and hand turned similar
to fly tying.
Hope you can follow that. Now everyone with some clear resin
and a wayward peacock get too it.

 

[rick_lindsey]

Originally posted by txbatons
<br />I have peacock feathers ...
They might look better as a bottle stopper?

I'm pretty sure people do two-step casts... how would it look if you did a clear? resin block half-high, cut out the "eye" of the feather and laid it down on top of the half-block (maybe tack it with an adhesive? not sure) and cast the rest of the block on top of it? That way you're not trying to wrap the feather around anything, and when you get done turning, if you positioned it right and all went well, you could look down into the stopper and see the "eye" but from the side see a feather slice?

Dunno, never done any casting, just spouting thoughts.

-Rick