Casting your own Coffee Blanks

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

sbell111

Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
Messages
3,465
Location
Franklin, TN
Have only made a few pens, but would like to try the casting technique. I can imagine some interesting stuff if clear casting material can be used.

Have one quick question: How are individual items (beans for example) held so that the item does not touch the outside, ie. the actual bean can be touched on the outside of the casting, or are the items so saturated that contacting the outside periphery is not a concern. Or is a first casting done with items touching the outside, then recast in the center, or coated on the outside to protect the exposed bean?
When casting beans or money or the like, the material being cast will go all the way to the outside of the cast blank and, in fact, be turned down to create the pen. This is generally no problem. (However, 'bean' pens should really be finished with CA, rather than any of the friction polishes.)
I can imagine casting some small flies into a pen for fly fishermen (we spend a ridiculous amount on stupid stuff, particularly the guys down there at Tellico, and the guys who drive from here (Knoxville) to there :biggrin:).
Casting individual items like fishing flies into a blank so that it is encased in the end of a closed end pen requires a somewhat different casting technique. Basically, I would cast that blank just like I cast bottle stoppers. The blank would be cast 'standing up' in a tube using multiple pours. The first pour would stop slightly below where you want the fly to 'float'. The second would be a thin layer of clear PR. You then place the item in the center of the cast area and pour the final layer of clear PR.
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

doberman

Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2004
Messages
41
Location
.
Casting individual items like fishing flies into a blank so that it is encased in the end of a closed end pen requires a somewhat different casting technique. Basically, I would cast that blank just like I cast bottle stoppers. The blank would be cast 'standing up' in a tube using multiple pours. The first pour would stop slightly below where you want the fly to 'float'. The second would be a thin layer of clear PR. You then place the item in the center of the cast area and pour the final layer of clear PR.

Steve - maybe a new thread going into more detail (pictures would be great!) of the fishing fly's in the blanks would be great. I have been trying to do that for several months not not very good results.

Thanks a bunch
 

RHossack

Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2006
Messages
362
Location
Liberty Lake, WA, USA.
Casting individual items like fishing flies into a blank so that it is encased in the end of a closed end pen requires a somewhat different casting technique. Basically, I would cast that blank just like I cast bottle stoppers. The blank would be cast 'standing up' in a tube using multiple pours. The first pour would stop slightly below where you want the fly to 'float'. The second would be a thin layer of clear PR. You then place the item in the center of the cast area and pour the final layer of clear PR.
You got my attention here ...

Now a mini tutorial with pics would really be nice and make it a lot clearer for those of us with muddled brains ...
 

Skye

Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2006
Messages
3,487
Location
Rock Hill, SC
You got my attention here ...

Now a mini tutorial with pics would really be nice and make it a lot clearer for those of us with muddled brains ...

I just knocked this out to try to explain:


closedend.jpg


1. Your tube. Open up top, closed down below.

2. Drop a small ammount of clear PR into it, allow it to harden.

3. Drop your item to embed into it. Good luck positioning it.

4. Drop more PR into it, cover the item. Let it harden.

5. Fill the rest of the way with the colored resin. Let it harden.

6. Remove the blank, drill.

7. Glue in tube. You'll have to figure out how deep to drill it as the hole needs to be deeper than the tube I think.
 

sbell111

Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
Messages
3,465
Location
Franklin, TN
I just knocked this out to try to explain:


closedend.jpg


1. Your tube. Open up top, closed down below.

2. Drop a small ammount of clear PR into it, allow it to harden.

3. Drop your item to embed into it. Good luck positioning it.

4. Drop more PR into it, cover the item. Let it harden.

5. Fill the rest of the way with the colored resin. Let it harden.

6. Remove the blank, drill.

7. Glue in tube. You'll have to figure out how deep to drill it as the hole needs to be deeper than the tube I think.
That's upside down from how I do mine, but it works. My way might result in a 'flatter' bottom which is more important for stoppers than for pens.

My way might also make positioning easier since the item is not as far into the tube. The item will also be 'right side up' when you place it, allowing you to better visualize how it should look in teh final product.

Finally, be aware of whether your item will float in the PR, or not. For those items that tend to float (like flies), I don't allow the PR that they are sitting on to completely harden prior to placing the item onto it. This way it will be stuck onto the clear PR 'shelf' and be less likely to float when I make my final clear pour.
 
Last edited:

Skye

Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2006
Messages
3,487
Location
Rock Hill, SC
That's upside down from how I do mine, but it works.

You know what's funny, I build mine backwards from that as well (for stoppers).

I've really got no idea why I drew that upside down. Guess that's what happens when you screw off at work and can't concentrate.
 

Skye

Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2006
Messages
3,487
Location
Rock Hill, SC
Ok, here's the easier way. I brainfarted earlier.

Pour the resin. Let harden.

Pour some clear, let harden.

Add item. (top of resin will probably be sticky enough to hold it)

Add more clear.

casting2.jpg
 

doberman

Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2004
Messages
41
Location
.
Ok, here's the easier way. I brainfarted earlier.

Pour the resin. Let harden.

Pour some clear, let harden.

Add item. (top of resin will probably be sticky enough to hold it)

Add more clear.

casting2.jpg

So this is a closed end pen with no clip inserted??
 
S

spiritwoodturner

Guest
I just cast my first batch of coffee bean blanks in my snazzy new pressure pot this morning! For that matter, they're the first anything I've cast in my new pot. I'm not thrilled with the color choice for the PR I came up with, I tried to swirl a brownish Pearl-X in with a whitish Pearl-X and it looked like it will be kind of a metallic Pearl-X. I was going for a cappucino with whipped cream, but it needs work, I think. Anyone have any great ideas to get that tannish color, and for that matter the white for PR?

At any rate, with Matt's awesome molds it was a snap, now I need to make Curtis's rack and then another pot, then more molds, then....

Dale
 
S

spiritwoodturner

Guest
OK, a new twist! I did a new batch of beans last night, but for the first time I used Mixol to color the PR. I put the same amount of catalyst in, mixed it with my drill, and poured. When I opened the pot this morning, they were still completely unset. You could twist the molds and the whole blanks would move with them. That's not what happened the first time when I only used Pearl X. They were sticky, but 1 hour in the toaster oven and they were totally dry throughout. These aren't close. At first I thought I forgot the catalyst but then distinctly remembered, 5 drops per ounce like the first.

Any guesses? Can the Mixol effect it that much? Don had mentioned colorant can stretch the cure out timewise, but this seems long.

Thanks in advance,
Dale
 
S

spiritwoodturner

Guest
Terry, just a quick update first. After 2 days under pressure, they were stiff but still a bit wet on the outside edges, so into the toaster oven and they were fine. I'm finishing one on a Silver Bullet right now. Stay tuned...

I used the Mixol color Camel, to try to replicate a latte (it worked good), and poured a little white Mixol colored resin in the top to replicate a whipped cream head. Having never used it before, I just squirted a little stream in to start and mixed. I think you only need a few drops of this stuff, not a SQUIRT!!! I mean, these are the little bottles of Mixol, and I didn't have a beer while I was squeezing it in there, but I do think it was too much. As little experience as I've had with resin, everything else has set overnight in the same conditions, except of course coffee beans in the mold that came out wet.

Anyway, I think I'm going to do a a post called "The 10 Things I've Learned About Casting". I am really enjoying this, but it's all trial and error (Thing 1).

I was going to answer your question with "Oh, about a gallon", but thought no one would answer one of my posts again. Ever.

Thanks for asking,
Dale
 

Pepsi

Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2009
Messages
112
Location
Middletown,In
Coffee blanks

Darley,

Where did you get your mold that you use for your
coffee blanks? I like the looks of thought I might
get some if you wouldn't mind saying where you
got them. Thank you for the info should you decide
to share it.
 

its_virgil

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2004
Messages
8,102
Location
Wichita Falls, TX, USA.
Top Bottom