Special request for casters

[Lathemaster]

All

This community continues to stretch my concept of what is possible in pen turning. I'm not quite ready to start my own castings. I am trying to create a lasting tribute to my dad with something special for my siblings, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. My dad was an avid trout fisherman and accomplished in the art of fly tying. After he passed I came into possession of several dozen of his hand made trout flies.

My thought is to have 4 to 6 of the smaller flies cast into each pen blanks and then I would turn pens for family members.

I'm looking for a caster that would like to work with me on this project and complete the casting - for the usual fees of course.

Thanks in advance for your consideration.

Cheers
Mike

 

[Boomer]

Mike
I don't cast I have just started and have only turned a few slimline pens. However I have also just taken up the art of fly tying. I am looking forward to being able to turn pens and tie flys. I just wanted to commend you for the thoughts of casting and giving them to family members. COOL IDEA.

Dave
Cedar Rapids.Iowa

 

[LEAP]

Mike, Just a thought but since the size of the fly would have to be extremely small to work in a pen barrel It might be best to have them cast in a bottle stopper. Like YO-YO spin does with his porcelin roses. barring that cast them into a blank for a closed end pen so that there is a clear section away from the tube. Either way offers lots of possabilities for creativity.

 

[Draken]

What do they look like once wet? That should be the same appearance they'll have once cast. Not sure how you'd be able to keep them "fluffy" during the casting process.

 

[Lathemaster]

All good thoughts - thanks

Still thinking this through.

Mike

 

[doberman]

Originally posted by Draken
<br />What do they look like once wet? That should be the same appearance they'll have once cast. Not sure how you'd be able to keep them "fluffy" during the casting process.

To which casting method are you referring????!

 

[Draken]

PR casting, but I can see from others who have done this that I was mistaken. I threw that out there as a possibility, since I hadn't tried casting such items myself. I'm glad to see they work just fine, and I'm considering casting some myself if I get some time.

 

[dbriski]

One possibility is cast them into the end of a blank and make it a closed end pen then the clear end showing the fly. They way you have enough space to hold the fly

 

[YoYoSpin]

I can see at least three challenges with this idea:

1) The fly would have to be very small
2) Centering the fly, both while casting and turning, would be critical and also difficult to do
3) Adding 1/2" or more of clear fly encased resin to the end of a closed end pen will make it a very long pen, so the pen's body shape will have to be a little unusual to keep things in proportion