Casting question

[toyotaman]

I've got some nice pieces of wood and it is dry and still has the bark on it. Can I leave it on or do I need to remove it before casting? Some of the bark looks great on the piece. I've heard you can cast almost anything so would left on bark matter?

 

[toyotaman]

I'm guessing that nobody has casted wood with bark on before. I've had several people say to remove it but its on there very good. I will think on it for a few more days and maybe I will have some comments by then. I'm in no hurry anyway.

 

[hunter-27]

Problem with leaving it is it is usually dirty and can cause things to "blow apart" while turning. I have cast it that way and with mixed results so best answer might be go for it and see what happens.

 

[ElMostro]

The problem with casting wood with bark is that if the resin doesn't get between the wood and bark to create a bond the blank is very likely to separate while turning. I have used 2 methods to prevent this (assuming you can separate the bark from the wood in one piece);

- depending on the the type of wood, pry off the bark from the wood and use thick CA to glue it back on the piece of wood. Make sure you place the bark back exactly how it was originally for a perfect fit. Give it plenty of time to cure before casting. The CA will be off-gassing for at least a day, when I do this I put them aside for several days before I cast them, just as a precaution.

- pry off the bark from the wood to create a gap between the two, insert flat toothpicks at the ends of the blank to keep the pieces separated so that the resin can flow in the gap and then cast. If you are lucky you get a stripe along the length of the blank. Just be aware of where you place the toothpicks since you don't want them to be part of the finished pen.

You will need to use pressure.

Eugene.

 

[1080Wayne]

Apply a healthy dose of thin CA to the wood/bark junction , and wait a couple of days before casting . Repeat the thin CA a time or two when turning . This process isn`t absolutely foolproof , but it works most of the time , even with badly weathered bark . Most times I don`t bother to cast . On woods where the bark is very tightly held , I only apply the thin CA just prior to sanding , but everything else gets it before the lathe is turned on , again when the blank is round , and perhaps once more before final size is reached .