The Hive

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workinforwood

workinforwood

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Eaton Rapids, Michigan, USA.
This is one of my bee hive pens. The hive was found in a snowbank on my front lawn under a big cottonwood tree. Wasn't sure about if it needed a finish because the walls of the hive are very thin, maybe the alumilite penetrated and plasticized it, I don't know. I did a single coat of thin CA just in case, to seal the "paper", then pretty much sanded it all off and polished.
Kit is a chrome Baron.

bee002.jpg


bee005.jpg
 
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jttheclockman

jttheclockman

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NJ, USA.
Jeff is there anyway to adjust your white balance or photograph it on a white background??? The color is washed out by the tan wood under it. We can not really appreciate the different colors in the blank. Great idea though.
 
KenV

KenV

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Juneau, Alaska.
As an old bee keeper -- my I suggest you have a wasp/hornet nest instead of a bee hive -- and that may be and even better title -- Hornet Pen or the Wasp Nest

Best guess from the picture is a paper wasp where the wasps chew up plant material and produce a paper for the walls (instread of wax which will not cast well at all). Outstanding appearance and well presented.

Have some fun with a new name too ---
 
workinforwood

workinforwood

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jttheclockman said:
Jeff is there anyway to adjust your white balance or photograph it on a white background??? The color is washed out by the tan wood under it. We can not really appreciate the different colors in the blank. Great idea though.
Click to expand...

Sorry, my camera has no white balance. Normally I use white paper under the pen which does probably help a bit, but the shop is extreme in need of cleaning. :biggrin: Lighting out there isn't the best either. I've been so busy out there, and I was planing 60 bf of lumber in the shop so someone could have a good pen display. A new camera is on my list of things I need, because I want to make a photo tent and photo better pictures for my website I've been working on too.
I just finished pouring round three of these in red/purple and gold. It was a big hive, 4 layers attached to each other like a condominium. I really need to get to my mother in laws house and get her bee hive. She has on that is a dome, it looks like a monster burl on the ceiling in her barn. It's easily 12x18 wide and maybe 10" thick. Gives me the willie's just looking at it, but it has been dead for years just sitting up there.
 
S

spiritwoodturner

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KenV said:
As an old bee keeper -- my I suggest you have a wasp/hornet nest instead of a bee hive -- and that may be and even better title -- Hornet Pen or the Wasp Nest

Best guess from the picture is a paper wasp where the wasps chew up plant material and produce a paper for the walls (instread of wax which will not cast well at all). Outstanding appearance and well presented.

Have some fun with a new name too ---
Click to expand...

Ken, I think that's spot on. The first thing I thought of when seeing the pics were, "How'd he get resin to stick to the wax?" That's a wasp nest. We get them every year under our deck, and finally I have a use for them.

Jeff, that's really creative! I wonder what it would look like in a more completely yellow or "Honey" color. I might try one in Castin' Craft Transparent amber only.

That inspired some new ideas!

Dale
 
workinforwood

workinforwood

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Yea...we non-bee people, just call them all bee's. I do know that they are actually hornets or wasps, but it doesn't matter much too me, they all can sting you! This isn't the first hive...It's been done before. It's just harder to find nests big enough to make pens from. Usually they are small. You can cut a small one in half and make a single or double pen blank if you are lucky, but you also need some thickness at the same time. I was pretty lucky to find this hive.
 
CSue

CSue

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That has got to be one of the most unusual materials I've ever seen for making a pen!
What a great job!
 
S

spiritwoodturner

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Jeff, do you mind sharing how big this one was? The one's we get are not huge, mainly because they're right under our deck, where we live and play, and we knock them off every season.

I'd like to try one, though. Ours get about 6-10" across.

Dale
 
Rarest wood

Rarest wood

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We are all looking around at what we can turn into pens that has got to bee one of the most creative ideas ever I applaud you well done! pretty pen too though I would choose different colours me self, Excellent
 
workinforwood

workinforwood

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spiritwoodturner said:
Jeff, do you mind sharing how big this one was? The one's we get are not huge, mainly because they're right under our deck, where we live and play, and we knock them off every season.

I'd like to try one, though. Ours get about 6-10" across.

Dale
Click to expand...

oh..6-10 is pretty big. This one was about 7" diameter, but it was 4 layers where a hand saw easily cut the few strands that attached each layer together. each layer slightly smaller as you get to the base which is a messy piece. The biggest layer was the thickest. The biggest layer almost an inch thick, the third layer is almost 3/4 thick. Almost 3/4 is still good because even though you have to remove the bottom portion which is full of crud, you still get plenty. If the hive doesn't completely cover every spot on the pen, it doesn't matter. On my house, a hive usually only gets to be about 4" wide by 1/2" deep...if that.
 
workinforwood

workinforwood

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Rarest wood said:
We are all looking around at what we can turn into pens that has got to bee one of the most creative ideas ever I applaud you well done! pretty pen too though I would choose different colours me self, Excellent
Click to expand...

So what would be the right colors? I like triple mixing and experimenting with different colors. One person said they think a pearly yellow would be best...what about you?
 
S

spiritwoodturner

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Thanks much Jeff for the info! I say 6-10, the big one we only found once before I knew they were down there, and of course I pitched it. Most are about your size if I whack 'em every year. I'm gonna try one in transparent Amber, like "Honey". Even though they don't make honey...

How cool would it be if you could find a bunch of the dead, dried critters and cast them? I know you'd only get mostly bits and pieces of the whole, but you may get lucky and get a pretty full slice once or twice! I've poked around on the web for dried critters but haven't had any luck. Guess there's not much of a market in dead, dried wasps or ants! Unless we were in China.

Dale
 
OKLAHOMAN

OKLAHOMAN

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Costa Rica
Unique, is sometimes overused here but not in this case. Now I'm looking for wasp nest along with cactus...
 
workinforwood

workinforwood

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Eaton Rapids, Michigan, USA.
There were some wasps in the nest and I didn't dig them out. As I said when I sold a few...might be some bee's in there! I wouldn't expect them to be identifiable if they were revealed close to the tube. Fortunately, pens like this don't have defects, if a black spot of a bug shows up, splash some CA on him and call it good. It does have that deep cactus style blank look.
 
davinci27

davinci27

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Sep 5, 2008
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Franklin, GA
That's a great idea Jeff. Looks really good. You are getting to be a pro at this casting stuff. I keep saying I'm going to give it another try, but so far no luck. Keep the ideas coming maybe you can finally motivate me to do something.
 
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