Blessed sierra pen.

[alxe24]

After seeing a Sierra cast with stamps someone asked me if I could make a pen with words on it. She wanted to read Blessed, Joy, Love and the like. I ended up with this pen here (total of 6 words).
I designed the words on Photo Shop CS5, created an old kind of looking background, printed that on a white paper, used Mod podge to glue that to the tube and cast it on Alumilite clear.
The two problems I run into and hopefully someone can shed some light here were.
1) I have used the blue molds with plugs on the sides to cast it under 60 pounds of pressure. For some reason the times that I have use the mold so far I end up with some air pockets on the ends of the tube where it meets the mold. (any clues with that? )
2) When wet sanding, the water seems to wet the paper at the ends of the tubes ( in this case it kind of blended with the old style of the design ) Should I just dry sand these kind of casting? or is there a way to prevent this from occurring?
Thanks for looking and any comments or suggestions.
Regards,
Alex

 

[plantman]

Nice idea and pen Alex !! My only suggestion would be not to put a white pen on a white background. Jim S

 

[walshjp17]

2) When wet sanding, the water seems to wet the paper at the ends of the tubes ( in this case it kind of blended with the old style of the design ) Should I just dry sand these kind of casting? or is there a way to prevent this from occurring?
Thanks for looking and any comments or suggestions.
Regards,
Alex

You might want to put a thin coat of CA on the ends of the blank to prevent water seepage.

 

[JD Combs Sr]

You might want to put a thin coat of CA on the ends of the blank to prevent water seepage.

+1 for John Walsh's comment.

 

[Tage]

Not sure if you put it on the pen b/c it doesn't show in the picture, but "Grateful" is the correct spelling. Beautiful pen and nice idea.

 

[alxe24]

Wow.Thank you Tage. Let me tell you, lots of people saw the pen and perhaps out of courtesy many did not say anything about the spelling. You are the first one that brought this to my attention.
Now the funny part is that the person that ordered the pen, saw the picture, loved it and did not mail the money yet. In the meantime someone else saw the pen and liked it so much that bought it.
Now, The kicker was that the pen has the word Mari in it (the intended owner) when he asked me what did Mari meant I replied " I don't know but it's a nice pen" He went " yea, I want it. How much is it?" And the pen was sold...
Again thanks.
Alex