Dichroic v2.1

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Russianwolf

Russianwolf

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As I've mentioned before, Dawn and I have been bouncing ideas off each other in an attempt to make a more turner friendly version of her Dichroic glass blanks. We, this is the first semi-successful version. I need to do a bit more work on the process, but it is definite progress.

Once I've got a few more kinks worked out, these will be able to be turned on ANY kit without fear of hitting a piece of glass and shattering it.

The Still Picture Shy Dichroic V2.1

The were just quick shots to try to get a feel for it. The first five shots were moving around the pen without touching it, so you can see some of the color change as the light reflects and refracts in different direction.
 

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Mike, what are you forming over?? Stainless rod, or did you shape a piece of kiln furnture? I've thought so hard on it and my wife has been after me for 3 years to try it, I've got the glass, the oven the kilnwash and I can certainly turn a piece of Stainless?? By the way, I've been shaping a piece of carbide for your tracer>>>
 
Hey Ken, since you've worked with glass, you know it doesn't want to be thin enough to work with our kits for the most part. For those that don't know glass wants to be about 1/4 inch thick. If you melt glass thinner than that it will draw up, shrinking in size and growing in thickness. If you melt glass thicker it will pool out, growing in size ajd decreasing the thickness. The pieces that Dawn uses in her dichro blanks are called stringers and are about a milimeter in diameter, adding two mm to the diameter of the tube which is too much for many kits. So finding solutions isn't always easy. I'm planning another meathod once I get additional materials to see which works best, but what I working with now SEEMS okay. I sent one of the test blanks to dawn for her opinion on the overall look.

I'm more than willing to chat about some of the things I've tried (I think you have my number) but I'm going to err on the side of the eagle and say "give it a try, I may like you way better".
 
I'm glad that you're trying this... I am fortunate to have (ok, my mother now has) one of Dawns Dichro blanks. Thats a FABULOUS material and I hope that you can get something down pat!

Dichro is a cool material and a pen is a great way to show it off.
 
Does that mean I get another test blank???:tongue::tongue::tongue:

Great job Mike!!!! Looking good! The light reflections are really showing off now! :highfive: But this is all you. You took this idea and ran with it, I had little to do with this one!
 
PR_Princess said:
Does that mean I get another test blank???:tongue::tongue::tongue:

Great job Mike!!!! Looking good! The light reflections are really showing off now! :highfive: But this is all you. You took this idea and ran with it, I had little to do with this one!
Click to expand...

yeah, hopefully the next one won't have cracked PR..... :eek: I promise to be more patient in my casting.
 
Yea!
I've been waiting for dichroic glass to come back! As you proved with your post, this product makes a great looking pen.

A little difficult to turn, but well worth the efforts. I can't wait!!!!!
 
Very nice Mike. Congrats on a job well done so far... I may have to come visit some day and you can school me on glass-working.
Next thing to try... holography!!!
 
Okay, a question to ponder.....

IF I were to make these for you guys, what kits would you want them to work with. I'll need to get some tubes after all.

I think I should be able these for about $20 per tube once I get the process down a bit more. Does that sound reasonable?
 
Russianwolf said:
Okay, a question to ponder.....

IF I were to make these for you guys, what kits would you want them to work with. I'll need to get some tubes after all.

I think I should be able these for about $20 per tube once I get the process down a bit more. Does that sound reasonable?
Click to expand...

So, for a Baron kit you would charge $40? If so, that's a steal. Dichro ain't cheap by any stretch of the imagination.
 
Just a random thought here. Back in a previous life I worked in the photofinishing industry. We used dichroic filters to color ballance light. As I recall they were optically clear and very light and fragile. Perhaps with the demise of the photo industry to digital a bunch of these glass filters may be sitting around gatering dust. I could ask around if you have any interest.
 
Padre said:
Russianwolf said:
Okay, a question to ponder.....

IF I were to make these for you guys, what kits would you want them to work with. I'll need to get some tubes after all.

I think I should be able these for about $20 per tube once I get the process down a bit more. Does that sound reasonable?
Click to expand...

So, for a Baron kit you would charge $40? If so, that's a steal. Dichro ain't cheap by any stretch of the imagination.
Click to expand...

That's what I'm shooting for. Need to make sure I have all the variables in, but I think I can get there.
 
Boz said:
Just a random thought here. Back in a previous life I worked in the photofinishing industry. We used dichroic filters to color ballance light. As I recall they were optically clear and very light and fragile. Perhaps with the demise of the photo industry to digital a bunch of these glass filters may be sitting around gatering dust. I could ask around if you have any interest.
Click to expand...

Not sure if they are the same as the ones we used for spotlights in concerts/theater. I don't recall those having the same effects as dichro. If memory serves we called them gels and they were single color.

My photo knowledge doesn't go far, so I could be thinking of something completely different.
 
Russianwolf said:
Okay, a question to ponder.....

IF I were to make these for you guys, what kits would you want them to work with. I'll need to get some tubes after all.

I think I should be able these for about $20 per tube once I get the process down a bit more. Does that sound reasonable?
Click to expand...

I'd like to see them for the gent and jr. gent sized pens...
 
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