Dragon Brotherhood

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workinforwood

workinforwood

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Joined
Mar 1, 2007
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Location
Eaton Rapids, Michigan, USA.
This is an ebony dragon and the chinese symbols for dragon and brotherhood. The brotherhood symbol also can mean justice. I poured it in 70% white and 30% gold alumilite. I accidentally dumped the entire bottle of pearlex into the cup :eek::eek:. I scooped out as much as I safely could that was in a pile on top, but man there's a lot of pearl effect happening in this pen. It is one of my best pours ever in my opinion. I made a matching box where I enlarged the image on the pen and poured it in the lid. It's a bit tough to see the lid...I was excited about the pen and box, but the box can't be closed yet because the finish isn't complete. Heck..in part of my excitement I grabbed the wrong drill bit and punched a hole in the cap section for a Churchill size pen! Now I have to invest in an El Grande/Churchill kit. Doh!

DragonBr1.jpg


dragonbr2.jpg
 
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Jeff

Great work as usual, both scrolling and turning. In the future I hope to add my scrolling skils to my turning.

Not to steal anything away from your post but I noticed you mentioned using colors in your alumilite. I have a discussion going on in another thread where I want to make a pure white pearlescent blank. I asked if I could use white alumilite and just add pearlX??? How did you get the white??? Did you start with clear alumilite and add white coloring and then gold and then pearlX??/ do you have any kind of ratio factor for using the pearl X and where did you get your material??? If you want to PM me that is good too.

Sometimes I do this stuff privately but sometimes I get emails saying that others want to know also so I posted it here if you do not mind. Thanks.
 
jttheclockman said:
Jeff

Great work as usual, both scrolling and turning. In the future I hope to add my scrolling skils to my turning.

Not to steal anything away from your post but I noticed you mentioned using colors in your alumilite. I have a discussion going on in another thread where I want to make a pure white pearlescent blank. I asked if I could use white alumilite and just add pearlX??? How did you get the white??? Did you start with clear alumilite and add white coloring and then gold and then pearlX??/ do you have any kind of ratio factor for using the pearl X and where did you get your material??? If you want to PM me that is good too.

Sometimes I do this stuff privately but sometimes I get emails saying that others want to know also so I posted it here if you do not mind. Thanks.
Click to expand...

First thing to remember is that white alumilite yellows over time, and the clear doe not because it has a UV protectant in it. Next, pearlex does not give a solid color, it is translucent in color with a pearl effect. I love to use just pearlex alone because it allows you to see the side walls of a scrolling, but has a negative in that you need your tubes painted really well and can't have a scratch on the tube when it enters or you are toast! I used a clear alumilite. I used about 3.5 ounces part A, with about 15 drops of solid white nail polish and half a bottle of pearlex. A small pile of white pealex about the 1/4 the size of an eraser head would have been plenty but I accidently dropped the entire bottle in...oops:embarrassed:, but it doesn't ruin the pour. The gold was about 1 ouce part A, clear with about 5 drops of gold testors paint and a sprinkle of gold pearlex. Mix them up then add part B and mixed them up really good. Poured both cups of color into mold at basically the same time in a swirling motion. If I hadn't added the gold pour, it would just be white with pearl effect. Paint tubes white no matter what. This pen really does have an ivory type look to it, but that's not planned, just what it is and it looks great.

I pick up alumilite in Kalamazoo direct from the manufacturer because it is near by, lucky me. Pearlex is bought from Micheals with a coupon. Nail polish is bough at CVS by wife, the coupon queen..so the nail polish is always free. Testors is cheap at micheals or wherever. Do not use water based paints in alumilite.
 
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Thanks Jeff. You learn something new every day here. I did not know that white alumilite will yellow over time. You answered my question then about using a white base and then adding pearl X. I think in my next pour I will ad a pure white of some kind. I tried using a white pearl mica powder and it came out ivory in color. Thanks and keep up the great work.

By the way does this pen have a home or is this something you wanted to try??? The final product is super.
 
I can certainly see why you are excited. That is an awesome pen and box. Does the scroll go all the way through or do you split the blank?
 
Scroll is on one side only on pen and box. There is no seam on the pen, it is a casting. The box is a lamination, so as to cut a window and insert the pieces then pour.

Oh...I should mention too, there is no finish on this pen. I treated it just like an acrylic. It is sanded to 12000, plastic polished then auto wax. I see no need to do anything else with the ebony being that it is naturally oily and has closed pores.
 
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Now you are just showing off!!!:biggrin: Don't you ever sleep or take lunch breaks or anything???

Excellent work once again Jeff:biggrin:
 
mobrackett said:
I just love the work you do. I need to learn how to scroll out the art work!!
Click to expand...

Have to contact my publisher and give him an extra nudge on the desire to know all the info for the "How to". I am writing a 3 part series on scrolling pens, and this pen is part two. I've been sending a lot of people to email him. He wants it, but he's concerned about competing articles with his turning magazine that his company also owns. But my articles are not about turning, they scrolling the blank. I'm just continuing to make the 3 pens, then write the three articles and send them in and see what happens from there. Haven't been told a date on my dragon intarsia/casting project, but I do know the editors are in progress of editing the article. :smile:
 
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