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Cotton

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Joined
Sep 16, 2017
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25
Location
Rowlett, Tx
I casted cockleburs in AL and can't decide if I like it. It's a pain to turn and it makes me think of looking through a microscope. Maybe I should cast it in some green goo and call it Zombie virus.
 

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Yes, I stabilized them. The hull is pretty hard but the inside is like a peanut even after I stabilized. I turn a little and add thin CA to the inside then repeat. They are a pain, that's why I'm looking for opinions to see if they are worth messing with.
 
IT LOOKS COOL, WELL DONE. I'm not just saying that, there are a lot of things I do not like. However, I very much like this one.
 
I think its great. BTW if you just hate it I would be willing to take it off your hands, I have its cousin proudly displayed on my desk.:smile:
 
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YES, they are worth it !!! . The pen is very beautiful, IMO.

Care to offer to sell some blanks to me ???
 
Well turned, matched, photographed. I don't see any room for improvement from the photo. Great job!
 
You did well with that. Not all materials are easy to turn. But, often, with patience you can end up with a gem. The most expensive pen I ever sold ($300.00) was a piece of faux ivory (not the usual stuff in pen catalogs) that was like turning granite. But the end result was a knock-out.
 
I really appreciate all the positive feedback. New to this casting thing and have had a few duds but that's part of the learning process. I don't dislike it just wasn't sure what others would think of it.

Again Thanks!
 
You make me want to try that. About using green dye - it might and it might not. I have made a few pens that were stunning strictly by accident and when I tried to improve them, everything went flat.

Again, it might work but the color combination in that picture plus the virus look - is GREAT. Makes me want one just like that! :good:
 
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Pretty cool, Jeff, and I can see it appealing to different folks in different ways. Easy to play the virus angle to zombie lovers and epidemiologists both.

I was wondering if penetrating the shell of the cocklebur would allow any resin to enter under pressure for a different effect? Not casting yet myself but just a thought.


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app
 
My wife is a microbiologist, so I think it's VERY cool! If you live near a university, I'd cast some more and take them by the biological sciences departments. The professors would likely go crazy for those.
 
Cotton said:
Yes, I stabilized them. The hull is pretty hard but the inside is like a peanut even after I stabilized. I turn a little and add thin CA to the inside then repeat. They are a pain, that's why I'm looking for opinions to see if they are worth messing with.
Click to expand...

Next time drill several 1/8 holes through the pith before stabilizing and you will get the inside hardened. Then clean out the holes before casting and the resin will get in there and add some resin dots as "highlights"
 
My grandpa was a cotton farmer in west Texas, he hated cockleburs with a passion. He has been gone for 3 decades, but even to this day when I see cocklebur in the field or pasture, I think of him. As grandchildren he would have us go through the pasture and to them. We now own one of the places, and in his memory we have kept the cockleburs at bay.
 
ElMostro said:
Cotton said:
Yes, I stabilized them. The hull is pretty hard but the inside is like a peanut even after I stabilized. I turn a little and add thin CA to the inside then repeat. They are a pain, that's why I'm looking for opinions to see if they are worth messing with.
Click to expand...

Next time drill several 1/8 holes through the pith before stabilizing and you will get the inside hardened. Then clean out the holes before casting and the resin will get in there and add some resin dots as "highlights"
Click to expand...

Great idea for getting better stabilizing
 
I love the idea, and the pen is well crafted, but reverse paint the blank next time. "To me", it is distracting from the beauty of the rest of the pen. YMMV
 
Beautys_Beast said:
I love the idea, and the pen is well crafted, but reverse paint the blank next time. "To me", it is distracting from the beauty of the rest of the pen. YMMV
Click to expand...

Excuse the rookie question but could you educate me on reverse painting the blank?

dogcatcher said:
My grandpa was a cotton farmer in west Texas, he hated cockleburs with a passion. He has been gone for 3 decades, but even to this day when I see cocklebur in the field or pasture, I think of him. As grandchildren he would have us go through the pasture and to them. We now own one of the places, and in his memory we have kept the cockleburs at bay.
Click to expand...

Might be why I was on the fence with this one. I've pull countless burs from horse tails over the years! My fingers hurt just looking at them.
 
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Reverse Painting means that on cast blanks, painting the inside of the blank after you drill it out and before you insert and glue in the tube. This prevents the tube from showing and also prevents air bubbles and glue spots from showing.

Here is a perfect example of painting of different colors and how painting changes the colors:
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f19/seeing-believing-reverse-painting-151785/
 
leehljp said:
Reverse Painting means that on cast blanks, painting the inside of the blank after you drill it out and before you insert and glue in the tube. This prevents the tube from showing and also prevents air bubbles and glue spots from showing.

Here is a perfect example of painting of different colors and how painting changes the colors:
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f19/seeing-believing-reverse-painting-151785/
Click to expand...
Oh, ok thanks.

I can't see the tube but the blank was cast with fairly heavy gold Pearl Ex, it doesn't show up in the picture as well as it does in person. That's the way my coworker wanted it.

I'll give it a try on the next one. Good info for the future!
 
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Cotton said:
leehljp said:
Reverse Painting means that on cast blanks, painting the inside of the blank after you drill it out and before you insert and glue in the tube. This prevents the tube from showing and also prevents air bubbles and glue spots from showing.

Here is a perfect example of painting of different colors and how painting changes the colors:
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f19/seeing-believing-reverse-painting-151785/
Click to expand...
Oh, ok thanks.

I can't see the tube but the blank was cast with fairly heavy gold Pearl Ex, it doesn't show up in the picture as well as it does in person. That's the way my coworker wanted it.

I'll give it a try on the next one. Good info for the future!
Click to expand...

If your blank is opaque and you said you can't see the tube, then I don't think painting it will make a difference, but you never know.
 
Cotton, I have looked at this a number of times...and I am still not sure that about it. But either way it is done very well and I am sure that the burrs being cast into a pen could not be any better....I just can't help but think it looks like cast bugs. If it was for someone that burrs meant something to, I would think they would be quite pleased with it....again, I think the colors and casting is well done....I don't think I can see the tubes...so if I were you, I would be pleased with it.
 
If you want my honest opinion...........I like it. If the person you are making it for likes it, you have a winner. In the end that is the real test.
 
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