Mandala revisited again

[Dale Lynch]

Hi everyone, This was my third try at this pattern over the years.My first try I was not using the proper type thread and had a mental breakdown when I applied the CA.The second went much better with the right supplies.It was an 8 color wrap. This time around I used 10 colors.Had to do a Mandala again because after some time away from doing a wrap I kept breaking threads halfway through three different patterns,I went back to what I knew.This time I didnot follow the predetermined layout and spaced it out on my own.

 

[Sly Dog]

Beautiful work!

 

[Jim15]

That's just awesome.

 

[KLJ]

That is amazing

 

[mark james]

Superb. I love this and applaud your precision and technique.

 

[KenB259]

Beautiful and I don't have a clue on how you accomplished this


Sent from my iPad using Penturners.org mobile app

 

[Dale Lynch]

Thanks for the kind words fellas, I appreciate them.

 

[magpens]

I am also amazed by the beauty of your work !!!

 

[dogrunner]

That looks like it requires some serious patience to do .

 

[johncrane]

WOW that's is awesome well done Dale!

 

[jttheclockman]

OK I finally see who did this beautiful pen and was right with my guess. I did not see this thread when I wrote my own asking about this pen. Someone finally linked this thread to mine. Glad they did.

First I want to say this is an extraordinary pen in all ways possible. The precision with the pattern and execution are spot on. Thread wrapping is an art and you are an artisan for sure. The colors go well together. This pen jumped off the page in my eyes in the segmenting contest. I believe it was actually in the wrong contest. I know you say you CA the finish coat but I believe this could still be called casting and you would have done real well there. I too believe people did not know or understand what this actually was made from. A better description may have helped some. But be as it may you deserve a great big round of applause for this entry no matter where you placed it and hope it does make it to the front page because it is worthy and everyone should see this work of art.

I would like to ask a question about your technique of CA finish on something like this. First off did you have to use any color preservative before the CA?? Did the CA change the colors?? How many coats of CA did you use and how did you apply?? I assume you had to do the usual MM sanding afterwards too?? Could you have cast in an epoxy resin instead of doing CA?? Thanks for the replys and again job well done.

 

[magpens]

Just to settle a question that has come up ... why the reference to "Mandala" ? . Can somebody clarify this, please.

 

[buttonsHT]

I have a few custom fishing rods with threading done on them. When I saw this pen I knew right away what technique it was. I showed this to my friend who makes custom rods and he was mind blown that someone was doing this on pen blanks.

Just to settle a question that has come up ... why the reference to "Mandala" ? . Can somebody clarify this, please.

The pink part resembles a mandala.

 

[Dale Lynch]

Mal, I use the term Mandala because the pattern this is based off was named that.I believe it was named that because of the different color layers from the center out.

 

[magpens]

@Spanx

Thanks for reply. . After the reply prev. to yours I looked up "Mandala" (Sanskrit word) and found that it is a generally circular pattern, usually with 8 protrusions or spikes. . It has symbolic significance in Hindu and Buddhist cultures. . It can be formed internal to a square to get the right proportions and symmetry.

There are a couple of pink patterns that fit this idea in the thread patterns on the pen, and there could very well be more such patterns on closer inspection.

I like learning new words, and had probably encountered this one before; and I was intrigued by your use of the word because it was vaguely familiar tho' I had forgotten its meaning.

Like others, I admire your patience in producing such a pen design. . Thank you for creating this thread and stimulating this discussion which I find very interesting and useful subsequent to your delightful contest entry.

Here is the result of my Google search for "what is a mandala" :

what is a mandala - Google Search

 

[Dale Lynch]

OK I finally see who did this beautiful pen and was right with my guess. I did not see this thread when I wrote my own asking about this pen. Someone finally linked this thread to mine. Glad they did.

First I want to say this is an extraordinary pen in all ways possible. The precision with the pattern and execution are spot on. Thread wrapping is an art and you are an artisan for sure. The colors go well together. This pen jumped off the page in my eyes in the segmenting contest. I believe it was actually in the wrong contest. I know you say you CA the finish coat but I believe this could still be called casting and you would have done real well there. I too believe people did not know or understand what this actually was made from. A better description may have helped some. But be as it may you deserve a great big round of applause for this entry no matter where you placed it and hope it does make it to the front page because it is worthy and everyone should see this work of art.

I would like to ask a question about your technique of CA finish on something like this. First off did you have to use any color preservative before the CA?? Did the CA change the colors?? How many coats of CA did you use and how did you apply?? I assume you had to do the usual MM sanding afterwards too?? Could you have cast in an epoxy resin instead of doing CA?? Thanks for the replys and again job well done.

First off,thank you for the detailed feedback.I entered it in the segmenting contest because it was the only one the I could abide to all the rules with the kit I used.There is only thread and CA involved.The diameter of the wrap after all the thread is applied was about.400-.402 and the executive kit finished blank size is .410 so casting would have been wasteful of resin and that stuff is expensive.

I make the wrap about 5" long. The thread I used Is FUJI ULTRA POLY NOCP it requires no color preserver before coating but the colors are more matt than regular wrapping thread.Finishing technique was done with Thin Flex CA and Heptane accelerator,I use products from Rabid Models.to apply the CA I use blue painters folded over a few times smooth side out for an applicator.I pool a large puddle on the applicator and slather in on with the lathe running 750rpm,slowest it will go.Starting in the center and working it back and forth,If I dont keep it moving the CA will fling right off.After about a minute of spreading the CA it stabilizes enough that I can let the blank spin and give it a shot of accelerator back and forth once,Then I let that cure out for a couple hours with the lathe running.It's thick so it takes awhile.I repeated that process tilee the diameter was about .450-.460.The CA does not lay down super smooth and this gives me enough to cut it back down with the skew to about .425.

Sanding from there is pretty straight forward 400-2500 checking the dia as I go. once I get it down to .411 I buff it with a med buff and Dico plastic buffing compound.Assemble after that then give the entire pen a coat of ren wax and it was done.There was a tiny bit of cloth lint trapped by the clip which I didnot see till after I posted it( sorry about that).

 

[Dale Lynch]

@Spanx

Thanks for reply. . After the reply prev. to yours I looked up "Mandala" (Sanskrit word) and found that it is a generally circular pattern, usually with 8 protrusions or spikes. . It has symbolic significance in Hindu and Buddhist cultures. . It can be formed internal to a square to get the right proportions and symmetry.

There are a couple of pink patterns that fit this idea in the thread patterns on the pen, and there could very well be more such patterns on closer inspection.

I like learning new words, and had probably encountered this one before; and I was intrigued by your use of the word because it was vaguely familiar tho' I had forgotten its meaning.

Like others, I admire your patience in producing such a pen design. . Thank you for creating this thread and stimulating this discussion which I find very interesting and useful subsequent to your delightful contest entry.

Here is the result of my Google search for "what is a mandala" :

what is a mandala - Google Search

To be honest I had no Idea what mandala meant before I tried making it.I just liked all the different colors and the fact that it was described as superman difficulty.Challenge accepted.

 

[magpens]

@Spanx

And now, such pen artistry will be forever associated with you and your contest entry !!!

 

[jttheclockman]

Thanks for the explanation Dale. That was a tough call on the contest because weather cast in resin or cast in CA seems to me the same thing. Anyway that could be something for the future judges to get straight before the next contests in case this comes up again. Not that there are many people here doing threading work. Again beautiful pen and job well done.

 

[Dale Lynch]

I thought alot about it before picking which one.Iknew it wasn't traditional like we all think of when it comes to a segmented pen, but it met all the rules.I thought about the casting contest because the end result was the same if I had cast it.but I could not get past the fact that I didnot use a mold in the process like is done in traditional casting.It's been fun just to participate with you all to get me out of my rut of not making anything.By the way thanks for Itroducing Ted Sacks to the forum.It's his work that inspired me to get into thread work in the first place.

 

[jttheclockman]

I thought alot about it before picking which one.Iknew it wasn't traditional like we all think of when it comes to a segmented pen, but it met all the rules.I thought about the casting contest because the end result was the same if I had cast it.but I could not get past the fact that I didnot use a mold in the process like is done in traditional casting.It's been fun just to participate with you all to get me out of my rut of not making anything.By the way thanks for Itroducing Ted Sacks to the forum.It's his work that inspired me to get into thread work in the first place.

Yea when I brought him over and saw his work I did not think there would be anyone with enough patience and know how to do the things he did and you have proven that wrong. I miss him here. Not sure if he is still making blanks to sell through one of the vendors. There was a time I wanted so bad to do this but never followed through. Just way too many things on the plate and getting older and the eyes and hands not what they once were.

Encasing in resin or encasing in CA is no different to me. A mold is not always used when casting. Those that do thread work on fishing poles use epoxy resins. Again will leave that to people more informed than me. Again nice work and be proud of that one for sure.