Moss Blank

[Todd in PA]

I cast some dried moss in Alumilite and turned out a pen.

What do you think?

My wife loves this pen. I tried to tell her how much more craftsmanship went into several of my other pens, but she couldn't be talked out of liking this one the best! I suppose when making things to give as gifts, it's best to make what they like.

This community is a tad more discerning. I'll take critique and suggestion to improve upon this pen.

 

[TDahl]

Very nice.

 

[magpens]

Nice work !!!

Please show it to us again in 6 months .... I want to see what the moss has done in that time frame !

 

[qquake]

That's kind of cool!

 

[DavidD]

Love this! Like Mal, also curious how this ages. Super creative idea!

 

[1080Wayne]

I think you did a good job on that . To determine the aging effect , if any , you need two more . One in the dark , one in sunlight , and the one in your wifes purse as an uncontrolled control .

I assume you used local moss , not the dried stuff for fish tanks imported from the Ukraine , which has been found in both the US and Canada to contain zebra mussels .

 

[Bryguy]

Love that blank!

 

[Todd in PA]

I assume you used local moss , not the dried stuff for fish tanks imported from the Ukraine , which has been found in both the US and Canada to contain zebra mussels .

I sourced it locally at the Walmart down the way. It was in the craft section (not the pet section). But your point is taken.

I have more moss blanks. I'll make a second pen and put it in the window and let you know!

 

[JohnU]

Looks good. I dyed some red once and cast for a Dr to look like veins. It eventually pulled away from the resin. I don't think I dried it long enough. I Hope yours holds up, I like the green.

 

[Brandy]

Very cool!

 

[sorcerertd]

Looks great! It's easy to see why your wife likes it. I wondered about aging, too since it looked so green and fresh. Then you mentioned that you purchased moss rather than grabbing some out of the back yard. I would think that should age well since there shouldn't be any moisture content in it.

 

[turnit2020]

Good job. It will be interesting to see how it reac ts to time. Please share that part when you get some age on it and some light.
Turncrazy43e

 

[Todd in PA]

I used the scrap to segment another pen, and put that one on the windowsill for observation. See you in a coupla months!

 

[Todd in PA]

Nice work !!!

Please show it to us again in 6 months .... I want to see what the moss has done in that time frame !

We'll I gave that first pen to a friend and he's still using it at his work. I lost the one on the window sill, which leaves me this last one. It's holding up just fine after 15+ months, and will be going to market at my first craft show in a few weeks.

 

[KMCloonan]

Imagine my (pleasant) surprise when I learned that this thread was old, and that I don't have to wait 6 months or a year for the results of your aging study!

Sorry I missed your post the first time around - I really like the moss blank, and how the pens turned out, and how they didn't really change that much over the past year.

Thanks for updating the thread for us slackers.

 

[goldendj]

Awesome! Did you just use clear resin and paint the tube/blank black, or is there dye in there to contrast the moss?

 

[Larryreitz]

I like it a lot. Any special tricks to prepare/ dry the moss?
Larry

 

[Todd in PA]

I bought the moss already dried. It's like $18 at Michael's, but was < $5 at Walmart. I used it straight out of the bag, but beware that there's dirt you'll want to pick out with tweezers. I've also since learned to microwave dried goods to evaporate any residual moisture that may foam the resin. I used gray mica powder in the resin, but too little of it, and it basically came out clear. I painted the hole black with spray paint before gluing the tube.

 

[goldendj]

Thanks! I'll have to add that to my list of things to try. I really like the look ...