My first pen blank pour

[The-fons]

Unsure about the success of this attempt….

"Ingredients"

Aluminite (procured from Hobby lobby)

Black dye

Silver Mica powder

Chrysocolla

The chrysocolla sunk, as did the Mica…mostly. Will turn them to see how they come out.

 

[Ted iin Michigan]

Hmm. What does the end of the blanks look like? You might be (pleasantly) surprised.
Continue!

 

[The-fons]

Hmm. What does the end of the blanks look like? You might be (pleasantly) surprised.
Continue!

Good point…I'll up those images tonight

 

[Painfullyslow]

I also had my first attempt with Chrysocolla look like that. The key for me was to wait until the resin started to kick and became much thicker before adding it in.

What resin are you using?

 

[RobS]

Pick up an IR gun, and measure the resin temp. For Alumilite SLOW you will want to wait till 103F before you mix in anything that could sink, my buddy holds out till 115F (I have yet to tried holding out that long). You'll need to experiment on your own, for glitter or other objects.

Alumilite Clear (NOT slow) is a whole different beast, and I can not comment.

Also waiting till 103F min will help with color separation for future pours.

*******Disclaimer, your ambient temperature will affect what temperature to wait till? Or if you have pre heated the mold will also play a role.

Good luck.

 

[The-fons]

I also had my first attempt with Chrysocolla look like that. The key for me was to wait until the resin started to kick and became much thicker before adding it in.

What resin are you using?

Aluminite Clear…and it did take forever (48 hours in an 80F garage) to harden

 

[The-fons]

Good point…I'll up those images tonight

Update…

 

[JohnU]

Aluminite Clear…and it did take forever (48 hours in an 80F garage) to harden

Clear cures in 90 mins or less. Are you sure it wasn't "Amazing Clear" ? That's epoxy and different than "clear" which is a urethane resin. Epoxy will take much longer to harden and several more days to fully cure from a flexible state. I pour "Clear" at 110 degrees for color separation and would probably wait until 115 if I had glitter suspended.

I think I would glue them to a tube, sand them down below bushings and clear cast them.

 

[The-fons]

Clear cures in 90 mins or less. Are you sure it wasn't "Amazing Clear" ? That's epoxy and different than "clear" which is a urethane resin. Epoxy will take much longer to harden and several more days to fully cure from a flexible state. I pour "Clear" at 110 degrees for color separation and would probably wait until 115 if I had glitter suspended.

I think I would glue them to a tube, sand them down below bushings and clear cast them.

It is amazing clear…thanks for the catch

 

[The-fons]

Finally got all that i needed to turn my first kitless pen!!