MDVolle
Member
Playing with making pens from downed branches from the yard -
Old dead branches have some amazing textures and patterns but also seem to have a lot of voids - like a 100 years of bugs - often not apparent until starting to turn the blank
300 mesh copper powder was frustrating - even the thin penetrating CA would just ball up on the surface - found some 100-150 mesh copper and turquoise
The larger powder allows the CA to flow through the powder, so filling the voids and bug tracks becomes a relatively simple process.
The challenge is getting a good polish on the stone - which seems to work by partially hardening the wood as well with CA before polishing the material - wood and stone - with a polishing compound - then coating everything with CA for the CA finish.
Trying to polish the copper or turquoise without coating the wood darkens the wood with the polishing compound and looks dirty -
The shape was just having fun but actually feels nice writing - it just won't sit flat on the desk- actually tends to spin -
Old dead branches have some amazing textures and patterns but also seem to have a lot of voids - like a 100 years of bugs - often not apparent until starting to turn the blank
300 mesh copper powder was frustrating - even the thin penetrating CA would just ball up on the surface - found some 100-150 mesh copper and turquoise
The larger powder allows the CA to flow through the powder, so filling the voids and bug tracks becomes a relatively simple process.
The challenge is getting a good polish on the stone - which seems to work by partially hardening the wood as well with CA before polishing the material - wood and stone - with a polishing compound - then coating everything with CA for the CA finish.
Trying to polish the copper or turquoise without coating the wood darkens the wood with the polishing compound and looks dirty -
The shape was just having fun but actually feels nice writing - it just won't sit flat on the desk- actually tends to spin -
