Experimental Banksia

[Sawdust Maker]

Russell (BoomerangInfo) and I have pooled our resources (a joint venture if you like) to produce the pen below.
He didn't want to post it, so as not to steal my thunder.
Anyway he wanted some coolabah and I said I'd swap, but didn't know what I wanted. I then came up with the idea of using smallish banksia pods and pressure casting them in black resin. I'm not into resin casting (yet). So I sent him a handful of banksia pods after squaring them up on the sander. This is the first experimental one, Russell turned it down and fitted it to a sierra. He said it floated a bit in the resin and thus the spotty bits are bigger on one side then the other, but it is the first one after all. He also said it was pretty hard to turn and had to use ca on the fuzzy bits.
I reckon that Russell has done a great job
what does the brains trust think? or BTW these are Russell's photos

[mick61]

G`day looks fine to me.
Mick

[gawdelpus]

Yep! gotta love the variety and the thinking that goes on with this craft. I saw some of "Neils" pens in the flesh yesterday, bugger I have so much to learn and too much to do hehe. Nice ones Russell

[timberbits]

Thats a great looking pen. You guys may have developed a new industry for supplying pen makers.

When you cast in resin, doesn't the whole thing become solid which means that there is no fuzzy bits? Or does the fuzzy bits still remain?

Timberbits.

[artme]

Sweet!!!

[Sawdust Maker]

Thats a great looking pen. You guys may have developed a new industry for supplying pen makers.

When you cast in resin, doesn't the whole thing become solid which means that there is no fuzzy bits? Or does the fuzzy bits still remain?

Timberbits.

Hmm better work out a marketing strategy with me partner! or should I say Pat Pending!

I haven't seen a blank yet, but Russell commented that the fuzzy bits needed ca, so I can only assume that the resin didn't percolate into these fuzzy bits. If you've played with a banksia pod you'll know what I mean by fuzzy bits.

[poulso]

Nice Work

[BoomerangInfo]

Eh, Ok so he's let the cat out of the bag

Those fuzzy areas are densely packed, but when the chisels hit them, they pull sideways & fluff up. I could have kept turning them dow I think, but didn't want to riska tear-out. Even soaking them with thin CA, it didn't penetrate far and had to be done a couple of times.

Yeah I broke my mould doing the first blank. A repair job by replacing one side saw that side higher than the other, which didn't help the floating situation.

Oh BTW Nick, I just happen to have that pen with me when I was at work today, and one of the girls wanted to buy it - sorry, I couldn't say no - does that mean I have to give you a cut of the profits?....

Russell.

[edblysard]

I think it is seriously wicked looking...at first glance I though you had gotten Ostrich skin in a casting...then looked closer....Wow, keep it up, I think you guys found a new idea that will take off.

[dai sensei]

Looks like a good casting Nick, the holes have filled in really well.

I haven't pressure cast my banksia yet, just used thin CA over what ever my filler is. I must give it a try, just looking for a sutiable very then resin. As you mention the CA does not penetrate more than a mm or two. On my first couple of banksias I filled the holes entirely then soaked with CA, whilst turning, every now and then there would a puff of filler, as I reached the limit of the CA penetration

[schaf]

Excellent blank and pen . Russell you have done a great job. How big was the mould to hold a Banksia pod.

[BoomerangInfo]

Excellent blank and pen . Russell you have done a great job. How big was the mould to hold a Banksia pod.

Well Nick did a great job trimming them to square and size, so they fit in my standard 140x22x22 mould. Main problem is they're only about 70mm - 100mm, so there's a bit of wsated resin. I could padd it out with some scrap material, but it's hard enough getting the pods coated and seat properly without other thing flaoting arounbd in the road as well

I forgot to mention to Nick as well, at the final turned size, the only gaps in the resin where 3 small pinholes in the smallest depressions. I was happy that the casting had worked that well, although obviously I need to be careful to make sure it is soaked as well as possible before immersing the pod. I did try a few manual manipulations to make sure there was no air pockets, as I don't have vacuum, but it seems to have worked OK.

Russell.

[salty72]

what species of banksia was used as I have tried the candle off a few gravillies and they work well (bitt furry some times)

Salty

[Sawdust Maker]

...

Oh BTW Nick, I just happen to have that pen with me when I was at work today, and one of the girls wanted to buy it - sorry, I couldn't say no - does that mean I have to give you a cut of the profits?....

Russell.

Of course must have grabbed her attention if it went so quickly!

Salty

Don't know what type of banksia - there's quite a few which grow around my area. and I wouldn't know one from another. The pods are on the smallish size, probably only got one or two big enough to do a bigger pen ie like a baron or something.

[Buzz]

Might work better with the bigger pods, you should be able to get back below the "furry" bits. I've seen these on the AIP too, and they were cast with various coloured resins, very nice looking blanks and he was getting good money for them too. I've though of doing some, but reackon a pressure/vacuum system would be nearly essential, and I don't have one (yet)

You've done a really nice job with the pen