Thread: Streamline segmented & embedded

Nice work on the segmenting, I don't see any "thick" glue lines in there.

The blanks don't really go well together, but for an experiment we can ignore that. There are only two minor nit-picks I have, which can be seen in the first couple of photos.

1. Look at where the upper barrel meets the centre band. A nice, crisply square edge the same size as the outside diameter of the centre band. Now look at the same spot on the lower barrel. It tapers in...

Both edges should look the same.

2. The other end of the upper barrel looks to be smaller than the finial. (the plug that holds the clip in.) So rather than giving smoothly flowing lines, the finial look like a knob on the end.

Just outta curiosity, did you cast the lower blank yourself? Dried peas? Corn? I reckon that would look truly smick matched up with a plain, jet-black upper barrel. Say, a piece of Ebony or African Blackwood...

I think it would look better if it were all segmented, the bottom doesn't go with the top, maybe as an experiment you could make a new bottom piece then show us it again. Amos

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

The blanks don't really go well together, but for an experiment we can ignore that. There are only two minor nit-picks I have, which can be seen in the first couple of photos.

Yep, I agree. I was actually making two pens. One with the casting, and one with the segmenting. Half of each is currently undergoing repairs, so I figured, since I had two good halves, I'd stick them together You will see them swapped back later.

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

1. Look at where the upper barrel meets the centre band. A nice, crisply square edge the same size as the outside diameter of the centre band. Now look at the same spot on the lower barrel. It tapers in...

Both edges should look the same.

Yep, I agree again - problem with the two different halves. I didn't actually realise I'd rolled the resin until I assembled it, but it's given me some problems, which I'll explain below.

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

2. The other end of the upper barrel looks to be smaller than the finial. (the plug that holds the clip in.) So rather than giving smoothly flowing lines, the finial look like a knob on the end.

Yeah I'm not sure how that happened. i didn't think underturned it, but I discovered the joys of turning two different density woods doing this one. It's Ash & Red Pine - chalk & cheese, with the pine being very soft, and the ash quite hard, so maybe I ran off the ash and dug out too much of the pine at the end, or just sanding sanded it away too much.

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

Just outta curiosity, did you cast the lower blank yourself? Dried peas? Corn? I reckon that would look truly smick matched up with a plain, jet-black upper barrel. Say, a piece of Ebony or African Blackwood...

Ok now the fun stuff. It's peppercorns & yellow split peas. There are still several problems you haven't mentioned with that blank, but then photo's are hopeless at showing details inside a resin cast, so I doubt anyone will pick much of them up. In person it's a lot more obvious, although casual observers may not notice. I'll save the details on that till I've had some mroe comments hopefully.

As for the materials themselves, may I suggest if anyone ever tries peppercorns, they do so with caution if you have any type of allergies, hayfever etc etc. Sanding/turning/drilling (sanding in particular) produces a lot of pper dust. I have to admit to being slack with eye protection, and as soon as I started sanding the end to reduce some of the extra before milling, my eyes immediately started stinging. Without a mask, you cough, splutter and sneeze. That blank was my first failed attempt in the pressure pot, sa the air leaked out too quick, so it's basically just a normal air cast for now.

The peppercorns also did not really absorb any of the resin, so as you can imagine, lots of dry crumbly material and voids when turned, but may have been better if I'd had my pressure pot working. For those who like the smell of pepper or dislike resin smell, it sure overpowers any resin odours quite well

Amos, as mentioned above, will have the anti-matter version of this one & final single type pens hopefully in a day or so.

Thanks for the comments guys.
Russell.

Good experiment Russel, as you are aware now the two parts do not go with one another but thats what experimenting sorts out.

Good work on the segments good glue ups and choices of colours

Originally Posted by BoomerangInfo

It's Ash & Red Pine - chalk & cheese, with the pine being very soft, and the ash quite hard, so maybe I ran off the ash and dug out too much of the pine at the end, or just sanding sanded it away too much.

My money is on the sanding; it's a known problem, especially if you're just holding the paper in your fingers without solid backing.

Some woods, eg. Oregon, have this problem all by themselves... with large, widely spaced rings of differing densities (hard, soft, hard, soft) they turn nice & smooth and then become more & more corrugated the longer you sand 'em.

But it's all fun.

Mum said never match dots with stripes

must admit both look stunning (on their own) the photo's don't show much of a problem - Skew is a better critic then I.

With laminations I've heard (and read) that it is better to try and match timbers with a similar hardness.

re Skew's comment on oregon. Try aust cedar. I turned a small blank than sanded. the ridges are amazing

Originally Posted by Sawdust Maker

Try aust cedar. I turned a small blank than sanded. the ridges are amazing

I have quite a few blocks of the stuff that I gathered as scrap from a furniture makers bin. Can't wait to give it a whirl

Russell.

Well here are the final two completed pens. I had to repair a chip in the end of the embedding, and the whole last two segments on the other had to be replaced, as silly me ran the mill across the end of the completed pen and cracked it. Luckily at least because it was segmented, I was able to do that, otherwise the whole thing would have been tossed.

Russell.

They do look good, well done, great satisfaction when it turns out right, !Amos