Abalone Chips

This is the second one of these I've put together. The first one wasn't bad, IMHO, but I just threw it together and I wanted to make sure it wasn't a fluke that it stayed together. It was a simple blank to make. I found a bag of chips at a local Woodcraft store. I painted the tube black and then just glued random pieces up and down the tube. I didn't go past the ends because I use a pen mill to square the ends and I didn't think it would end well. If you use a sanded then you could add to the look with the chips overhanging. They stuck up well above the bushings but that didn't pose a problem. I turned it with a regular turning tool until it started hitting fairly hard against the chips. Then I switched to 80 grit sandpaper and worked my way down to the micro mesh. No finish or sealed was use. Just sanded and polished with Hut Plastic Polish. Questions and Comments Welcome.

Very nice Kenny! The end results are always well worth all of the time spent gluing.

When I use thicker chips like those, I glue them down, and before casting, I put the tube on the lathe and turn it using sandpaper to get the shell pieces below bushing height. I usually start with 80 grit and then just lightly hit sand them up to 400. Be sure to Use a respirator. She'll dust is very harmful to breath in. They are so hard that once you wipe them off with a little denatured alcohol you won't see any scratches. This way after they're clear cast, there's less worry about hitting a shell piece during turning and getting a blow out.

Keep up the good work!

Thanks for the kind words and tip John. I'll have to give that a try. The color is amazing when the sunlight hits it. We'll worth the effort I think.

Very nice Kenny. I look forward to seeing more of your Abalone pens.