casting blanks

I am moving from component pen making to fully custom pens and needed to increase the lengths of my blanks to accommodate the change. I watched a great video from John Underhill on vertical pen blank casting using his system and I decided to purchase it. Works very well, but I am having a...

This is for the casters out there. I've started using a different brand of mica powders to color my resin lately, and I've noticed a problem. After the casting has cured and I take it out of the pot I see spots, not many but some, where it looks like the mica powder hasn't mixed well in the...

Just for the fun of it. I have a question for the casters out there. Do you have a list of color combos, a recipe book, or some way to keep track of your color combos? Successful and failed combos? I myself have a color recipe spreadsheet that I keep with 90 color combos in it, and a log for...

I'd like to teach myself how to cast blanks and am curious what kind of pressure pot people use or recommend. Thanks!

As I sit eating a chicken sandwich on my Dad’s old workbench I noticed the notes on the bottom of the pressure pot from when Chuck (dalecamino) and I were casting. In case you are interested (you mileage may vary): 180 grams Liquid Diamonds = 4 PTownSubbie Sierra molds for 8 Sierra Blanks 100...

Hi! I've been testing out casting some glitter in alumilite clear slow. However, I'm running into the problem where half the glitter sinks to the bottom (see attached photo). Is there any way to fix this? I'm still relatively new to casting but here's the process I followed. Mix equal parts...

First attempt ended up looking like an elementary school volcano demonstration. Then was able to get a piece of stabilized burl into a blank. Finally was able to get a little color and sparkle while using some pine cones from the yard. Now I need to learn how to position the wood to show off...

My first attempt at casting ended up looking like an elementary school volcano experiment. I've read all of the posts I could find about foaming problems etc. I mixed the Alumilite clear by weight added some alumilite blue dye, stirred well and poured into my HDPE molds. Almost immediately it...

I am just starting to get into casting alumilite with and HF pressure pot. My plan is to use 1/2" "plastic" to create molds. Would anyone have any recommendations on what size to make the interior cavity for the most versatility? I am also returning to pen making after about a 15 year...

I need help with castings getting numerous air bubbles. I have always used air pressure and I tried these casting materials from Polytek, Kraft, and Turtle Feathers. I am trying to cast with coal dust and Inlace (black dye) from Turtle Feathers, I have used PVC and pink rubber molds.

i have tried everything I know to embed a inkjet print under resin. I have put packaged tap around the print, and the resin goes right through it. Any tips that might help??

Hello all! I have been lurking for a while and stealing all the tips I could find. Aaand, they have helped. Casting blanks is pretty rewarding. I am starting to get commissions from friends. So on this one, she wants her husbands initials on it. I was thinking of painting the tube with...

I have seen in several articles and videos that some people use heat to cure their poly resin quicker. Most people say that they use silicone molds or bake ware, but I was wondering if I could use a small metal pan instead? Would the pan get to hot for the resin or will it work the same as...

Total newbie, have not made anything YET...wanting to buy what I need...nothing more! I want to stabilize my wood and vacuum it. SOME I want to pour into blanks and add colored resin, maybe 2 or 3 colors in a mold. I see different methods at this point...can I just mold then let it cure on a...

New casting blank. Dried seed pods in orange Alumilite. Pen is Sierra Ballpoint in Titanium Not for the faint of heart this blank requires a light touch, sharp tools, and patience as you fill voids and surprises. Thanks for looking Mike

I am trying to cast some rattlesnake blanks. I purchased a silicone mold that appears to be working very well. I started off by painting the brass with camo colored spray paint and let it dry a week. I then CA glued on rattlesnake skin (tanned with glycerin process). After waiting 24-hours...

I just came across this site. :bananen_smilies035: pearl ex powdered pigments*: Shop | Joann.com They have pearl ex on sale. Locally I pay as much as $8 for one bottle of the same size. They have it on sale for $1.50 This is good for someone like me who does casting in limited numbers.:wink...

Another surprise from a leftover PR pour. The leftover resin was poured into a pvc pipe. It wasn't long enough for a full length pen so I added a comfort grip. You just never know what lies waiting underneath an otherwise plain looking pr rod. :smile:

Once I discovered the temperature had reached the 50's today I decided to try and do another cast, my 6th. A few weeks ago my wonderful wife, in an effort to help, had picked up some plastic cups. Now I had been made aware of the problems with using recycle code 6 plastic by PenMan1, but I...

Here's another El Grande rollerball made from one of my cast blanks from last weekend. This was the one that the first color setup before I could add the bronze.:rolleyes: You can see in a few places where I tried to stab the stick into the green to allow the bronze to penetrate a little.:wink...