triw51
Member
Anyone cast a real cigar to make cigar pens out of? Could you cast tobaccco successfully? Saw a picture of a cigar pen resting atop a lit cigar. It just got me thinking....
cigar casting
- Thread starter triw51
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Turned Around
Member
seems like it might be too brittle to turns
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reiddog1
Member
Maybe if you stabilized it with some cactus juice in a vacuum it could work. Just a guess, but that's what I would try. Hope this helps.
Dave
Dave
Monty
Group Buy Coordinator
Been trying that with no luck so far.
bruce119
Member
Here's one I did a wile back. Used real tobacco leaves wrapped around the tubes and cast. It was challenging took a few trys but turned out pretty good.
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PTownSubbie
Member
Here's one I did a wile back. Used real tobacco leaves wrapped around the tubes and cast. It was challenging took a few trys but turned out pretty good.
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Show off!! LOL!! :tongue:
Glad to see you again Bruce! Hope things are going well for you!
toyotaman
Member
Great looking cast.
SDB777
Member
Bruce,
Did you glue the leaf down, and then ModPodge it? Or trade secret....no-can-tell:biggrin:
I'm still working on my stamp pen casting.....
Scott
Did you glue the leaf down, and then ModPodge it? Or trade secret....no-can-tell:biggrin:
I'm still working on my stamp pen casting.....
Scott
bruce119
Member
When I did this I used real tobacco leaves form a cigar shop. I live near Tampa so cigar rolling shops are everywhere. It took several attempts if I was to do it again I would probably paint the tube a light brown use Mod Podge to glue the leaf down. Now the tobacco leaf presents special difficulties as it is wet if you let it dry it will be brittle and crumble. So I would glue the leaf on set it aside for a week let it dry out. Then give it a coat or 2 of medium/thick CA let that dry another 2 days then cast with P.R. Now this is all speculation I don't plan on doing it again but if I was that is how I would start. Now with stamps that's pretty easy I would glue them down with Mod Podge let dry then put on the lathe give 2 coats of CA to seal it then cast with PR. The coat of CA seals the paper so you don't get the P.R. soaking in and getting that dark transparent wet look.
Hope I gave you guys some tips you can use. No real trade secret just takes time and patients and a little understanding which comes from trial and error $$$.
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Here's one I did a wile back. Used real tobacco leaves wrapped around the tubes and cast. It was challenging took a few trys but turned out pretty good.
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did you put ca glue before casting... i did a a few cigar leaves with no CA and they turn white... I am told that maybee they were not dried enought.
will try to make sure they are dried (oven low temp) and put CA glue on it before casting
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Flush1974
Member
Thanks for posting!!!... I have often thought about this project too. My first instincts were to stabilize a cigar, but then I thought what makes a cigar look like a cigar? It's the outer wrapping leaf, so if you turn it, you will lose the leaf. So the next logical step is to unwrap a cigar and do what Bruce did.
Well done Sir.
Well done Sir.
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check this video... i tried it with not much success. i think its because the leaves were still damp. (see picture)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsbzhmCM4CA
so my next step is to make sure the leaves dried out then apply a thin coat of pudge and then thin coat of CA on it before casting
here is what they look like....
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mecompco
Member
I would think the biggest challenge would be getting a dried leaf wrapped around the tube. When absolutely dry, they are very brittle. Of course, if they are still moist, that is a problem as well. Perhaps if they were glued on while still a bit moist, then allowed to dry prior to casting?
here is the result... came out not bad except white spot at end of tube. Anyboy have any idea why
Any idea why
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swcrawford
Member
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2013
- Messages
- 31
Were the white spots there when you took the tube out of the mold? How did you square the blank to the tube (with a pen mill or sanding)?
To me that looks like the resin de-laminated from the leaf during turning or trimming. If I were trying this project I might do the steps you did to cast the leaf, then:
1. Make up a jig to square the ends of the blank to the tube by sanding, not with a pen mill. The mill teeth may grab the leaf and cause the de-lamination which may not be readily apparent until after you turn to shape. I use a sanding jig on the lathe made by member Rick Herrell (rherrell) and it works great. I square all my blanks this way now. (By the way, he is offering 20% off all his products now during the birthday bash.)
Also, make sure you square the resin back all the way to the tube. Really important. Whenever I get in a hurry and neglect to do that, the inward pressure from the bushings can cause exactly what I see in your picture.
2. After squaring the blank to the tube, put a little bit of thin CA at the end of the tube/resin junction. It should wick into the joint there and give a little insurance against de-lamination when turning. I do this whenever I cast something thin wrapped around a tube to keep this from happening and also to keep water/sanding slurry out of the blank since I like to wet sand resin blanks. Just the tiniest bit, let it cure, and then re-sand the end to smooth it out.
Give it another go. I think you are really close to a complete success.
To me that looks like the resin de-laminated from the leaf during turning or trimming. If I were trying this project I might do the steps you did to cast the leaf, then:
1. Make up a jig to square the ends of the blank to the tube by sanding, not with a pen mill. The mill teeth may grab the leaf and cause the de-lamination which may not be readily apparent until after you turn to shape. I use a sanding jig on the lathe made by member Rick Herrell (rherrell) and it works great. I square all my blanks this way now. (By the way, he is offering 20% off all his products now during the birthday bash.)
Also, make sure you square the resin back all the way to the tube. Really important. Whenever I get in a hurry and neglect to do that, the inward pressure from the bushings can cause exactly what I see in your picture.
2. After squaring the blank to the tube, put a little bit of thin CA at the end of the tube/resin junction. It should wick into the joint there and give a little insurance against de-lamination when turning. I do this whenever I cast something thin wrapped around a tube to keep this from happening and also to keep water/sanding slurry out of the blank since I like to wet sand resin blanks. Just the tiniest bit, let it cure, and then re-sand the end to smooth it out.
Give it another go. I think you are really close to a complete success.
thanks...i think you 'nailed it'. the white appeared after turning. I did use the barrel trimmer. i will try as you suggested.
what do you think about putting the tube in the oven at very low temperature so that the glued (podge) leaves drye
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swcrawford
Member
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2013
- Messages
- 31
Drying in an oven at really low temp shouldn't cause any problem. Just let it cool before casting. I never do. I've just learned to be patient and come back to a project later. Getting in a hurry has caused me more problems than just about anything else.
JohnU
Member
Another tip would be to apply some thin ca to each sanded or milled end before turning. It will help seal the ends around the tube, especially for sanding, and if you use micro mesh and water. I do this will every material I turn, especially snake skins and feathers. I've had water and sanding debri get inside the ends.
Dr Robert
Member
Beautiful Job Bruce!! When do you drill your tube hole?? Do you suspend the cigar in resin and then drill the casting OR do you somehow drill the ModPodged/ CA'd Cigar!!??
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