Crush in PR

[KDM]

Anyone got any ideas how I mighe make a "crush" (AKA crushed velvet)blank in PR?

Something like this one:

Is it a simple case of literally crushing a cured blank and then bedding that in more PR?

Wouldn't that cause lots of internal stresses and be really difficult to turn?

Any pointers. I'm not having much luck with swirls, so I might give this a blast instead!!

 

[Russianwolf]

Many have made blanks by crushing scrap PR pours and pouring more resin over them to fill the voids. So that isn't a big problem.


My guess on how to make what you are picturing.

1) pour up a translucent color. (Orange in this case)
2) crush the first pour into bits.
3) put in a mold and pour with the same translucent color.

Give it a try and show us the results.

 

[ldb2000]

That would not be true crushed velvet , more like crushed pearl . Crushed pearl is not hard , as you say just crush up a blank and add PR but you must be using a translucent PR . Solid single color pigment won't have any depth just a fragmented look .
Like this

 

[Chasper]

For same color crush, mix up some resin, color and pearl or metalic. After it hardens crush it up. Then mix up another batch of resin with the same color but not pearl. Put the crushed pearlized chips in the mold and fill it with the color only resin.

For orange I use nail polish for color, it is usually transparent enough to make a nice translucent resin.

 

[KDM]

Your unnumbered point 4 is probably the most important:

4) Give it a try and show us the results.

Heh. I certainly will.

 

[KDM]

...more like crushed pearl...

Wow! Lovin' your pen. How did you get the bedded chunks to have that sor tof translucent look? (Or did you simply make them translucent!?!?)

Here's my try at crushed up mint and grey bedded in black (4th one in the video).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFAiv0gUBIA

It did chip quite a bit when I turned it, which is why I was asking about stresses, but I've since learned that higher speeds and sharper tools are the key here!

 

[KDM]

Put the crushed pearlized chips in the mold and fill it with the color only resin.

THAT's the thing I'm missing.

OKay. New question: How do you crush a blank? My try involved putting a plastic bag over and anvil and smashing it with a hammer. Some of the fragments were so sharp and moving so fast that they pierced the bag and went off in all directions across my garage.

Attempt 2 was to crush it in a big metalworking vice. That was frightening. For such a brittle material it's extremely strong.

Any tips?

 

[ed4copies]

My GUESS would be, put it in the freezer overnight first.

 

[louie]

See Jay Pickens' tutorial on making ribbons:

http://www.penmakersguild.com/articles/ribbonprocess.pdf

Follow his procedure, except make them thicker, about 1/16". I used a a 11" x 14" frame and 3 ounces of PR, (2 probably would have been better). when it is firm, but not fully cured, you can can peel up pieces and cut them into the desired (or random ) shapes and sizes. I used aviation snips. Let them cure before using. This probably made enough chips for 3-4 full size pen blanks. So adjust based on your needs. This was a lot easier then trying to break up solid blanks.

 

[ldb2000]

Wow! Lovin' your pen. How did you get the bedded chunks to have that sor tof translucent look? (Or did you simply make them translucent!?!?)

Actually they are translucent because the blank that was crushed was a glow in the dark blank , it glows blue in the dark . I crush mine by putting them in a denim bag that I made from an old pair of jeans and hit them with a hammer . The denim is strong enough to last a couple of uses before it has to be replaced . I've made a number of blanks this way . This is a pearl white and black in a pearl grey base .

 

[Chasper]

OKay. New question: How do you crush a blank? My try involved putting a plastic bag over and anvil and smashing it with a hammer. Some of the fragments were so sharp and moving so fast that they pierced the bag and went off in all directions across my garage.

Any tips?

I cut them into small pieces, 1/8 to 1/4 thick, then hit them with a hammer on a piece of flat steel

 

[KDM]

I cut them into small pieces, 1/8 to 1/4 thick, then hit them with a hammer on a piece of flat steel

Yeah, me too. The question really should have been "how do you catch teh flying pieces?"

I crush mine by putting them in a denim bag that I made from an old pair of jeans and hit them with a hammer.

Yes yes yes! Did THAT today. Worked a TREAT! Photos soon. I bedded it already, so no phtoos 'till the morning!