JohnU
Member
I know its past but I was posting a few other picts and realized I hadn't posted these. I made these last November for the free Exotic Blanks Virtual Demo that is live the third thursday of every month on zoom. This demo was on Christmas gifts and ornaments. I wanted to share how I made ornaments from pen blanks.
The first is a nut cracker Kallenshaan Woods Inlay kit. Instead of using a Sierra brass tube, I turned down a maple rod the same diameter as the Sierra tube and built the inlay kit on it. Then I drilled a 7mm hole down the center (on the lathe). I used some small pieces of spectraply to cover the ends. They were predrilled 7mm before I glued them to each end of the inlay with 7mm tube pieces at each end to accept the compression fit ornament ends. The finished piece was given a Gluboost finish and polished.
The second was sliced acrylic to different thickness's to replicate a candy cane. I mixed white dye in the 15 min epoxy and glued them all together. Because I was cutting them at an angle, I made sure to glue the ends at the same angle to maximize the blanks from the block. This one was pretty easy, turned, finished, polished and assembled.
The last one was made from a Sierra "rose opal" clear cast pre tubed blank. I glued up a 7mm tube in scrap wood, turned it to fit the inside of the sierra tube
(roughly 10 mm) and epoxied them together. I milled the blank a little shorter and turned to size. Because the finial press in ornament pieces didn't cover the glued wood insert ends, I pained the ends gold with enamel paint prior to pressing the ends in. The little bit of exposed painted ends blended very well, and are not noticeable unless you really look for them.
These were all quick, fun, little projects from supplies I had on hand.
The first is a nut cracker Kallenshaan Woods Inlay kit. Instead of using a Sierra brass tube, I turned down a maple rod the same diameter as the Sierra tube and built the inlay kit on it. Then I drilled a 7mm hole down the center (on the lathe). I used some small pieces of spectraply to cover the ends. They were predrilled 7mm before I glued them to each end of the inlay with 7mm tube pieces at each end to accept the compression fit ornament ends. The finished piece was given a Gluboost finish and polished.
The second was sliced acrylic to different thickness's to replicate a candy cane. I mixed white dye in the 15 min epoxy and glued them all together. Because I was cutting them at an angle, I made sure to glue the ends at the same angle to maximize the blanks from the block. This one was pretty easy, turned, finished, polished and assembled.
The last one was made from a Sierra "rose opal" clear cast pre tubed blank. I glued up a 7mm tube in scrap wood, turned it to fit the inside of the sierra tube
(roughly 10 mm) and epoxied them together. I milled the blank a little shorter and turned to size. Because the finial press in ornament pieces didn't cover the glued wood insert ends, I pained the ends gold with enamel paint prior to pressing the ends in. The little bit of exposed painted ends blended very well, and are not noticeable unless you really look for them.
These were all quick, fun, little projects from supplies I had on hand.
