Problem with hard resin after casting

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akingkubo

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I experimented and casted some small colored seashells and turned out well.
When I started to turn this, my tools would not penetrate the parts where the seashells, even my carbide ones! Any suggestions on how to cut this "stone" I created? Give it up?
 
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ARe you saying you are trying to "cut" the shells, with your turning tools?

If so, you might want to try using a file, instead of a tool. OR, the power grinder that some have shown.
 
Same thing happened to me with beads and buttons. I gave up and tossed them in the trash. Almost ruined a few of my tools. They just don't turn very well at all. Oh I have a few that have pen tubes in them so I will need to get some thing to knock out the pen tubes so I saved those ones. Fay
 
Fay Prozora said:
Same thing happened to me with beads and buttons. I gave up and tossed them in the trash. Almost ruined a few of my tools. They just don't turn very well at all. Oh I have a few that have pen tubes in them so I will need to get some thing to knock out the pen tubes so I saved those ones. Fay
Click to expand...

I put those types of things in a jar of acetone. Day or two later it breaks apart, or you can pop the tube wot another one.
 
I had that problem a little on a abalone she'll pen I did. I used a round carbide cutter and had to re sharpen it a few times. The biggest trick I learned the hard way was to use small thin shells and glue them straight to the tube and pour the resin around it
 
I did a sea shell chip pen and had one thin piece come through. It presented no problem to a carbide tool. It may depend on the sea shell used. Shells have been used for decorative items for thousands of years, there has to be a way to make it happen. Rough it out with a grinding wheel (use a particle mask) and finish by wet sanding it?
 
ed4copies ARe you saying you are trying to "cut" the shells, with your turning tools?

If so, you might want to try using a file, instead of a tool. OR, the power grinder that some have shown.

Ed,
I have a picture of the sample blank I have in question. I was trying to turn it into a rounded disc to use in a compact mirror.

Fay, I believe you're right. I just have to toss it out.

Thanks everyone for your input.
 

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That is a beautiful blank. Well we can chalk it up to a lesson learned, but it is still fun to experiment with things. It is so funny, I casted the rest of the stuff I had and made a nice bottle stopper blank and added 2 colors of pigments and got a nice blue almost a cobalt blue and I used the mold I built out of that white cutting board stuff and I took it out of the mold, turned it over and there was one piece of rice. So maybe I might try rice in my blanks next payday when I get more casting resins. It was funny but I couldn't help but notice it looked interesting with rice in it. I figure if coffee beans work, then there might be other foods that might work as well as the coffee beans. I have made some coffee scoops with coffee bean blanks. Different color toothpicks might work well too. Maybe if they are broken in small bits and pieces and such. I certainly won't try buttons and beads any more. Almost ruined my new Robert Sorby spindle master on the beads. Fay
 
The idea of gluing the shells to the tube (paint the tube) sounds like a reasonable approach. If you are trying to turn through one or two shells, it might work, but that group does appear "impenetrable". Nice looking blank, though!!
 
Thanks, Ed & Fay! I really don't have much luck with making my own blanks except a few keepers. I think I am better off buying from those experienced casters like Ed in Exotic blanks!And judging from my expenses, it's a lot cheaper!
How long have you been casting Fay?
 
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Not very long ,, say maybe a couple of months but just got my pressure pot a week or two ago and just started that. So I have a long way to go as yet. Still trying to work on the leaks and other problems with it. It'll get there one of these days. I'll keep working at it.. Fay
 
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