What happened to my rattlesnake???????

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Status
Not open for further replies.
Monty

Monty

Group Buy Coordinator
Joined
Mar 4, 2005
Messages
8,452
Location
Pearland, Texas, USA.
Just noticed a spot on my rattlesnake Baron that looks burnt. I made this about 2 years ago and just now noticed it. Any one ever seen anything like this and know what caused it? I use this pen almost daily and carry it in my shirt pocket, and at night it is on my dresser.
I purchased the blank from a comercial vendor. I'd hate to sell one and have the customer bring it back a year later.

200612712558_Baron%20RS.jpg
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
It looks like there's a couple problems. Spot aside, if you got that blank from a commercial vendor, I hope they improved because I would be POed, with a capital P.... and O I guess. Anyhow, my only guess is if you carry it in your shirt pocket, that end may have gotten some moisture in it through the joint at the finial. Maybe it reacted with the skin? Just seems odd that it's at the only end of the pen that's exposed to the elements.
 
These blanks have only been aroud for a couple of years or so (as best I can recall) and we are just now beginning to see what will happen to them down the road. I have those dark spots come quickly and never at all (yet). I've seen the PR turn "frosty" and viewing the skin was like looking through a fog. I know one guy who has had several returned because of that and he no longer offers them for sale. These have all been purchased from our various suppleirs. I can say that I like the ones I make myself and will continue to make them. I've not noticed these two things happening since I've started casting using both vacuum and pressure. Most of the dark spots and frosting were happening, to me at least, before I was casting with vacuum and pressure. But, time will tell if the pens continue to be a nice as they are when first made. I use one every day that was cast back in April and it still looks great...or it did yesterday. I'm off to look at it this morning. I hope the next report will still be favorable.[:D]
Do a good turn daily!
Don

PS: what caused it? I suspect it to be (1) heat from casting, (2) skin preperation, (3) some skins get dark spots and some do not, (3) but I would not bet any of these reasons is correct. Just educated guesses on my part.

Originally posted by Monty
<br />Just noticed a spot on my rattlesnake Baron that looks burnt. I made this about 2 years ago and just now noticed it. Any one ever seen anything like this and know what caused it? I use this pen almost daily and carry it in my shirt pocket, and at night it is on my dresser.
I purchased the blank from a comercial vendor. I'd hate to sell one and have the customer bring it back a year later.

200612712558_Baron%20RS.jpg
Click to expand...
 
My guess? It looks the perfect height for the edge of your shirt pocket. Are you sure the sun or extreme light conditions didn't cause this?
 
I don't cast but I do glue tubes in acrylic.
Not knowing the method that is used to make these it would be a tough call to figure out what happened.
I have noticed the "frosting" Don mentiones and I have determined in my case it is caused by the tube "separating" from the acrylic.
Is the Skin darker or is it a case the bond has weakened at that point?
 
Sorry about the pict quality, I did a quick scan of the pen this morning so I could post.
I'd be hesitant to blame the spot on the sun as I'm not in the sun at all. And I'd also question moisture causing it as I don't see any cracks (visable at least) in the acrylic. I do have one very visible crack in the lower tube (have attempted to seal it with thin CA) and so far nothing that looks like this has occured. This spot has just appeared in the past few days, at least that's when I first noticed it, and the pen was turned at least 1-1/2 years ago.
 
Moisture can creep in on the end of the blank, where the skin is exposed. Granted, it isn't MUCH room, but there is enough of a gap for moisture to seep in.

And how can you not have sun when you're in Texas!?!?!? You're ruining my image of that great state! [:D]
 
More than likely this is oxidation of the brass tube. It takes alost nothing to start the oxidation process and there's almost no way to stop it.
 
Lou,

I DON'T LIKE YOUR ANSWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is logical and plausible, but I hate to think every tube COULD start rusting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Gee, Ed. First you don't like me sharing my "block" cure for slimline transmission assembly and now this. I'm starting to get a complex. [;)]
 
ilikewood nailed it. " My guess? It looks the perfect height for the edge of your shirt pocket. Are you sure the sun or extreme light conditions didn't cause this?"

Skye stated: "Just seems odd that it's at the only end of the pen that's exposed to the elements." Skye, you just answered your own question.

Long exposure to UV light will change the look and/or color of the skins as well as wood.

Frank, I will contact the other vendors selling rattlesnake blanks to see if we all can't make a deal with Mother Nature to keep sunlight/UV rays at the lowest level possible.

Bill Baumbeck
Arizona Silhouette
 
I'm sure Bill's snide remarks will contribute greatly to everyone's ability to make better pens and avoid problems. The adults here will see them for what they are.
For a while, I had hopes that all those here had graduated from kindergarten. I was wrong.
Vendors need to know of potential problems with their products. This allows them to either correct those problems or advise customers that unavoidable changes might occur with time.
Since we don't know what caused the spots, all posted thus far is only conjecture.
Another possibility is verdigris. This happens when brass comes in contact with some organic materials. It is very noticable on items like leather belts and holsters with brass fittings. But it is green, kinda moldy looking. Not what is shown in the picture, I'm just conjecturing.
Or, it could be the snakeskin was not properly tanned to begin with. There are many tanning techniques, maybe (again, just supposin') a different tanning method would avoid the spots.
 
<u><b>Moisture:</b></u> On the blanks I make I seal (or attempt to) ends with thin CA and try to make sure the CA gets in the space between the tube and resin. Don't know if it helps...only time will tell that. What it has done is keep sanding dust from getting inside and turning the very ends of the skin white.

<u><b>Oxidation:</b></u> I sand and paint the tubes on the blanks I make. I was hoping this would help stop the oxidation of the brass tubes and discolor the skins. This too will need the test of time. The painting also help to keep the brass tube from showing through the thin places on some of the skins and seems to make the lighter skins a little darker in appearance.

<u><b>Tanning solutions:</b></u>I've cast skins tanned by various methods (or so I assume) because they came from various sources. Various outcomes have been experienced. Here are a few: (1) The skin turned totally dark during the cure time, (2) The resin leeched chemicals (possibly) from the skin and the entire resin became dark as if I had tinted it with transparent dye, or (3) The resin did not stick to the skin and the resin cast spun on the tube or the tube spun inside the resin (especially if too much tool pressure was used... i.e. a catch [:D] ).

Do a good turn daily!
Don
 
Mannie,
One way to test the UV theory is to wrap a piece of electrical tape or masking tape around the middle of the lower barrel, and to leave the whole thing out in the sun.
 
Originally posted by JimGo
<br />Mannie,
One way to test the UV theory is to wrap a piece of electrical tape or masking tape around the middle of the lower barrel, and to leave the whole thing out in the sun.
Click to expand...
I would like to thank everyone that has responded to this problem.
Jim I was just thinking about trying a test like. I have a RS blank that caught real bad and chipped the end off sitting in the shop. Think I'll go ahead, cut off the bad end and finish the section to do a test like you suggest.
 
This is way out of my league, but I just used some spar varnish, for outdoor use on some trays for my family, for Christmas. The spar varnish is supposed to have uv protection as well as moisture protection. Will that, or any other uv protector work?
Rob
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom