# Black Locust Hybrid Bowl and Moss Mellow Blanks



## rocky1 (Jun 13, 2017)

What an interesting title for a thread! 

Well, a couple weeks ago I posted a picture of a Black Locust blank I was about to cast in the WDYDIYST thread, (_Oh uhmmmm... "What Did You Do In Your Shop Today" so all you old guys don't scratch all the hair off the top of your head trying to figure that one out._) And, that @Woodworking Vet guy said he wanted to see it finished so I'm going to go ahead and call him up here too.

Started here with my Gorilla Tape mold.




This was a little iffy to start, back side was good solid Black Locust, it was dense, not real dense, but waaaay denser than the stuff in the front side here. That was a little dry rotted honestly, extremely soft, big piece top left in the front was loose and wiggling, two little pieces center front, below the big piece were loose and wiggling, crack at 3 o:clock ran pretty much all the way through, you could see daylight through it in several places. So this one was definitely a candidate for casting.

Didn't realize the stuff up front was as soft as it was, or I'd have stabilized as well. Whether it affected the good side or not, the bad side could have used a little help. Forgot to take a picture of the cast blank, it didn't look real impressive, between what it soaked up for resin, and resin shrinkage, what was full when I poured it, wasn't quite full when I opened the pressure chamber, but it was close enough to work with and turn into a bowl, although it was a little lopsided in the Gorilla Tape mold. So I glued a chunk of plywood to chuck up to, on that mess there on the bottom and made it all go round and round.

Turning it posed a few problems, really soft on one side, HARD on the other, kinda difficult to get an even cut, had to be very careful about how much pressure was applied, one side was barely giving up shavings, the other was gouging out. Resin in the middle simply added a third variable to the mix. It was an education in bowl turning to say the least. Hell, it was an education in turning period!

But it didn't go to bad honestly! Actually turned pretty good, started with the roughing gouge, moved to a 3/4" scraper, tossed a little mini-tool time in there for detail on the base, and inside edge of the bowl.

This one is 5" in diameter, about 1" deep at the shoulder, little deeper out in the middle, (_doesn't look it in the picture, but the bottom of the bowl is dished, it's close to 1/2" deeper in the center than at the edges), _with a quarter inch base under it. Wall thickness is 3/16", and the image is deceiving with the light and dark colors and the angles inside and all, the wall is actually pretty consistent. It isn't really thin on the backside and really fat on the front. Suffice to say the average bowl buying customer would never notice there was a difference.

Wasn't sure what else I could use over resin for finish coat that would polish like glass, and give the look I wanted, so finish is CA wet sanded with BLO.












Attempted to sign it... CA removes Sharpie marker to an extent! Contemplated flat bottom, but... I wanted to leave it elevated to get some light under it and light the resin inside the bowl if possible. Again the hard on one side, soft on the other bit me hard parting and cleaning up the bottom! The big void in the middle didn't help a lot either. But it sits perfectly flat; doesn't wobble at all!

This is actually very close, (almost perfect in fact, and it never crossed my mind when taking the picture), to the same placement as the picture in the purty gray soft-sided mold above.





Slowed my set on the resin on this piece, trying to get better penetration since it was a little punky, slowed it too much however, and it allowed a lot of the pigment and pearl in the resin to settle. Still looks interesting, looking at it from the bottom, but some of the holes filled in the sides are a little more transparent than I wanted it.


Lit up from bottom, light shining through.




Bad picture, but lit up from the top side.





Finish was OK up to about the first 12 hours of sanding and polishing and reapplying CA, and more sanding and polishing, and reapplying more CA and more sanding and polishing. Hard side was good, soft side soaked it up like a sponge, hard side I'd get buffed to perfection, turn to soft side and sand/buff through the finish.

It isn't perfect by any means, although my mother will no doubt believe it flawless; it is however interesting, and kinda purty! Did learn a lot in the process, so soon as I get caught up squeezing bees here in a week or two, we'll be off on another such venture.



As for the Moss Mellows...

This batch came out as purty as the last!









As Robert brought it to my attention, edit to add... All of this was poured with Silmar 41 guys.

Reactions: Like 3 | EyeCandy! 1 | Great Post 2 | Way Cool 9


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## The100road (Jun 13, 2017)

That's awesome Rocky. I like the color of the resin in the bowl. 

And I'm going to need a couple of those moss blanks once I'm done with your call!

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 1


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## Woodworking Vet (Jun 13, 2017)

That is not only an awesome bowl but its an awesome story to along with it. beautiful!! I really like the blanks too. I suspect that your mother is correct, it looks flawless to me. And we all know that mothers know best, right?

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1


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## Woodworking Vet (Jun 14, 2017)

You do know that you are very talented, don't you? I'm not trying to get you to buy me a beer, just calling it as I see it (though if you want to buy me a virtual beer I'm okay with that).

Reactions: Agree 1


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## rocky1 (Jun 14, 2017)

The100road said:


> That's awesome Rocky. I like the color of the resin in the bowl.
> 
> And I'm going to need a couple of those moss blanks once I'm done with your call!




Thanks Stan... Resin was much prettier before the pigment and pearl settled out in it. It looks cool from the bottom side, it was cast upside down, so the pearl all settled up. While it polished up real nice, it's sorta transparent, with lots of sparkle and glittery stuff at the top, where you really can't see it until you turn the bowl over. And, it kinda lights up peach colored when not sitting directly on the light, but there's light shining through. 

I'll get you better pictures on the blanks in a few days. Couple going Rodney's way in exchange for getting on the excellent smoked goodies list. 

Have been looking around locally and thinking, and I'm going to be doing some experimentation to see what I can do with local mosses in the near future as well. 




Woodworking Vet said:


> That is not only an awesome bowl but its an awesome story to along with it. beautiful!! I really like the blanks too. I suspect that your mother is correct, it looks flawless to me. And we all know that mothers know best, right?



Well you can argue with them, but it typically doesn't do any good! They don't know better, and don't want to listen no how, so you just let them carry on, and brag to everyone about what beautiful work you do, and go on about improving.

And... Thank You David! The compliments are appreciated. It was an interesting piece, shoulda really been firewood, and I made a purty little bowl out of it. And, sanded and polished until my fingers cramped clear up to my shoulders, several days. Figured I had to give it to mom, it would only piss me off if I sold it to someone for what it should bring, with 20+ hours of sanding, polishing, and finishing in it.

Reactions: Like 3


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## NeilYeag (Jun 14, 2017)

OK the first pic of the moss mellows brings only one thing to my mind _*BACTERIA!!!!
*_
But very cool. Rocky the Professor of Casting for sure...


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## Tony (Jun 14, 2017)

That bowl is dang cool Rocky, way to power through a tough head scratcher! Those blanks are interesting as all get out, can't wait to see one turned! Tony


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## rocky1 (Jun 14, 2017)

NeilYeag said:


> OK the first pic of the moss mellows brings only one thing to my mind _*BACTERIA!!!!
> *_
> But very cool. Rocky the Professor of Casting for sure...



Those sorts of things came to mind on my end as well, but these are commercially bought mosses Neil, they were prepared for dried flower arrangements so I'd guess, don't know for sure, that they were treated for such goodies. I need to drag the molds for your knife scales back out and cast a few scales with some of this stuff!! 




Tony said:


> That bowl is dang cool Rocky, way to power through a tough head scratcher! Those blanks are interesting as all get out, can't wait to see one turned! Tony



Thank you Tony. It is an interesting piece, was a tad challenging in some respects, but aside from the finishing, was actually not to bad. Finishing... I need to try the spray CA method and see how it works, for projects of this nature, if nothing else.

On the Moss Mellow blanks... No need to wait buddy, Stan posted one last week... https://woodbarter.com/threads/its-not-wood.31810/ It looks even cooler turned!!


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## Tony (Jun 14, 2017)

rocky1 said:


> Those sorts of things came to mind on my end as well, but these are commercially bought mosses Neil, they were prepared for dried flower arrangements so I'd guess, don't know for sure, that they were treated for such goodies. I need to drag the molds for your knife scales back out and cast a few scales with some of this stuff!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I did see that, didn't connect the dots. Super cool man! Tony

Reactions: Like 1


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## rocky1 (Jun 14, 2017)

Tossed a couple in with all his blanks I cast, when I mailed them back.

Reactions: Like 1


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## chippin-in (Jun 15, 2017)

@rocky1 i may have missed it in reading, but is that 2 part epoxy on the bowl? And gorilla tape? No cardboard or anything for firmness?

Great stuff BTW. I would experiment like that if i had the time...and the money...and the talent.

Robert


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## ripjack13 (Jun 15, 2017)

Very cool...

Does that say rabid redneck?


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## Nubsnstubs (Jun 15, 2017)

The 2 or 3 times that I used tape, I had my resin leak out, so, Rocky, what's your secret?? Good looking bowl, and the moss looks different. Something that I would do if I had moss here. ......... Jerry (in Tucson)


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## rocky1 (Jun 15, 2017)

This one was poured with Silmar 41. Sweet stuff, and relatively inexpensive compared to most resins.

I did use a piece of cardboard to stiffen the bottom of the mold Robert. Simply covered it with Gorilla tape. Sides are nothing but Gorilla Tape. I turned a piece of the tape back over itself to cover the sticky stuff, long enough to wrap around the mold. After that I ran another piece of tape down one side of the doubled piece, split the difference, then cut it every inch or so, kind of rolled it along slowly wrapping it around the cardboard folding the 1" pieces under the wrapped cardboard. Ran pieces across the bottom and up the sides to seal it all up, and gave it a final wrap all the way around the outside. Crude but effective!! 

The gorilla tape will stand up to normal set times on the resins, extended time without hardening will cause the adhesive to turn gooey if exposed to the resin. My HDPE molds I usually get at least 2 pours before having to tear them down and retape them, not uncommon to get 3 pours. All depends upon how tight you tape them up the first time around, how much resin gets down in the joints, how much fractures when removing pieces from the mold, preventing a tight seal, and thus allowing more resin under your tape on subsequent pours. If you can keep the joints clean and tight, I have gotten up to 4 pours out of the tape, before having to tear the mold down and clean it up. 

Clean up is relatively simple... Pull all the tape, toss all the pieces in a pile, put on the latex gloves, and get out the mineral spirits and a cloth rag. Any hardened resin that's stuck on the mold can be chipped away, the goo and/or any unset resin wipes off relatively easily with the mineral spirits.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## rocky1 (Jun 15, 2017)

ripjack13 said:


> Very cool...
> 
> Does that say rabid redneck?




That would be me... Rabid Redneck Woodworks

The only other Rabid Redneck on the internet is a rock band in England. Unfortunately they have .com tied up on a little used, dated website. I've never been opposed to using .us however. And, I have yet to find any registered trademark or copyright for that brand name.

Reactions: Like 1


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## rocky1 (Jun 15, 2017)

Nubsnstubs said:


> The 2 or 3 times that I used tape, I had my resin leak out, so, Rocky, what's your secret?? Good looking bowl, and the moss looks different. Something that I would do if I had moss here. ......... Jerry (in Tucson)



Gorilla Tape... Not Duct Tape, or Duck Tape, or any of the cheaper stuff. Gorilla Tape has some really STICKY adhesive on it! Then make sure all of your joints are tight, and preferably double and tight. I've had a few leak Jerry, but that was early into experimenting with the method, and using duct tape. The HDPE molds I have a roll of 4" and a roll of 1 1/2". I use the 4" on the bottom so it's a solid piece, cut my corners and wrap it up the ends, fold it around the corners, then start my 1 1/2" and wrap it around the outside of the mold. If the sides appear to spread, I start a piece on one side, place it on the bottom, apply a little pressure to tighten them up and run it up and over the other side to hold the mold tight.

Secret is keeping it tight, making sure it's sealed, and using Gorilla Tape.

I've got pictures, will do tutorial on Gorilla Tape molds.

Gorilla Tape Mold tutorial here...


Moss was purchased at Hobby Lobby!

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1


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## DKMD (Jun 15, 2017)

Cool! The bowl sounds like it was tricky!

I love the look of those moss blanks!


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## rocky1 (Jun 15, 2017)

DKMD said:


> Cool! The bowl sounds like it was tricky!
> 
> I love the look of those moss blanks!




A little Doc... Finishing it was way worse than turning it however. Thought I had a fairly even coat of CA built up, and when I started sanding and buffing the soft stuff wasn't half as thick as the hard side. Every time I'd get it about where I wanted it, I'd find another spot that I'd rubbed through the finish. Have to reapply CA and try to sand it down and blend it back in. Was about ready to bounce it off a wall a time or two! 

Grand niece was helping with the moss blanks, she coined the "Moss Mellow" name, I like it... it's kinda catchy. Want to set the pen mold up and pour a few moss mellow pen blanks as well.


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## aag562 (Mar 11, 2021)

Rocky before I get sidetracked for normal job on the bowl but more importantly you have a talent comment about writing you have a great way you kept me reading and want to read more most people in there explaining they go all over the place but you had a good story to tell and I followed it and loved it now my question is why are you putting tape on HDPE the reason that we use that I use it is not used tape I just use a little Stoner mold release and every once in awhile like every 3rd spray I have never had to break down my moles matter fact I'm building time right now I throw in some pictures but I'm not sure why you put tape on there maybe you can explain it to me but I'm doing this to get away from tape I have some huge moles that I make my River tables with and I've never put tape on there I just put some silicone around the edges and that's it


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## aag562 (Mar 11, 2021)

Those pieces of tape cover holes that I use to push out the piece after it's hardened I don't take my mold apart

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Barb (Mar 11, 2021)

aag562 said:


> View attachment 204959View attachment 204960
> Those pieces of tape cover holes that I use to push out the piece after it's hardened I don't take my mold apart


So you're only holding your molds together with silicone?


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## Nature Man (Mar 12, 2021)

FYI, Rocky hasn't been on this site for quite some time. He was the quintessential story teller, and is seriously missed! Chuck

Reactions: Agree 4


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## Tony (Mar 12, 2021)

Nature Man said:


> FYI, Rocky hasn't been on this site for quite some time. He was the quintessential story teller, and is seriously missed! Chuck


I keep calling him and telling him we need him back here. The bees are keeping him crazy busy but he's doing okay.

Reactions: Like 2 | Thank You! 2


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## gman2431 (Mar 12, 2021)

Tony said:


> I keep calling him and telling him we need him back here. The bees are keeping him crazy busy but he's doing okay.


I think he should at least pop in and square up his unfinished business....

Reactions: Agree 1


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