# Different items you've/seen cast



## Eric Rorabaugh (Jan 10, 2019)

Just thinking about different things you have seen cast. What kinds of stuff have y'all seen cast or cast yourself? 

I have some pine cones and cholla that I need to do. Thinking of trying some feathers.

Reactions: Like 1


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## B Rogers (Jan 10, 2019)

I've not seen it but heard about mallard curls cast in some clear resin. That'd make a cool duck call. Or some turkey feathers cast in a pot blank. Give those a shot and send em my way.

Reactions: Funny 1 | Way Cool 1


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## rocky1 (Jan 10, 2019)

Assortment of Hobby Lobby Mosses... 
Oatmeal...
Coal... 
Plasticore Honey Comb...
Assorted Woods... 
Combinations of above... 

My first cholla casting worked beautifully, every damn one since has failed, dyes changed color, resin didn't set, bubbles everywhere in casting, cholla floated up out of resin, blank exploded drilling it, looked great until I got it turned almost to finish and resin was transparent, big void in it almost finished. Has driven me flippin nuts since the first cast!

Reactions: Like 3 | EyeCandy! 4 | Way Cool 1


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## B Rogers (Jan 10, 2019)

The honeycomb is cool.

Reactions: Agree 4


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## kweinert (Jan 10, 2019)

Loofa gourd - sponge-like thing. It didn't look too bad when turned, but it's just a conversation piece as it floated off to the side a bit when I cast it so it didn't end up fully enclosed after it was turned.

Here's an undyed one.



 

I have a red one out in the shop somewhere and the other one was dyed blue. Not sure where either of those is right now to show a picture.

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


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## rocky1 (Jan 10, 2019)

B Rogers said:


> The honeycomb is cool.



Honey comb is cool, but PITA to turn, individual cells want to pop out, the resin doesn't adhere to the plasicore real well. Need really sharp tools, really light cuts. @Spinartist had good luck with a few, turned them with parting tool, so he had a very narrow surface cutting.

@The100road turned several beautiful pieces with moss blanks. They tend to chip out around the moss and require lots of filling.

Oatmeal I tried, turned ok until I tried to wet sand then it turned to oatmeal. Have to dry sand and seal, then sand it smooth.

Coal blank @ripjack13 requested, turned a beautiful pen out off that.

Reactions: Like 4


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## kweinert (Jan 10, 2019)

rocky1 said:


> Honey comb is cool, but PITA to turn, individual cells want to pop out, the resin doesn't adhere to the plasicore real well. Need really sharp tools, really light cuts. @Spinartist had good luck with a few, turned them with parting tool, so he had a very narrow surface cutting.



I've seen where someone 3D printed honeycomb. If someone went that route couldn't they print some "tabs" inside the cells to help hold the resin in?

I also saw a video demonstration of 3D printed GISI style pen. 3D printed the separators, made a mold from that, then formed it from resin, then filled the voids with resin (and if I saw that video from a post here, my apologies as I have no idea where I saw it and I hope I've described it correctly.)

In either case, when separate pours are done does resin stick to resin?

Reactions: Like 1


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## rocky1 (Jan 10, 2019)

Several of the guys on Facebook casting group are 3D printing them. Not sure what the one is doing, combination of material used and surface on the cells I believe, he guarantees then to stick. Several guys had purchased from him, said they had no problem. That would also allow different color honeycomb as well. That blank is a little light in color, first pour, added some brown, and when turned it results in a nice Amber color, looks just like honey.

I've tried the plasicore open, just set it on running table saw. Under vacuum... Monumental failure!

And, under pressure... Using Silmar 41.

It works as well open as anything, just have to pour slowly from one end and let it fill the cells from bottom up, so you don't trap air in the cells.

Adhesion to previous cast would depend on how old the initial cast was. If still green it would likely adhere with a reasonable degree of strength. If fully cured and surface prepped it would probably work to.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Schroedc (Jan 10, 2019)

I've done quite a few mixing Silmar 41 with ground coffee.

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## Herb G. (Jan 11, 2019)

I've seen lizard penis, coffee beans, cow ploppers, colored pencils, feathers, colored cupcake sprinkles, watch parts, colored beads, postage stamps, you name it, I've seen it cast.
Personally, I don't care for that weird stuff.
Exotic Blanks sells feather blanks all day long.


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## rocky1 (Jan 11, 2019)

Oh yes... there was also hair ribbon. Stealing a page out of Colin's Postage Stamp casting techniques. 10" tube wrapped with 1/4" hair ribbon. Nets 2 typical 2 piece ink pens and a short piece that I made keychains out of. Found a steal on the ribbon $25 for a 1oo ft. roll or something. Bought some mini-clothespins (_I think they're 1"_) for other intended projects. They work beautifully for clipping the ribbon on the tube until the glue dries. Mold holds 3 - 10" tubes, saw them out from there. As for why the 10" tubes... Starting and stopping these is the ugliest part, simplest way is to start down a wrap or two, clamp it, and move out over the end and reclamp. Then trim excess with a new utility knife, exacto knife after they've dried. Impossible to cut it and line it up perfectly with it sliding around on the glue, while you try to clamp it. Thus you reduce ends to deal with by 66%, and it eliminates waste on the ends.

Busy Bee Stylus

Reactions: Like 4 | Way Cool 1


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## Gdurfey (Jan 25, 2019)

rattlesnake hide on a pen tube. got the skin from someone on here.


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## Echoashtoreth (Jan 29, 2019)

coral... I had the idea but someone beat me to it.... wanted to use brocade silk (awesome colors) but never figured out the technique... since brocade has the image on both sides (pos/negative) I thought it would lend itself to an awesome hidden tang handle...

Reactions: Like 2


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## rocky1 (Jan 29, 2019)

Have a bag of small sea shells I want try in a bottle stopper blank. Pour the core, apply seashells, and pour outside, so you don't actually turn the shell itself. Haven't had time to mess with it, but I think it's doable.

Knife scales would be easily doable!


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## CWS (Jan 29, 2019)

I tried to cast a yellow jacket nest, but didn't turn out to well. It might had worked if I stiffened it up with ca. I have more nest so someday I will try again.


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