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Question about Casein Pen Blanks

W

wim kluck

Full Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2021
Posts
28
Location
Gaanderen Netherlands
First Name
Wim
I ordered a couple of casein pen blanks. There was a warning in the description material is not for amateurs & beginners, the casein is very delicate and you must treat it right.
Does anyone have experience with this material? What should I pay attention to?
 
ValleyBoy

ValleyBoy

Graduate Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2019
Posts
745
Location
Cardiff
First Name
Ash
Yep. It’s a plastic that was popular in pen making back in the early 20th century. Sheaffer used it quite a lot in their early models. It’s made from a milk bi-product (so not suitable for vegans).
Also it’s quite porous so you need to be careful around water or even in very humid environments as it can cause it to swell. And be careful when sanding/polishing as it’s similar to celluloid in that it can overheat quickly and melt/distort.
That said I have made quite a few pens from it and it does have a very unique visual appeal.
Cheers
Ash
 
D

DuncSuss

Full Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2023
Posts
61
Location
Wilmington, MA
First Name
Duncan
I've never found wet sanding to be a problem - I just spray with water that has a little dish detergent and wipe off the water/slurry with a clean paper towel between each grit (and if the open end of a barrel gets water in it, poke a rolled up piece of paper towel into it.)

Just rinse thoroughly and wipe dry as soon as I'm done. I wouldn't let the parts stand in water for any length of time, but nothing I've seen has been a problem.
 
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