Some advice.

[Midnightlunchbox]

Hi folks,

There seems to be a thing for turning coloured pencils these days and I fancy having a bash. My plan is to cast the pencils in resin and turn a coloured pencil ball, my 4yr old daughter watched some coloured pencil videos with me and has requested one and I fancy seeing how one turns on my ball jig. I also want to try encapsulating some bits and bobs for austerity, such as a £1 note.

So, I have ordered some west system epoxy. I wasn't sure what type to get but I keep seeing the west stuff on YouTube videos so thought I'd give it a bash. I DON'T have a pressure pot/degassing thingy.

Is there a way of casting the resin without a pressure pot, and avoiding bubbles? Would vibrating the mould on the base of my sander work? Pricking the bubbles with a pin? Wafting a blow torch over it? I fancy getting a pressure pot but unless I get a fantastic deal they are too expensive and I can't be bothered making one so that's that idea crimped!

Any advice is appreciated!

Cheers
Craig

 

[Jim]

I am not sure about epoxy Craig, but you can get bubble free using Polyester Resin ..

 

[wm460]

Turning coloured pencils is as old as when Noah was a boy and Woody taught him to build boats.
I first seen these back when I first started to turn back in the early 2000, on the same forum when I first met Peter.
I found the packs of pencils I bought back then, after I cleaned up my shed the other day.

 

[Penpal]

Man those pencil turned items are spell binding to me sounds like a larger ball than I first thought. Was the idea of a pound note prompted by Brexit "I remember when". There is not man, women, child who has not fallen under the spell of real colours. All the best in the quest Craig. Also remembering how difficult I found sharpening the monsters good luck mate.

Peter.

 

[Midnightlunchbox]

Thanks for the replies folks.

I have thought about doing a pencil project for a while but I've always been dissuaded because the overall finish generally seems to be poor, the lead in the pencils crumbles and the wood is soft. However, I acquired some good staedtler pencils recently and there are a couple of lads who cast the pencils in resin rather than just sticking them together with glue, the results are much better so I thought it give it a bash. As for the £ note, I have a practically brand new one which used to be my "emergency bus fare" when I was a teenager in the 90's and was in my wallet for years and since you hardly get £1 notes anymore I thought I'd immortalise it!!

 

[Scots Bill]

Like the idea of the pound note Craig, In England scarce as hens teeth. Scotland used to have some beautiful paper money, enough to keep you warm without burning them. Remember the blankets, huge. Good luck with the pencils. Been wondering about that myself, not a ball though.

 

[George Watkins]

Hi Craig, your going to struggle without pressure, I cast them... and I struggle with pressure!!!

105/207 is the best west system for casting, make sure its warm before mixing as this will help it find all those nooks and crannies. try a vibrating table as you have nothing to lose.
make sure you have a quantity of resin well above the level of the blank size you want, this prevents the resin dropping below the surface of the pencils as it finds all those tiny gaps.

good luck, I hate them, they are a pig to turn and as such I cant sell them as blanks. they do sell very quickly as finished items.

 

[Midnightlunchbox]

Hmm, some food for thought.

Okay, say (for the sake of argument) I decided to buy a pressure pot and not tell the wife (is that classed as lying?) where would the best place to get one? I have been researching them online and it's a mine field and I'm not going to make one. I have a tasty lump on overtime coming in my August pay, understand my thinking?

 

[Jim]

Certainly not a lie Craig ..

 

[Midnightlunchbox]

I have decided I'm going to buy a vacum chamber rather than a pressure pot. I have found this one, does it look okay?
Vacuum Chamber Kit, 7L, Aluminium + Hose + 1.5CFM Pump

 

[Themackay]

Hi Craig,I bought kit from them month or so ago when I was browsing on site they were selling 6cfm pump about half price so bought that with 7 ltr pot I have only tested it so far pump takes it down quickly Pot held vacuum over night pressure quage never moved

 

[Midnightlunchbox]

Thanks Alan, it's fairly a mine field of choice but I wanted a complete kit rather than gathering the gubbins and assembling it as I'm not very clued up on this kind of thing. Just need to figure out which kind of stabilising resin I need, I have loads of really soft Buckeye pen blanks.

 

[Jim]

That is a good starter Kit Craig, and will do what you are asking of it ..

 

[Midnightlunchbox]

Grand, thanks Jim. The wee monkey has pressed "buy" but promises not to tell the Mrs.

 

[George Watkins]

I prefer cactus juice for stabilising but have also used the stickfast resin that turners retreat have.

i dont suppose you have a piece of buckeye large enough (65x65x80mm) for me to make a turned box with have you?

Thanks Alan, it's fairly a mine field of choice but I wanted a complete kit rather than gathering the gubbins and assembling it as I'm not very clued up on this kind of thing. Just need to figure out which kind of stabilising resin I need, I have loads of really soft Buckeye pen blanks.

 

[Midnightlunchbox]

They are only pen blank sizes I'm afraid George, but you're welcome to some if you like?

 

[George Watkins]

Thanks Craig, but I am really looking for box making wood.

 

[Midnightlunchbox]

No problems, I will keep an eye out!

 

[Midnightlunchbox]

The vacum system and resin arrived today, yay! Won't have a chance to play with it until next week coz I'm away down to dat dere London for a few days.

 

[wm460]

What a bugger a new toy and you cant use it.