# Closed end casting



## workinforwood (Feb 22, 2009)

Here's a little idea stemming off a pen I'm working on which is a tube casting.  I want the item/items cast on the tube to also be cast on the end of the tube, so I sealed up the end of the cap and pen tube on the JR Gent II.

Using some maple, I drilled an installed a 10mm tube for the cap and a 7mm tube for the pen section.  The 10mm is 1/4 deep and the 7mm is 3/4 deep.






The wood was spun on the lathe so that it was just a hair oversize of the gent tube diameter.  A tennon was then cut so that it fit snuggly 1/8" into the tube.





The inside of the tubes is sanded where the tennon is glued into the tube for adhesion purposes.  The tube and wood is re-mounted and spun flush.  On the cap, it is parted at 1/8 beyond the tube and on the pen it is parted 5/8 beyond the tube.  While on the lathe, might as well rough up the tube too for painting. 






There is a tiny hole in the very end of each wood cap because the bit used inside was a brad point.  No problem, fill it with some thick CA if you are using a pourous material over the end.  For me, I am gluing leaves on the ends which cover the tiny hole.  If the hole was left open, resin would penetrate the tube and that's no good !  The leaves are thick on the ends of my tubes, but they will be spun much thinner after the pen is cast and the ends parted off the lathe.  Now back to the saw!


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## workinforwood (Feb 22, 2009)

Regarding refills..the 7mm final closed end fits a rollerball or a primer handle no problem.


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## NewLondon88 (Feb 28, 2009)

Neat idea.. do you have pics of the finished pen?


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## altaciii (Feb 28, 2009)

Can't wait to see the end product.  Looks very interesting right now.


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## workinforwood (Mar 1, 2009)

Still working on this pen, but this is how it looks so far.  I installed a ring around each end just wide enough to cover most of the sides of the ends that were being cast.  The casting is semi transparent and I don't want to view the sides of the objects dead on at the ends.  The extension of the tubes allowed more objects to be placed on the pen, but the overall length of the pen is only 1/8" longer than if it were a kit.


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## NewLondon88 (Mar 1, 2009)

ahh .. me like


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## workinforwood (Mar 1, 2009)

Thanks.  I poured this blank standing on end too.  I stuck a stopper in the top just in case I spilled some in the hole, but othewise I built a mold out of some scrap plywood, I attached a scrap to the end of the cap piece to boost the length to be the same as the pen section, stood them on end with a dab of CA on the bottom and poured just a hair below the tube.  I was curious about having a problem with air being trapped around the leaf inside the closed end because the ring was around it prior to casting of course..but it was no problem.  I just pumped the pot right up to 70 and took a chance to see what happens


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## Jim15 (Mar 1, 2009)

Looks like it's going to be a great pen.


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## workinforwood (Mar 1, 2009)

Gonna be better than peanut butter!


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## cinder_ladylocket (Mar 1, 2009)

ohhhhhhhhh la la la   *Thats *striking and its just very tree oriented and would sell well at the maple season here in NY.....


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## bitshird (Mar 1, 2009)

Jeff are you ever gonna cut us slack jawed wanna be penturners a break, first it was sproing boob squishy pants now this. 
You'r having too much fun making it hard for us to catch up. or is that ketchup??


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## NewLondon88 (Mar 1, 2009)

cinder_ladylocket said:


> ohhhhhhhhh la la la   *Thats *striking and its just very tree oriented and would sell well at the maple season here in NY.....



New York?  NEW YORK??? 

Who are you kidding? You guys are out there looking to tap corn syrup trees :tongue:


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## desertyellow (Mar 1, 2009)

fabuloso!


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