# My first post and Picture the Birch Bark Pen



## bruce119 (Aug 4, 2007)

My first post and Picture the Birch Bark Pen

A quick introduction. My name is Bruce I am new to pen making a little over one month now. I have been doing arts & crafts & model making all my life.  I was a printer for a career so I have an eye for fine detail. I am going to specialize in local woods. Like Palm, Driftwood, Cypress, Cedar. I live in Florida I like to collect my own wood. I drive around and pickup wood any ware I can. Driftwood is great I find it among the mangroves along the gulf coast. I live just north of Tampa.

This is my latest creation....The Birch Bark Pen.






It is made from "White Paper Birch" tree bark from Wisconsin. I took the thin top layer of the bark wrapped it around a pen blank tube. Then cast it with crystal clear epoxy resin. Turned it down then polished it up.

Not too bad for the first one I casted. 

This is the seventh pen I made. All on a crappy drill lathe. I can't wait to get my new lathe. Two more weeks then I get a 14" mini metal lathe  The Birch Bark Pen is the first cast pen I did.  Check out my other pictures in my album.

http://www.penturners.org/forum/photo_album_view.asp?cname=Main+Album&mid=4213&cid=4625

I have Diamond Back Rattlesnake skins ready for the Rattler Pen....coming soon!!


Pens by Bruce


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## doddman70 (Aug 4, 2007)

Hey Bruce that is absolutly beautiful!!!! very nice[][] how did you cast the pen? was it in poly resin? and did you use a presure pot?

Shane


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## winpooh498 (Aug 4, 2007)

Very Nice! Oh and Welcome to the group! []

Dawn


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## doddman70 (Aug 4, 2007)

DUH!!! i guess i nead to read better i see now you used epoxy resin[]

Shane


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## tjkendall (Aug 4, 2007)

What a fantastic idea and it turned out to be a beautiful pen.  Thanks for the idea.  I might have to turn one for my self.

Safe turning.


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## txbatons (Aug 4, 2007)

Very nice pen there Bruce. Welcome to the forum. I'm looking forward to seeing you Florida-wood pens.


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## kirkfranks (Aug 4, 2007)

Very Nice pen.
Welcome to the group and thanks for posting.


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## donwae (Aug 4, 2007)

That is a really nice looking pen.  I would agree you do have an eye for detail judging by the photo.  Looking forward to seeing more of your work.


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## TBone (Aug 4, 2007)

I like the way that pen looks, good job


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## GaryMGg (Aug 4, 2007)

Nice looking pen.


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## gerryr (Aug 4, 2007)

Very nice job.  I like how it looks.


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## Stevej72 (Aug 5, 2007)

Bruce, great looking pen. Welcome to the group. Look forward to seeing more of your work.


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## VirgilJ (Aug 5, 2007)

Very nice pen and a really original idea.

I live just north of Tampa myself in Brooksville. If you ever want to get togeather let me know.

Virgil


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## Ron in Drums PA (Aug 5, 2007)

Great looking Pen, 

Welcome to IAP


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## Rmartin (Aug 5, 2007)

Very nice!

I'd like to know more about this Birch, it's stunning.

......and welcome to the IAP

Rmartin


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## papaturner (Aug 5, 2007)

Awesome very creatative,welcome to the expense.

Perry


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## laurie sullivan (Aug 5, 2007)

keep up the great work...for a first, it looks like a great future in pen casting and making.

laurie


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## Brewmeister35 (Aug 5, 2007)

Awesome idea.  It has a very classy look to it.


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## bruce119 (Aug 5, 2007)

Thank you all for the kind words.

A little about the pen. I got the idea from a snake skin tutorial. I got a wild imagination and I got some birch bark I was going to use on making fishing rod handles. So I thought a pen just like a snake skin. You peel off the top layer of the bark and glue it to the tube, cast and turn.

My equipment is primitive it is very frustrating. A crappy little drill lathe with a home made mandrel. I am getting a new lathe soon.

I used Polymer Composites "MAX CLR-HP" epoxy resin. Gerald is very helpful and will take the time to answer your questions.
http://www.polymercompositesinc.com/

I did not use pressure. Although I just got a pressure pot up and going and intend to use it in the future. It does have some small bubbles that are a bit hard to see. It is almost imposable to conceal the seam. I'm getting better a that, of coarse you can hide it in a photo.

I have a lot of ideas on casting just think about it. What ever you can wrap around a tube you should be able to cast. There are a LOT of possibilities. I have a good one to try BUT I don't want to spoil the fun. You will be the first to see it.


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