# Fabric Blanks



## crokett (Dec 17, 2017)

A couple years ago before my turning hiatus I tried making a fabric blank by wrapping denim around a tube and casting that.  I don't think I was successful because I know I was attempting to make my mom a pen and she never got one.     I was thinking of a different approach.  This time around I'm thinking wrap fabric around a wood dowel and impregnate it with epoxy on each layer  Just keep rolling layers until I have a blank of solid fabric then cast that in resin and lastly drill and glue a tube like a normal blank.

What say you?   I may get air bubbles in the epoxy but I"m not sure I care since I'll be turning the resin and not the fabric.  I'll have to figure out a way to keep the fabric centered in the pour, perhaps by pouring the bottom layer and letting it set partially, then put the fabric in and pour the rest.


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## Marcros (Dec 17, 2017)

could you also make a flat sheet of fabric/resin, building up the layers and then slicing it into blanks on the bandsaw. I haven't tried it, so just a thought...


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## dogcatcher (Dec 17, 2017)

Look up Micarta.  Fabric, paper etc., stacked in resin.  I have also done it with a dowel, soaked the cloth on resin and wrapped it around a dowel until it is about 3/4" in diameter.


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## crokett (Dec 17, 2017)

Marcros said:


> could you also make a flat sheet of fabric/resin, building up the layers and then slicing it into blanks on the bandsaw. I haven't tried it, so just a thought...



Yunno that would be a lot easier.  I might have to try that.  I can also get more than 1 blank at a go.   One issue with the epoxy is the working time. The resin would give me more working time, and I don't particularly care how long it takes to cure.  When I did my casting, I timed it so it was mostly cured, I'd unplug the crock pot and go to bed and it would finish the cure overnight.


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## JohnU (Dec 17, 2017)

I've made a few both ways.  The easiest is putting the brass tube on the mandrel between two nonstick bushings and then ca glue a piece of denim to the tube hand spin the lathe and soak it with thin ca each wrap.  Let it cure a day and turn like you would any other blank.  The layered solid blank is nice because it resembles Damascus if you get some high and low areas when you turn it down but it take a lot of time and fabric.  I've also used burlap, felt and decorative ribbon in the first method with success.  Good luck!


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## KenV (Dec 17, 2017)

Brandon Wong did a tutorial on wrapping a tube with denim that is in the library.

I remember blamks made of resin impregnated denim, but a search did no find it.

There were some for sale back in 2012 of strips of fabric in epoxy resin.

Slow setting liquid diamonds should do the job.


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## dogcatcher (Dec 17, 2017)

Your best bet for a tutorial is too Google "how to make denim micarta".  You will find everything from pictorials to YouTube videos.


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## jkeith (Dec 17, 2017)

I saw this on reddit a while back, maybe its kind of what your thinking?
https://imgur.com/gallery/ysdCH


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## Imaginethat (Dec 17, 2017)

Couple years back I purchased several blacks made from Levi’s. It was called micarta. Made a pen which turned out very well. Just had to soak the blank with CA to make sure it stayed together. I think making it from layers would be the way to go. There are a lot a You Yube instructional videos available to help you out.

I may have one left not sure. I can look tomorrow and let you know.


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## mark james (Dec 17, 2017)

KenV said:


> Brandon Wong did *a tutorial* on wrapping a tube with denim that is in the library.
> 
> I remember blamks made of resin impregnated denim, but a search did no find it.
> 
> ...



This is the link to the tutorial Ken is referring to; a very good tutorial!

http://content.penturners.org/library/pen_blanks/howtogluedenimtotube.pdf


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## Crayman (Dec 19, 2017)

I have done the block route with denim, and looked good, one thing I would do is add in some colors in between layers, saw that on some site.


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## Mike8850 (Dec 19, 2017)

Here's a stacked denim pen I did for a contest a few years ago









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I made the blank by layering 34 pieces of denim held together by fiberglass resin. Then I randomly segmented the blank with aluminum roof flashing and  black plastic. I finished it with 8 coats of medium CA then polished with micro mesh. I no longer use a CA finish, I just sand to 600 grit paper.
My customers like the texture of the sanded denim.
Mike


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## crokett (Dec 19, 2017)

mark james said:


> This is the link to the tutorial Ken is referring to; a very good tutorial!
> 
> http://content.penturners.org/library/pen_blanks/howtogluedenimtotube.pdf



thanks.

I couldn't find it when I was looking the other day.


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## dogcatcher (Dec 19, 2017)

I have taken denim and aluminum foil and just wadded it up and stuck it in a PVC pipe and poured resin in the pipe.  Odd looking combination, but unique.  I did soak the denim a little at you throw it all together and then add pressure.


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## More4dan (Dec 19, 2017)

I’ve made material like this for knife handles. Colored burlap turned out pretty cool. I used fiberglass resin. I’ve even used colored paper alternating colors and disturbing the layers to give a Damascus effect. 


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app


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## crokett (Dec 20, 2017)

After doing some more reading and looking at pictures of finished work, I think wrapping the tube and casting over it is the look I am going for.  there were some good ideas in that tutorial, including the window to block the spray adhesive.


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## Bikerdad (Dec 26, 2017)

clayton717, a member here, sold me some denim blanks a while back, finally turned a pair of them last week for my daughter's birthday presents.  They have a slight stink while turning, but otherwise they turned quite nicely.  I finished one blank with a high polish CA, but that both really darkened it up and also, oddly enough, made it harder to identify as denim.  The other blanks, the ones I used for the gifts, I sanded to 600 grit and then hit with Plast-X.  There's still a hint of texture by feel, and it's easy to see that they are denim.  I REALLY like how they turned out. 

You may want to reach out to Clayton and ask him for some pointers.


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## campzeke (Dec 26, 2017)

Here is a YouTube how to video.


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