# Cypress cones cast as a small bowl...!



## robutacion (Jan 2, 2014)

Hi peoples,

Here is another project that come to my head last night 1/1/14, when sorting some stuff...!
Continued...! in the work-shop, when I run into the box where I had some the Mediterranean Cypress cones I used to make some blanks with and one of them was used on my Christmas Gift game #2 here and I had a though, make a small bowl out of them and some resin...!

So, I looked into the dozens of rough turned blanks I'm always making and I have a bunch made out of Stone Pine, some cracked up so I got the biggest one that would fit in the pressure post and small one that would fill the centre to avoid too much resin wastage.

Both rough bowl had cracks so I didn't bother is try re-use them, I started gluing cone by cone into the inner part of the largest bowl using thick CA and accelerator. When I had the inside covered with the cones the smaller bowl fitted nicely so, I strapped both bowls together to avoid the small bowl to float but also to use the straps as a handle to allow me to insert the whole thing in the pressure pot after the resin was poured.

I didn't have any pre plans for colours or anything, I though that I would try to make it a little translucent to enhance the cones but after I made the first one litre of mix using the Interference Green from Pearlex, I was very short on the resin and I didn't like much of how it looked with the cones so, I made another 3/4 of a litre mix but this time I used something that I know, it always work and looks pretty good and that is the Sky-Blue, also from Pearlex.

What I haven't said yet is that, I know that large pour tend to crack pretty bad due to the heat produced and while in most other casting, the cracks would spoil the blank, I decided that, I had a strong/solid base mold and the top wasn't going anywhere to I deliberately used a little extra hardener to make sure it would crack.

The idea was that, even filling the mold to capacity, as soon as I would put it in the pressure pot, the pressure would push the resin deed down and the resin level would go down, a fair bit so, I would re-pour some carbon black I had into the mold after the cast was in the pressure pot long enough to set the resin firm/crack but still with a soft to layer so that I wouldn't have a straight line from the last pour.

It took about 1 hour in the pressure pot, in the mean time I had the carbon colour mixed with some resin leaving the hardener for when I got the mold out of the pressure pot.
The idea was to make sure the main pour will crack and then use the black resin to create a rim at the bowl top and have the black resin to be forced under pressure (100 PSI) into all the cracks, hopping that I would have the web type effect, that off-course would depend upon the ways the cracks would form and the available gaps for filling with the black.

In the morning, I got the mould out of the pot and the black was still soft but not runny so, I had set myself to get it done today, the weather was cool, raining, lots of moisture so, I wasn't going to wait, I put the whole thing in the over @60°Celsius for 90 minutes and walked away.


 

Comeback just a few minutes before the timer would go off, got it out of the oven, mount it in the lathe and took it for a spin.  I was easy to mount this thing as I was using the 2" recess I had made on the largest bowl so, I started buy cutting the inner pine bowl, until I exposed the resin, cleaned it all up inside and coated it with super thin CA, 2 coats...!

Then I got started on the outside,     and finish the hole thing, coating the outside the same way I did the inside, this coating will work as the sanding sealer as I want to do the final coating with my Floorseal.

I got it up-side-down in the mail shed with a varnish coat on the outside, before I go to bed I will turn it over and varnish the inside, let it dry overnight and ready to be handled in the morning...!

I didn't say anything to the wife but, when she went down to the work-shop to call me for dinner, she saw it almost done and said " I din't know that you had a cast piece commissioned...!" I said " I don't...!" she lost no time in saying "OK so, that piece is mine...!":wink::biggrin:

I don't know where she is going to put it, the house is full of this stuff but, she always finds room for one more piece, time and time again, makes he happy so, makes me happy...!:wink:

I love these non-planned and out of the blue urges to make stuff/ something/anything, the problem is that I have no patience to wait, I like to start and finish in one go, in this case, I made the resin a little more brittle by putting it in the oven, I don't suggest others to do it but I was never any good in follow my own advice so, nothing different there...!

You are now thinking, where are the pics of the finished bowl, huh...???:biggrin:

Well folks, that has to wait until tomorrow, I didn't take any pics when I got it off the lathe so, you are going to get a couple of pics of the finished piece, I hope that the varnish doesn't let me down and that no dam bug spoils the coating inside, will see...!

I reckon is will look pretty porch...!:wink::biggrin:

Cheers
George


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## Alzey (Jan 2, 2014)

You never cease to amaze me with your work and creativity.


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## Teeball (Jan 2, 2014)

Looks great George, where do you find the time for these.  :good::good:


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## skiprat (Jan 2, 2014)

robutacion said:


> You are now thinking, where are the pics of the finished bowl, huh...???:biggrin:
> 
> Well folks, that has to wait until tomorrow,...!:wink::biggrin:
> 
> ...


 
You live in the land of Oz. It's already tomorrow !!  Were's the pic of the finished bowl???:biggrin:


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## Indiana_Parrothead (Jan 2, 2014)

Very cool George I like the way the layers worked out. 

Mike


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## robutacion (Jan 2, 2014)

skiprat said:


> robutacion said:
> 
> 
> > You are now thinking, where are the pics of the finished bowl, huh...???:biggrin:
> ...



Yes, you are correct however, what I was concerned about did happen, when I looked at it this morning and I say all my nice finish full of small nocturnal bugs, I turn the lights off as soon as I sprayed it, nor even clean my spray gun so that I would attract any bugs, which I didn't see that many when I was spraying late at night but obviously, they were attracted by the varnish smell, something I've seen happening far too many times, this time of the year.

So, I'm going to sand it all down very soon spray it again within a few hours from sun set so I should not have the bugs spoiling my work, again...!

This is when I wished I had a painting/spraying booth but, I don't..!

Will see what happens, I my take a couple of pics as soon as I spray it, at least it shouldn't have any damn bugs...! (slow dry varnish, about 5 hours touch dry)

Cheers
George


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## Teeball (Jan 2, 2014)

George cut up a few boards and some old screen, that should keep out the critters. Here in North Carolina 3 months during the Summer you cannot sit outdoors without a screened porch, thank goodness we have one and it works great.


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## johncrane (Jan 2, 2014)

That's very creative George! you might of opened a tin of worms here.


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## robutacion (Jan 3, 2014)

Hi Folks

*Teeball*
The thing is, I didn't see that many insects last night, and looking more carefully this morning, most are very tiny little insects like sand-flies, they attached the bowl no long after I coated it as most are embedded in the varnish from moving around trying to get out.

*johncrane*
Opening tins of worms, is my speciality mate, I've open that many that I lost count so, one more ain't going to make a difference, huh...???:wink::biggrin:


OK so, I had to change my plans again, the weather isn't any good to dry stuff and I have some resin bleeding out from the cast, something that was expected, after all I cast it the night before and I was turning it lunch time the next day, in a humid and cool(ish) day, something that I never advise anyone to do it but, I got the idea in my head and I wouldn't stop until I would see what would happen and how it would come up so, now that I've seen what I need to see, I lost the interest and I'm not going to rush with the sanding and recoating it again, I already know how it will look so, I'm putting it a side for a few weeks and let in harden properly...!

And yes, I'm not going to make you guys wait until I recoat it, I took some pics when I put it outside to dry, and here they are;

Remember me mentioning to force the resin cracking to created the web effect with the carbon/black colour, it worked OK, I just wish that I had used only the Sky-blue under the black rim and web, the first Interference  colour didn't do anything to the effect I was looking for but, it still OK...!

Enjoy...!

Cheers
George


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## mark james (Jan 3, 2014)

That is very cool!:bananen_smilies051:


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## Teeball (Jan 3, 2014)

It looks beautiful already, waiting to see the completed work. Thanks


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## ChrisN (Jan 3, 2014)

Wow, that's beautiful! And it's not done yet...


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## Fordwakeman (Jan 4, 2014)

how much resin did you use on this bowl? that is so cool.


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## robutacion (Jan 4, 2014)

Fordwakeman said:


> how much resin did you use on this bowl? that is so cool.



Just about 2 litres...!

Cheers
George


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## MikeL (Jan 4, 2014)

Beautiful and unique!


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## Pitoon (Jan 5, 2014)

PURE AWESOMENESS!!!!

Pitoon


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## Russknan (Jan 5, 2014)

OK, George, time to 'fess up. I bet you NEVER sleep. How could you with all that creativity and innovation going on in your head. And then there's the time you put into crafting those ideas into the beautiful things you turn out. Congratulations on turning out another truly unique, beautiful piece! Russ


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## Priusjames (Jan 5, 2014)

A beautifully unusual piece.

I just can't get anything even close to that quality...I figure it has something to do with the lathes spinning the other direction down under...:wink:

Good on ya!

James


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## SDB777 (Jan 5, 2014)

robutacion said:


> Fordwakeman said:
> 
> 
> > how much resin did you use on this bowl? that is so cool.
> ...


 

Oh my, I gotta go find a conversion calculator....sorry, not your fault.  I just never bothered with learning more then one way to measure things(silly Americans).


Amazing project you have going, thanks for sharing!





Scott (guess we really dislike change) B


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## Dai Sensei (Jan 6, 2014)

Looks great George 

I did a similar one with sheoak pods in flouro green pearlex resin. I used a plastic bowl suspended in another one, then just dropped the seed pods between and filled with resin, much easier than gluing them in one at a time.  Although still turned, I was limited to shape, whereas yours resulted in a better individual shape.


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## Fishinbo (Jan 6, 2014)

Wonderful bowl! The cones on that stunning sky blue resin look amazing. You are very creative, like the awesome effects of how you incorporate the different materials. Excellent work!


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## ahoiberg (Jan 12, 2014)

incredible! great work.


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## robutacion (Jan 12, 2014)

Thanks for all the kind words, most appreciated...!

Yes, I'm lucky to have the freedom to go in the workshop and do whatever I want and feel like.  Sometime something trigger a thought/idea and I run with it, without being the least worried, about the results but make no mistake, I don't like to stuff up and when I do, I feel the self challenge to change it from a failure/mistake to a success/couldn't be the any other way type mentality.

I like to experiment and I'm not afraid to do so, regardless...!:wink::biggrin:

As for sleeping, I have plenty of time to sleep, I may not do it when most "normal" people do so but, I have my time to "shut eye"...!:biggrin:

Cheers
George


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## Dinki Di (Jan 13, 2014)

*Great work*

Hello George another impressive piece of art, you give a lot of people inspiration when they see your work.

All the very best for 2014 

Gaetano


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## robutacion (Jan 13, 2014)

Thanks mate...!

I'm glad my work is able to inspire others to have a go, sometimes we all need a little push, huh...???:wink::biggrin:

Cheers
George


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