# Lotus and Stainless



## gawdelpus (Jan 30, 2010)

Made up this Lotus in Rhodium and black titanium ,with my stainless cast bodies. I hope he likes it because I do hehe.

from this 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





to this 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	












Cheers ~ John


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## David Keller (Jan 30, 2010)

Beauty


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## jttheclockman (Jan 30, 2010)

John

I have looked at that kit. How did you like that kit???  Any problems with it???  Where did you get it from???  Oh by the way nice job with the casting. You got that down to a science. You going to start offering the blanks for sale????  Thanks for showing.


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## gawdelpus (Jan 30, 2010)

jttheclockman said:


> John
> 
> I have looked at that kit. How did you like that kit???  Any problems with it???  Where did you get it from???  Oh by the way nice job with the casting. You got that down to a science. You going to start offering the blanks for sale????  Thanks for showing.



JT ,no problems with the kit itself.if I had to nit pick I would say that the transition from body to the cap finial is just slightly sharp to the finger, centre and nib end are fine , its a big pen and quite heavy ,but designed as non postable so ok to write with, has the bigger nib but seems to be a quality product. On a par with the Majestics as to size and weight,but only from memory as I don't often do these high end kits . It does seem a bit more subtle than some of its counterparts though. I got a couple to try from CUSA on runout ,think they may be all gone at the price they were offering ,in AU they go for $79 AU just a bit pricy .
As to the stainless still trying to find all the kits they will work on ,Neil (dai-sensei) is working on them as well so may come up in time with some more workable system to produce at a reasonable price, whatever that may be hehe. At the moment a PITA to produce as one offs .He has posted some elegant beauties and cigars elswhere on the forum, even added color hehe. Because of the thickness of the braid on top of the tube you need a more meaty kind of kit to work at all, 
hope that helps a bit ,cheers ~ John


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## jbostian (Jan 30, 2010)

Great looking pen.  I really like the blank.  If you ever start selling them, I would be interested.

Jamie


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## Dave_M (Jan 30, 2010)

Wow, that there is outstanding work.


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## jttheclockman (Jan 30, 2010)

gawdelpus said:


> JT ,no problems with the kit itself.if I had to nit pick I would say that the transition from body to the cap finial is just slightly sharp to the finger, centre and nib end are fine , its a big pen and quite heavy ,but designed as non postable so ok to write with, has the bigger nib but seems to be a quality product. On a par with the Majestics as to size and weight,but only from memory as I don't often do these high end kits . It does seem a bit more subtle than some of its counterparts though. I got a couple to try from CUSA on runout ,think they may be all gone at the price they were offering ,in AU they go for $79 AU just a bit pricy .
> As to the stainless still trying to find all the kits they will work on ,Neil (dai-sensei) is working on them as well so may come up in time with some more workable system to produce at a reasonable price, whatever that may be hehe. At the moment a PITA to produce as one offs .He has posted some elegant beauties and cigars elswhere on the forum, even added color hehe. Because of the thickness of the braid on top of the tube you need a more meaty kind of kit to work at all,
> hope that helps a bit ,cheers ~ John


 

Have you put them on a standard sierra??? If so I would think that is about as thin as it gets except those new diva kits from psi. Would not want to see it on a slimline.


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## jasontg99 (Jan 30, 2010)

John,

    That is a fantastic looking pen.  Just like Jamie, if you ever start selling these blanks, I would definitely buy a few of them.

Jason


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## mrburls (Jan 30, 2010)

John, that is a striking pen blank with the Lotus kit. I like it  

Keith "mrburls"


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## kruzzer (Jan 30, 2010)

What's not to like....?  Great looking pen


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## TurnaPen (Jan 30, 2010)

*Great pen*

John, I would say that is a PERFECT match, really suits the pen.. Amos


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## Freethinker (Jan 30, 2010)

Fantastic pen, great execution.

Do you have lot of trouble cutting through the steel braid --after it's poured-- without it fraying or raveling too much?


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## gawdelpus (Jan 30, 2010)

Freethinker said:


> Fantastic pen, great execution.
> 
> Do you have lot of trouble cutting through the steel braid --after it's poured-- without it fraying or raveling too much?



No problem cutting after pouring, just have to keep the heat out of it I have tried a small friction cutoff wheel ,the type that goes in an angle grinder,works but not great  My friend Neil (dai-sensei ) has tried his carbide drop saw, and a metal cutting blade in his jig-saw , I mainly use a small bench top bandsaw with a 1/4 wood blade, will try and get a metal cutting blade to suit. You could cut by hand with a hacksaw though, I have been trimming on a sanding disk on my sander ,but again a carbide trimming cutter for blanks has been mentioned as well, main thing is gently gently and cool as needed, dipping in water won't hurt the brass stainless or acrylic  I just slide the braid over the tube with enough left over so you will have clean ends when trimmed no gluing of tubes and so far I have only done normal pours no pressure and no critical air bubbles inside the casting . Bottom line here is anyone with normal skills can do these if they want to nothing special needed at all. cheers ~ John


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## hewunch (Jan 30, 2010)

That is really cool. What is the stuff above the braids in the cast picture? And where are you finding the braids?


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## lwalden (Jan 30, 2010)

Sweeeeeeeeeeeetttttttt!!!!


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## Rangertrek (Jan 30, 2010)

Very nice pen and blank, striking overall design.


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## penmanship (Jan 30, 2010)

WHOA ~ that's a beauty!


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## rlofton (Jan 30, 2010)

That is a gorgeous pen!


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## jttheclockman (Jan 30, 2010)

John

Have you tried putting this on an all chrome sierra???  Not a sierra vista.


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## sparhawk (Jan 30, 2010)

That is one classy looking pen!


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## Ligget (Jan 30, 2010)

WOW!!! That is a beautiful pen John, the kit and blank marriage is perfect, well done!


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## Bree (Jan 30, 2010)

KILLER pen!!  Top of the line.  Congrats!
:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:


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## Lenny (Jan 30, 2010)

WOW!
A nice combination of material and kit, well executed!


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## gawdelpus (Jan 30, 2010)

Thank you all for the kind comments  I have been playing around with clear or embedded casting for a few months,started with "glitter" went on to painted tubes and stickons from the dollar shops ,also doing the water slide decals ,seemed less trouble than labels hehe, 

Hewunch the  material in the first picture is some (offcut pink ivory) to fill the mold a bit and save wasting resin as the mold is designed for full length blanks and the combined length of the two for the Lotus was a bit long. The material is braided water pipe fittings from the hardware store initially,Had to cut on the corner of my grinding wheel part way till it hits the rubber and cuts all the stainless strands,need to cut at least 1/2 inch longer than the tube as once its taken off the rubber tubing it can change size and length with the stresses removed. 

JT . Still trying to find all the kits this is practical on .mostly relative to the thickness of material from the tube to the fittings ,here's a picture of my first try on a sierra ,chrome and gunmetal ,lucky I got a picture as I can't seem to hang on to these very long hehe ! cheers ~ John


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## broitblat (Jan 30, 2010)

Great looking combination and a real eye-popper of a pen.

  -Barry


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## jttheclockman (Jan 30, 2010)

Thanks John. That is the kit I am putting my first one on so that I now knoow it will work or else I would have to go to the Vista. I still might not sure yet because I like the black to break up all that silver. Good job with it. I hope mine come out as well.


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## bitshird (Jan 30, 2010)

That is a very striking pen, I have a Lotus and like it for a desk pen, not something I carry, the Stainless braid looks great with the Black TI. Nice work with a difficult material.


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## Rick_G (Jan 30, 2010)

Simply beautiful John.  They should sell well to those in the amateur radio community, reminds me of shielded coaxial cable.


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## wdcav1952 (Jan 30, 2010)

I don't see many jaw dropping pens.  This is one!!!!!!


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## arjudy (Jan 30, 2010)

Very nice


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## angelofdeath (Jan 30, 2010)

WHOAHH...beautiful pen


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## Mrs Rojo22 (Feb 4, 2010)

Really nice!

Robin


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## johncrane (Feb 4, 2010)

Excellent looks great John!


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## Dustygoose (Feb 4, 2010)

Wow.  Those two were made for each other


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## Constant Laubscher (Feb 4, 2010)

Well done!!


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## gad5264 (Feb 4, 2010)

Count me in as a buyer if these blanks hit the market.....I work for a compay that welds nothing but stainess steel pipe and we use flex hose like this in our weldments. These would go over big time with our Engineers.


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## mrcook4570 (Feb 4, 2010)

Excellent work!


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## GoodTurns (Feb 4, 2010)

this is one of the few pens i have seen that i would actually pay real money for!  beauty.


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