# Making blanks with ribbons inside



## Silverman (Nov 11, 2019)

I found this subject is somehow hidden or not widely explained due to trade secrets or who knows why )))
Here is example of blanks, that i am talking about. The main idea, that used in public videos - is to cast thin sheet of epoxy resin, then put it inside the form, pour in another resin - and voila - blank is ready. But when i am trying to reproduce such scenario i found:
1. The ribbons on pics much thinner, that mine - it is look like their thickness is about 0.3-0.5 mm
2. During the exoterm peak - my ribbon becames soft, and the folds have tendency to straightens out.
3. Also the look of ribbons in pics are more like fabric folds, look very natural and random.
4. In such bunch of folds - how the bubble problem need to be solved?

So i think the ribbons material could be not only self made sheets, but also ... PVC sheets or maybe another plastic sheets?


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## Gersh (Nov 11, 2019)

Zac Higgins has a large amount of great casting videos. Here is his on ribbon blanks. Hopefully it helps.


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## Silverman (Nov 11, 2019)

Thank you, Gersh. I have seen this video before. And i reproduce similar step by step making of such blank and processing it. After that some question still no answered. And i decide to post these questions.
Also i attaching my process step by step as example.


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## TimV (Nov 11, 2019)

I found this on YouTube


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## jttheclockman (Nov 11, 2019)

If you are comparing ribbon blanks made by casters and those produced in a manufacturing plant they will pale. They have a process that is done in sheets and not blocks. I can not remember who showed how acrylic blanks are made. Maybe it was Ed from Exotics or someone else who visited. But I do remember seeing the process. It is done something like taffy is made if I remember correctly. Maybe someone can post a link to the video.


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## Bob F (Nov 11, 2019)

The ribbon blanks that you are asking about and trying to make are machine injected in a controlled environment   and there are only a few plants in the world with this type of facility --its not a process that can be done with the common casting materials available to the public


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## Bob F (Nov 11, 2019)

you can get a similar effect by using certain fabrics -however the best results are achieved with translucent resin to get the depth -and obviously  when you do that with pen blanks you will see the tube --we make a line called our psychedelic series that has a  mesh fabric in it (pictured below) to give you an example


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## Silverman (Nov 12, 2019)

Thank to all of you for ideas and suggestions. About fabric - if it is color formed by printing over it, not by coloring in mass - it will be notices white color on cuts of it - and this side effect looks not very good. But if it is syntetic fabric, colored in mass - maybe it will be suitable for this purpose. Also i still hope for the plastic sheets - that can be formed bu using heater similar to hair dryer and then used in form several sheets of it. Here is i see two main points. 1st - the adhesion need to be good and strong. 2 nd - the temperature of softening for this sheets of plastic need to be higher, then exoterm temperature of pouring compound. I have some ideas - i need to check them out ))). I will report later.


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## duncsuss (Nov 12, 2019)

Why not buy plastic sheets ready made? (Like these on Amazon.)


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## Silverman (Nov 12, 2019)

*duncsuss, i am talking about the same - i already have some colour sheet of pvc plastic, they used in plastic card making - and we making plastic cards also. Now we are making some ribbons from silk (soaking them by resin, then froming) and forming by heat gun another pvc sheets (additional sanded and degreased). Then we will use them in new resin blanks. 

*


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## Silverman (Nov 13, 2019)

Here is just quick example of PVC sheet bendings. I take A4 sheet 0.30 mm and cut some stripes from it, then heat it by small heater from WOW and bend it by my hands. This heater has a narrow and quite precise heating flow. But actually you need to keep in mind - length of stripe before heating need to me much longer, then actual form length - if you want it to be seamless. Maybe 2x or even 3x, because during heating and bending it becomes much shorter. So in some cases you need at least A3 size sheets or even bigger.


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## Silverman (Nov 13, 2019)

duncsuss said:


> Why not buy plastic sheets ready made? (Like these on Amazon.)


By the way - exactly these sheets are from polyethylene - it has a low adhesion and i think they are not suitable


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## Silverman (Nov 13, 2019)

Here is idea, where we are planning to use stabilized silk ribbons


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## Silverman (Nov 14, 2019)

Here is another, but new mega shmega experiment )))


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## Bob F (Nov 14, 2019)

Silverman said:


> Here is another, but new mega shmega experiment )))
> 
> View attachment 228019View attachment 228020


these are cool - I like the look of these at least for stoppers and bigger blanks for sure , nice job


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## Bob F (Nov 14, 2019)

Silverman said:


> Here is idea, where we are planning to use stabilized silk ribbons
> 
> View attachment 227972


interested in your results with stabilized silk - good stuff silverman


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## Silverman (Nov 14, 2019)

Bob F said:


> these are cool - I like the look of these at least for stoppers and bigger blanks for sure , nice job


This block made of acrylic sheets with laser-cut holes. Then they are stacked together. On the corners there are some acrylic mini stoppers - to keep the even/uniform distance between individual layers. Then we put this inside form and pour in the epoxy resin. In the beginning of the next week we will start to lathe it. Resin need to be finally hardened.


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## Pjohnson (Dec 15, 2019)

I posted a 3 part video on ribbons a few years ago. Maybe it will help.


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## Silverman (Dec 20, 2019)

Silverman said:


> Here is idea, where we are planning to use stabilized silk ribbons
> 
> View attachment 227972



Here is the final result here )))


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## Silverman (Dec 20, 2019)

Bob F said:


> interested in your results with stabilized silk - good stuff silverman



We test this idea - and while it is look gorgeous from the start - it starts separating during sanding and other operations. So it is not compatible.


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## Bob F (Dec 20, 2019)

Silverman said:


> We test this idea - and while it is look gorgeous from the start - it starts separating during sanding and other operations. So it is not compatible.


--ya i was afraid of that --we have done similar tests with a few different fabrics and most fail testing at some point --but we keep trying ,lol


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## Silverman (Dec 23, 2019)

Bob F said:


> --ya i was afraid of that --we have done similar tests with a few different fabrics and most fail testing at some point --but we keep trying ,lol


The fail was with acryl combination with epoxy resin. But silk looks good and processed ok.


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## Tailored Pen Company (Jan 14, 2020)

Updates?


Silverman said:


> The fail was with acryl combination with epoxy resin. But silk looks good and processed ok.


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## Silverman (Jan 15, 2020)

Lostwoodworker said:


> Updates?



Now we are making wood version of oblique nib holders in same style, as resin's ))) Later will continue experiments, maybe at coming spring )


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## Silverman (Jan 15, 2020)

Here is the version with white ribbon inside (ribbon from the same resin)


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## MonumentTie (Feb 8, 2020)

This Is my experiment.


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## MDWine (Feb 11, 2020)

In the immortal words of Arte Johnson....  very interesting!
Looking forward to the finished product!


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