# Things that make you go "Hmmmmmmm"



## gketell (Jun 9, 2007)

Ever have one of those moments when you see something you've seen 1000 times before with the new eyes of a "Pen Turner"?








Any ideas what this is/was?






If you want to guess, don't scroll down yet!!




































No Peeking!!






























No, your eyes don't deceive you.  That IS a copper scrubber pad from your local grocery store.





This is officially my second PR cast.  

GK


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## YoYoSpin (Jun 9, 2007)

Way to go...major thinking outside the box. Excellent!


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## its_virgil (Jun 9, 2007)

Home casting is limited only by our imaginations and dedication to achieve that perfect blank. You made a great find. What will be cast next? And, to answer your question: YES! That tree limb in my neighbor's yard is no longer an eyesore, but penblanks waiting to be discovered.
do a good turn daily!
Don


> _Originally posted by gketell_
> <br />Ever have one of those moments when you see something you've seen 1000 times before with the new eyes of a "Pen Turner"?


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## Ligget (Jun 9, 2007)

Fantastic![] Good thinking Greg!


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## davidrei (Jun 9, 2007)

I assume you painted the tube black, right?  I bet this would also look good with a copper pen kit.  Excellent pen, and thanks for adding to may already way too long list of things I gotta try[]


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## kkwall (Jun 9, 2007)

Very impressive. Fantastic effect.[][8D]


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## GoodTurns (Jun 9, 2007)

that's way cool!


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## johncrane (Jun 9, 2007)

Fantastic great idea!


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## Dario (Jun 9, 2007)

I love it.  Great idea!

Are you selling any []


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## DKF (Jun 9, 2007)

Way too cool....


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## gketell (Jun 9, 2007)

Yes, the tube and hole were painted with black lacquer.  I used really sharp tools (especially after I found out it was copper-coated steel scrubber) and turned to within a gnats-butt of final and then used sandpaper with a stiff backer for the last thousandths.

This one has become my son's because there a few flaws: paint smudged, a couple of chips in the blank from a moments inattention right at the end of the turning, under-turned because I was running out of metal.  It really needs the Sierra Vista kit.

Dario, if you aren't kidding we can certainly work something out.

GK


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## elody21 (Jun 9, 2007)

Love the idea!!! Congrats on being the first to think of it!!!!!Oh yes and beautiful job! Alice


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## skiprat (Jun 9, 2007)

Move aside, the cactus and move aside the snake, and enter the scourer!!! Cool idea Greg. It looks really good.[]
It seems every time I log on, someone has raised the bar once again.
The Risi Bros better watch out!!!!
How many pots did you have to scrub before you thought of that?[]


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## Dario (Jun 9, 2007)

> _Originally posted by gketell_
> <br />
> Dario, if you aren't kidding we can certainly work something out.



Not kidding.  If you are interested on selling or trade, just let me know.

Have you thought of casting it like a snakeskin and wrap it on the tube before casting?  Just a thought but not sure if it will work.


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## johnnycnc (Jun 9, 2007)

Really cool idea![]


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## broitblat (Jun 9, 2007)

Pretty cool...

  -Barry


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## ahoiberg (Jun 9, 2007)

nice idea greg. pretty darn cool what penturners come up with!


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## Tanner (Jun 9, 2007)

Looks awesome!! Do you have to coat the finsihed product with CA in case the copper comes through the PR when turning?  I was wondering this on cactus blanks too.


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## Penmonkey (Jun 9, 2007)

Very good thinking!


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## kirkfranks (Jun 9, 2007)

Gerg,

I hope you don't mind but I shared this idea with the folks at Bubbasville East today.  I did let them know where the idea came from. [8D]

I picked up two copper pads and since we were casting today we got a total of about 8 blanks made.  I can't wait to see how they turn out.
Thanks for the great idea.


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## papaturner (Jun 9, 2007)

That is absolutely awesome........makes me want to do some casting and I`m 99% wood........Perry


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## gketell (Jun 9, 2007)

Awwwrrrr,, shucks! [:I]  Thanks for all the kind words!!

Dave R.  Yes, it would look awesome with the copper kit.  Two issues: 1) I've heard the copper kits don't last worth beans.  2) I didn't have one.  []

Skiprat, actually I have thought about turning our multicolored plastic scrubber into a pen blank before but never thought it would be interesting enough to bother with.  But as we were walking down the aisles of our local grocery store I saw a package of two of those copper scrubbers and just froze.  My wife looks at what I'm looking at and sighs knowingly and says "yes, that would look good in a pen.".  []

Tanner, you *could* coat it with CA to seal it up but what you see is unsealed and the metal is definitely at the surface.  If I were doing the Sierra Vista I might try over turning it a hair and then recasting it in PR to seal it.  No idea if that would work.  I'm trying to find other-than-CA solutions these days because I've started having pretty severe reactions to CA fumes (like my nose closing for days)(and yes, I do use a chemical filter mask ("I am your fahhhther, Luke!")).

Kirk, I'm honored!  Make sure they post pictures!!

Dario,  I did think of doing like a snake skin and wrapping a single layer around the tube.  Three things prevented me: 1) I couldn't think of how to make it stick without lots of CA (see above), 2) I couldn't think of how to line up the seams evenly, 3) I didn't want to muck up the pretty view I had as it was bundled up so I just cut in half and rewrapped the bundle and stuck it into my mold.  After it came out of the mold I ran it through the tablesaw to square it up with the center of the wrap in the center of the blank and then I just drilled carefully which resulted in the tube basically being wrapped in the metal anyway.

GK


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## chigdon (Jun 10, 2007)

Greg, that is awesome!


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## Fred (Jun 10, 2007)

What a great idea for something that nobody would believe could be made so pretty. I guess that in the sunlight it must really "sparkle"?

Great idea, Great job! []


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## angboy (Jun 10, 2007)

I lvoe the way this looks! At first when I saw it, it looked like one of those circuit things that lights up, the copper is so shiny.


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## Dario (Jun 10, 2007)

> _Originally posted by gketell_
> <br />
> Dario,  I did think of doing like a snake skin and wrapping a single layer around the tube.  Three things prevented me: 1) I couldn't think of how to make it stick without lots of CA (see above), 2) I couldn't think of how to line up the seams evenly, 3) I didn't want to muck up the pretty view I had as it was bundled up so I just cut in half and rewrapped the bundle and stuck it into my mold.  After it came out of the mold I ran it through the tablesaw to square it up with the center of the wrap in the center of the blank and then I just drilled carefully which resulted in the tube basically being wrapped in the metal anyway.



Greg,

#2 & #3 lining up is a problem and the bundled effect is great. These 2 reasons sold me on doing it the original way. []


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## toolcrazy (Jun 10, 2007)

Cool Idea. Can't wait to try some PR. I have the stuff, just need the time and weather to try it. I have a secret ingredient, also. []


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## TheHoneymooners (Jun 12, 2007)

I guessed right!!!  If I ever have a chance to get working with some PR, I've got a boatload of ideas to work into new blanks for Mike.

Great job-- its BEAUTIFUL!
Connie


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## huntersilver (Jun 12, 2007)

without scrolling down, looks like a chain[]


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## gketell (Jun 12, 2007)

You are close Hunter.  
[]

GK


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## skiprat (Jun 13, 2007)

> _Originally posted by huntersilver_
> <br />without scrolling down, looks like a chain[]



Michael, how did you resist looking?[] You must have strong will power.[]


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## hughbie (Jun 13, 2007)

i bow to the owner of such great thinkin'


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