# A Simple Silver, Opal and PR  Pen



## mredburn

First I would like thank all of you that voted for my pen in the Freestyle contest.
I thought I would share with all of you the making of the pen. 

Like most of my pens its starts as a doodle. I draw it a couple or more times tweaking it, changing it back. redrawing it, until I have the concept down to where I want it.  I then take and draw it in my cad program.  I draw it flat and then have the program wrap it around the diameter tube I want to make.






 The drawing is then ran through a Cad Program and then cut on a cnc mill in wax.  Now if you were to think I dont have a failures you would be wrong. The first wax was cut off axis.  I didnt get it pathed right in the program. Back to the computer and do it again. The second wax I tried to drill out after it was properly cut.
OOPS!





I had to pre drill the wax and put a brass tube in it to support the wax  before I cut the pattern onto it with the mill.  I thought I had taken a picture of the completed waxes but if I did I cant find them.   I then remove the brass tube and cast the waxes in to silver.  IF the casting fails I have to start all over and the waxes take a full day to cut. 
Fortunatly I have a bit of practice casting and we have no problems with the casting.  Here is the cap cast in silver





and the bottom





Next I make the cap Finials and front section and make sure everything fits 









I then start cutting the red flowers on the cnc mill out of synthetic opal. I have to cut the chunks of material into the proper thickness slabs about 1.5mm (.060) thick
 I took the first one and with a jewelers saw cut the slit to fit her hand into. THe one that she is holding. I was originally going to use a blue opal for the flowers on the rest of the pen but they were designed to small and didnt tie in to the one she is holding so I made them all red flowers.   As I cut them I started epoxying them in place. I made the blue end pieces and glue them in. WHile Im cutting the small squares for the halo and the rest of the pieces I mix up some resin and apply it with toothpick to the body of the girl. I used antique white rather than a pure white and let it cure.







Next I start the meticulous job of fitting all the small pieces into the hallo. They all need just a little trimming to fit.  Next I make and fit all the blue opal into the rings at the center band and ends of the silver tubes. 
I owe the next step to Ed (Parkland Turner and BradG) their discussion on applying the resin while rotating allowed me to figure out how to get the resin on. However I ran into a problem.  I intended to have a dark green base at the bottom and have it transform into blue as it went up the pen  and then finally to a lighter blue at the cap top.  Well this was my first attempt ever at rotary applications of PR. The rotary apparatus I built evidently wasnt quite level.  All the green ran from the bottom to the other end mixing in with the blue and making it the ugliest combo of almost black blue-green yo have ever seen. 
Pictures of the disaster.








I had to take a ball burr and cut all the resin back off the pen. Sorry for the blurred picture of the blank after I removed all the resin.




I then re applied the resin using a dark blue. There is a technique to the application that helps if you can vary the rotational speed of the piece.  I globbed the resin on let it dry and then mounted them and turned them down to size.  The opal matrix will dull a HSS cutter in nothing flat. I used a carbide cutter to trim it to size. It is then sanded and polished along normal lines using MM and Novus scratch polish. I made a delrin Insert for the cap that you cant see and threaded it m10x.75.  I finished the pen up in record time for me and actually had 3 hours left before the entry time would expire. The red opal shows red or gold depending on the angle you look at it. 

Some pretty pictures of the pen.


















I realize I should have taken a few more pictures to help illustrate the processes but I was pretty busy at the time I had to get it done.  I had good intentions. 

Comments, Questions ?  All are welcome.


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## SerenityWoodWorks

thats it? you mean we gave you credit for nothing but about 100 hours of work that 99.9% would never dream of even trying much less doing anywhere near this??? ...What the saying..."I could do that if I wanted to...I just dont want to"

You sir are amazing what you can produce.


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## RichF

The title says it all...simple.:biggrin:  Simple only in terms of matching the pen with the maker.  You do have a way of makining it look and sound easy.  But this is a masterpiece.  Absolutely astounding work.  You continue to push the bar higher each year.


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## cnirenberg

Mike,
Outstanding.


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## healeydays

So you do all that is an afternoon right?

That is one of the finest pens I have seen here and the process you go thru to pull that off is mind-numbing.


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## Coysquibbly

Incredible. What a talent!

Kevin


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## Ed McDonnell

Very impressive Mike.  

Ed


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## BradG

Showoff


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## thewishman

I was HOPING you would post some pictures! That is a gorgeous pen! Thank you for showing the steps that went into making it.


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## mrcook4570

Simple my @%&.  There is nothing simple about that!  PHENOMENAL work!


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## mredburn

healeydays said:


> So you do all that is an afternoon right?
> 
> That is one of the finest pens I have seen here and the process you go thru to pull that off is mind-numbing.



 Yes if its one of Alaska's 6 month days.  It took about 10 days to Make.


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## Dalecamino

Again....amazing. I hope I get to see this one.:biggrin:


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## Hendu3270

Wow! I didn't really think of the level of work involved in making this pen. Outstanding skills you have.


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## RichF

Mike, I forgot to mention that you need to update you signature block.  You definitely earned the next level of Pen Wizardry with this pen.  :biggrin:


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## Twissy

Simply awesome!!


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## BSea

That is really unbelievable. I'd like to know more about the rotating resin pour.  I couldn't do that in 10 months, let alone 10 days.


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## Russknan

Mike, that was a very beautiful and impressive pen. Stunning, really. But then reading what you went through to make that wonderful piece of art took it to a whole new dimension. Thanks for sharing. Russ


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## seamus7227

I am speechless, yet not surprised one bit that you could pull this off! Very well done in the execution and completion of the final pen.


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## lorbay

Wow Mike that is truly amazing .:good::good::good:
Lin


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## triw51

That is way beyound me but I did enjoy seeing how you did the work.  Some times I do not realize how much prep goes into a pen like this.  Thank you for sharing


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## monark88

As Jason said, beating me to the punch, "I could do that if I wanted to...I just don't want to".

Fantastic talent, I'm gonna bet this isn't a "give away pen".


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## mredburn

I have really enjoyed the challenges and results of this pen. I still have room for improvement. I will probably hang on to it. I am thinking of where this will lead me for future designs. The blank really opens up a lot of designs for me.   I believe that BradG used a rotisserie motor. I have a 15rpm geared motor from something that I had that I made a Quick adapter for. It worked but as I said I didnt level it the first time and the pr ran toward the low end and dripped off and made a mess of the original design. I had to stuff a couple Popsicle sticks under the front to level it.   I have an ac/dc low 15rpm I can put one of the router controls on and vary the speed for the next one.  Different diameters seem to need different speeds for the best results. Even the straight 15 rpm worked.  I did one on the 15rpm and at the same time did one tube on my lathe with variable speed and you can adjust the speed so the pr doesnt really move much as it rotates.  I also used a clamp on light as a heat source to help harden the PR. Kind of like running water not freezing it doesnt set as fast as the left overs in the mixing cup.


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## Ed McDonnell

Hi Mike - When I'm rotocasting I use Silmar 249 instead of 41.  It's a better choice for the thin fills.  With multi colors, I also use at least the full recommended amount of MEKP (10 drops / ounce).  Waiting until closer to gel will also minimize the color mixing, but that can get dicey if you wait just a little too long.  249 with full MEKP sets pretty quick. 

I use my lathe where the minimum rpm is 50.  I find 80 - 90 rpm to be ideal.  It allows a good amount of resin to be held, but doesn't create too much of a problem with standing waves developing.


Ed


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## mredburn

Thanks Ed. Great information.  I may have to get a faster turning motor. 

I think on my lathe I was about around 65 or so. I have 249 but didnt think to try it. It may have been a better product.  On the slower one I just built the stuff up thick and later turned it off.  I was close on the MEKP but not that strong.


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## reiddog1

Are you kidding me!!!!  Mike, you are in your own class man.  That is a work of Art.  Good show man.

Dave


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## Turned Around

man, how can i compete with the rest of you guys?
that thing is beautiful. i could see it looking good without the colors as well. just polished would look slick as well. the floral design on the cap is my favorite.

if you don't mind my asking, what were you planning on selling it for?
and what CNC mill did you use? i've been looking at some lately. i like the work that one does.


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## mredburn

I have 2 cnc mills this was made on A taig Mill with a 4th axis add on. The other is a home built that I built using the Taig.  I dont sell pens.  but I value it at $1800.00


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## BradG

Mike the motor I used came from a microwave. Around 5rpm I had the same issue as my pieces were tapered but I was only using clear so didnt matter.  Could you of coloured the background in different colours and then cast in clear? Looks fantastic anyway as I've said in pm


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## papaturner

I`m ashamed to call myself a pen maker.
That may very well be my absolute favorite pen of all time.


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## Wingdoctor

Absolutely mind blowing! You are the man!!!


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## mredburn

Brad I thought about it but the sides of the silver and opal pieces would show through the clear resin.  I wanted the continuous surface on the pen.


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## BRobbins629

Mike - that's a beautiful piece of artwork.  An inspiration to us all.


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## MarkD

That's a real masterpiece Mike. You are an incredibility talented and patient man!


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## wiset1

Absolutely stunning!






Awesome


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## Jim15

Awesome work of art.


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## ironman123

*A Simple Silver, Opal and PR Pen*

Pretty good Mike.  You are right, it is a very simple pen.:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:  Just one of the Florida showoffs:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:.

Kidding aside, it is a fabulous looking piece of Art.  You are way above my talent and skill levels.  Keep up the quality and keep learning.


Which CAD program do you use and do you also use Aspire?

Great stuff Mike.

Ray


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## Dalepenkala

Mike that is a jaw dropper! Absolutely stunning piece!  Congrats on the final product!


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## firewhatfire

Now I am gonna have to learn wax casting, just to be able to hammer out a simple pen.  

Thanks for the tutorial 

Job well done and a well deserved win

Phil


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## anthonyd

This pen is amazing. It is worthy of an article in Pen World Magazine. 

Tony


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## Triple Crown

*Incredible!*

Hi Mike,

Wow!!!!  That is so awesome!!  I really liked this pen in the contest, but seeing how you did it, I have fallen in love with it! :redface:  I love the silverwork, the intricate design, and the colors!  It is just absolutely beautiful!  Thank you so much for sharing how you made this!!

Greg


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## mredburn

Thank you all for the kind comments. There is still room for improvement but over all I was really happy with the way it turned out.


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## theidlemind

Incredible.


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## skiprat

Um, not bad.............
















:biggrin: ( Absolutely Superb !!! ) :biggrin:


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## John Den

Many, many thanks for this post, Mike.
Once again someone has stretched my aspirations beyond my present horizons!
I don't think I'll live long enough to master all our members diversity of skills.
I really believe your pen is the height of design and craftsmanship.
Absolutely well done from a gobsmacked admirer.
Regards,
John


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## mredburn

I will take "um not bad" from Skip. Thats a good review!


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## markgum

seeing pens like this..    I think it's time to sell the lathe and find something different. to spend my $$ and time on.. :redface:
Seriously amazing work.  
Great job.


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## bluwolf

I thought I had a good idea what went into one of your pens. Apparently I don't:biggrin: That was slick looking even before you started filling it in with opal and resin. Looking forward to seeing it in person.

Mike


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## johncrane

Full marks Mike! 10 outa 10, one sweet writer!:biggrin:


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## mikespenturningz

Simple to look at and comment on! That is simply beautiful and an example of artistry in pen making. Thank you for sharing how you did this. Beautiful Pen.


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## Brooks803

Brilliant! Are you doing your own silver casting instead of shipping out the wax?


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## mredburn

I do  all my  own casting.


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## Wood Butcher

May I nominate this pen for the front page of the IAP site?
WB


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## USNGSCS

Absolutely beautiful!  A true work of art.


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## sjcmpbel

Stunning work - thank you for sharing !


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## jeff

Better late than never! Looks great on the front page :biggrin:


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## ashaw

Mike all I can say is WOW.  That looks like a $10K pen.


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## ossaguy

That's some amazing work,Wow!!!




Steve


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## Jim Burr

Missed it until now...why turn anymore!:frown::wink:


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## Akula

Beautiful


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## thewishman

jeff said:


> Better late than never! Looks great on the front page :biggrin:




Amen to that!


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## johncrane

I agree with Jeff looks great on the front page Congrats Mike!


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## nava1uni

Your work is absolutely amazing.


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## alphageek

Wow... not only does that pen look great... The color scheme of it makes it look like it was just MADE for the front page!!!

Very nice.


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## ironman123

*A Simple Silver, Opal and PR Pen*

Mike, that is great design work and a super good looking pen.:good:

Which CAD program and CAM are you using?

Thanks for posting Mike.

Ray


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## mredburn

Thank you Jeff, I was not expecting it.  Thank you all.  Ray I use RHino5 and RhinoCam. I did not build the 4th axis I use a sherline cnc rotary table.


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## glenspens

Sweet,  just %$@&*!^ Sweet...... i can do that......NOT in this life


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## bluwolf

What a coincidence, I just saw this pen again in person after a long time. I can attest, it looks as good in person as it does on the front page.

Congrats,
Mike


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## wizkid1st

You must be kidding me... I have been turning pens for about 6 months now and thought that I was progressing in this new found talent and now this... this is what I am to aspire to make?  LOL... I need to find a back up hobby now!  I will have to accept the fact that all of my work will be mediocrity in comparison to this beautiful work of art.  Mike you are truly the Rembrandt of pen making.  Thanks for sharing this wonderful work with us.


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## carlmorrell

Wow. 

Clearly a demonstration of the difference between a pen maker, and a pen kit assembler.  Humbling.

Well done!


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## JD Combs Sr

carlmorrell said:


> Wow.
> 
> Clearly a demonstration of the difference between a pen maker, and a pen kit assembler.  Humbling.
> 
> Well done!



I couldn't say it any better.


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## jyreene

Just saw this. That's amazing work.


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## Donovan

Hi Mike awesome pen. Hi have also been doing the wax casting but with pewter. Your results is just worlds apart from what I am getting
Donovan


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## Sawdust46

Absolutely the finest work I have seen!


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## creativewriting

One of the best pens I have seen.  A true craftsman and artist!!


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## edicehouse

What's next your pen produces ink through oxygen?


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## JohnGreco

No idea how I missed this until now. WOW. Absolutely stunning, I can't imagine trying to decide to keep or sell that one.


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## Dalecamino

Good to see this one on the front page Mike. :biggrin:


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## LandfillLumber

That is the most fantastic piece of art I have ever seen in pen form.Simply amazing this belongs in a rich persons super collection.You should be proud and know that you have skills many will never get close to.WOW,Victor


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## Tom D

I sure am glad I got to see it in real life last week, it is truly a work of art. I defenitly have a long way to go.


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## GaryMGg

One of the most beautiful pens I've seen on this site or any other! Well done.


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## Brooks803

Congrats Mike!


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## Darley

Great work like the pen could be cast in many PR colour, now I have to find the CAD software and a cnc laser :biggrin:


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## Joshua_30

Is this the definition of perfection? Outstanding work!


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## mredburn

Joshua_30 said:


> Is this the definition of perfection? Outstanding work!



Oh no.... There is plenty of room for improvements.  Trust me on that one.


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## OKLAHOMAN

Could not agree more. We've come a long way from the beginning of this hobby a few short years ago but you've made the beginning look light years ago. I don't know how I missed this the fist time around.


GaryMGg said:


> One of the most beautiful pens I've seen on this site or any other! Well done.


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## DKF

That is flipping amazing!!!


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## LouF

Great looking pen some excellent craftsmanship.


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## Stuarta

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<after looking at that I will hide mine. Great job.


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## SamThePenMan

Amazing work! I was going to ask about the CNC but someone already did. Wish I had room and an excuse to get one, especially after seeing this. 

Was wondering, do you reuse your wax? When I worked at a high school we had desktop CNC machines, one of them we used a dark blue wax, may have come with the mill, though I'm not sure. We used a hot plate and a cheap aluminium pot to melt the wax shavings and the things the students made (mostly just carving their name as the software that came with it was pretty limited), then just poured it into a mold used for small (maybe 4"x8") brownies or something like that. Though we did end up with metal shavings in the wax after a while, as sometimes they weren't paying attention and ran the mill into the hold downs and/or the table.

First time I've heard of rotocasting though, I don't think I would have ever thought of doing it like that. Hopefully I can eventually get into casting, even just the regular way seems like it'd be fun with all the possibilities.


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## mredburn

Sam,  there are several machine -able waxes that are made in blue.  I dont  use them because they tend to have problems in the burn-out part of the lost wax processes because of the what they are made from and some are not intended to be  used in casting.  I dont keep the shaved wax cuttings.  I will save solid chunks of wax left over from the process for remelting and reuse.  The shavings tend to have dust or metal or other particles in them that will destroy a casting. That costs more that the wax i would save, a lot more.


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