# Casting My Own Abalone/Snake Pens!



## Rolandranch (Jan 22, 2017)

I have gotten into casting my own blanks. Right now, I'm focusing mainly on abalone and rattlesnake blanks. Here are a few of the pens that I've come up with:


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 Let me know what you think of them and how I can improve them!


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## socdad (Jan 22, 2017)

Very nice set of pens.


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## Rolandranch (Jan 22, 2017)

socdad said:


> Very nice set of pens.


Thank you!


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## Jim15 (Jan 22, 2017)

Those are all beautiful.


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## Super Dave (Jan 22, 2017)

Looks like you figured it out, Great Job !

Dave


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## magpens (Jan 22, 2017)

Those are very beautiful, Seth !!!!! . Congratulations !!!!


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## Rolandranch (Jan 22, 2017)

> Those are all beautiful.





> Looks like you figured it out, Great Job !





> Those are very beautiful, Seth !!!!! . Congratulations !!!!



Thank you all!! It did take a few different trys to get it right but I have had a great time casting!

Oh, and I forgot to give my younger brother credit for catching/skinning/tanning the rattlesnake skins. He's done a great job with them!


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## TattooedTurner (Jan 22, 2017)

You've done some fine work there.


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## Flush1974 (Jan 23, 2017)

Great Job Ronald,

They look fantastic!!!  I have a Copperhead skin I'm planning on doing soon.  It's pretty see through, did you have to paint your tubes prior to casting?

Steve


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## OZturner (Jan 23, 2017)

Fantastic Pens, Seth
Magnificent Blanks, 
Very Clever and Shrewd, getting your Younger Brother, to Catch, Skin, and Tan, the Snake Skins, leaving you with the Dangerous Task of Casting? :smile-big::wink:
If you are Sixteen, then How Old is your Younger Brother? 
Joking Aside, What a Talented Combination you both Make.
I love the Accuracy and Skill you show in your work.
Great Craftsmanship.
Congratulations,
Brian.


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## kruzzer (Jan 23, 2017)

Fantastic work on both the castings and the pens..


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## Rolandranch (Jan 23, 2017)

OZturner said:


> Fantastic Pens, Seth
> Magnificent Blanks,
> Very Clever and Shrewd, getting your Younger Brother, to Catch, Skin, and Tan, the Snake Skins, leaving you with the Dangerous Task of Casting? :smile-big::wink:
> If you are Sixteen, then How Old is your Younger Brother?
> ...


Thank you! My brother that does most of the skins is 15. Actually, all the "older boys" in the family take care of the snakes on the property (we can't keep them around because they are dangerous to our dogs and horses). However, Nate (the 15-year-old) is really into leather work and catches most of the snakes. The snakes that I used for the pens above were caught by Nate (15) and Stephen (13).


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## Rolandranch (Jan 23, 2017)

Flush1974 said:


> Great Job Ronald,
> 
> They look fantastic!!!  I have a Copperhead skin I'm planning on doing soon.  It's pretty see through, did you have to paint your tubes prior to casting?
> 
> Steve


Thank you! Yes, you will probably want to paint the tube if you don't want to see the brass. In the pens above, you can see that there are darker ones and lighter ones. The tubes of the darker ones were painted black and the lighter ones were not painted and you can see the tube a little (not noticeable in the photos). I have tried gray but that seems to make it a dull color.


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## geffre (Jan 23, 2017)

*abalone*

How did you cut your abalone parts to fit around the barrel?  They are beautiful blanks.  Thank you for the pictures.  
Brian


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## geffre (Jan 23, 2017)

Rolandranch said:


> Flush1974 said:
> 
> 
> > The tubes of the darker ones were painted black and the lighter ones were not painted and you can see the tube a little (not noticeable in the photos). I have tried gray but that seems to make it a dull color.
> ...


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## Rolandranch (Jan 23, 2017)

geffre said:


> Rolandranch said:
> 
> 
> > What about using more than one layer of skin?  That way you would have an underlayment of the same color.  Or you could use a less colorful skin to go underneath. Or you also could use the transparency to your advantage and give the barrels more sparkles to bring out the sparkle in the skins.
> ...


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## Rolandranch (Jan 23, 2017)

geffre said:


> How did you cut your abalone parts to fit around the barrel?  They are beautiful blanks.  Thank you for the pictures.
> Brian


Thank you! It just took some careful calculations and a few test runs to get all the strips the same size.


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## its_virgil (Jan 23, 2017)

paint your tubes
Remove scale covers (if you aren't already)

Do a good turn daily!
Don


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## Rolandranch (Jan 23, 2017)

its_virgil said:


> paint your tubes
> Remove scale covers (if you aren't already)
> 
> Do a good turn daily!
> Don


Thanks for all your help Mr. Ward! I've learned a lot about casting snakeskin blanks from you. And yes, all the scales covers are removed. I do have a quick question for you if you see this. Do you have more problems with casting smaller skins than larger skins? (Problems like faded color, bubbles, or skin shrinkage?) Just curious because it seems that way for me. Thanks.


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## Jgrden (Jan 24, 2017)

Photography is certainly better than mine. Keep on killing snakes, Tuscon has a bunch of them. Good work. I cannot offer any suggestions except your work looks very good.


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## Rolandranch (Jan 24, 2017)

Jgrden said:


> Photography is certainly better than mine. Keep on killing snakes, Tuscon has a bunch of them. Good work. I cannot offer any suggestions except your work looks very good.


Thank you for the kind words. And yes, Tucson is full of rattlesnakes...and so is our freezer!


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## eranox (Jan 24, 2017)

Those are amazing!  Can you walk us through your process?  I've tried casting snakeskin and had marginal results.  After removing the scale casings, do you coat the skin with anything before you cast?  Do you use pressure, vacuum, or neither?

How in the world do you get those abalone strips?  Are they purchased ready made, or do you cut them yourself?


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## Rolandranch (Jan 24, 2017)

eranox said:


> Those are amazing!  Can you walk us through your process?  I've tried casting snakeskin and had marginal results.  After removing the scale casings, do you coat the skin with anything before you cast?  Do you use pressure, vacuum, or neither?
> 
> How in the world do you get those abalone strips?  Are they purchased ready made, or do you cut them yourself?


Thank you. There are articles written on both these topics in the IAP Library that I have learned a lot from. There's a lot of useful information there. 

Some people buy already cut strips but I buy whole sheets of abalone and use a razor to cut them.
 I have not had consistent success for casting snakeskins yet, though I am getting there. I wash the skins with soapy water first and then descale them. I have tried coating the skins with different things - thin CA and clear acrylic spray paint. Thin CA works better. However, if you are using skins with larger scales, it looks better uncoated. Again, I'm still experimenting and this may not work for your specific skins. It seems that different types of snakes take different methods.

Edit: Just to add, I don't use vacuum or pressure. I use heat. Not too hot, maybe 100-130 degrees F...not exactly sure what temp I use but I've had best success with heat.


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## geffre (Jan 25, 2017)

Rolandranch said:


> geffre said:
> 
> 
> > How did you cut your abalone parts to fit around the barrel?  They are beautiful blanks.  Thank you for the pictures.
> ...



What type of saw do you use?  Is the shell delicate or is it easy to cut?  

Brian


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## geffre (Jan 25, 2017)

Rolandranch said:


> geffre said:
> 
> 
> > Rolandranch said:
> ...


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## its_virgil (Jan 25, 2017)

He is not removing the scales but the clear scale covers. Why, you asked? First, the the space between the scale covers and the actual scales are an excellent place for air to get trapped. Air and resin do not play well together. Second, they like to come lose anyway and if they do they float in the resin. Yes, most will end on the floor but some will be between the skin itself and the outer surface and do not look good.If you have ever seen my blanks the scale covers have been removed. Scales are quite vivid still.

As far as another layer under the skin thicker is not better. The amount of resin left covering the skin is very thin. Adding another material under will be problematic and mod likely the outer skin will get exposed...the resin will get turned off the skin.

Do a good turn daily!
Don


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## jsolie (Jan 25, 2017)

Great looking set of pens!  Oh, the patience required with those abalone strips . . . :biggrin:

It's great that you have a system to help with the snake skins.


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## its_virgil (Jan 26, 2017)

Both skins have their pros and cons. Skins from young snakes are more fragile. They have much less fatty tissue and can be cleaned so the skin is very thin but it is fragile. The pattern is smaller and tighter and looks great.  I think maybe a little harder to work. Larger snakes have thicker skin and that can be a problem when rapping and gluing. I buy raw skins from a local snake hunt and clean them myself. I scrape and scrape to remove as much flesh as I can. The more the better. Thinner skin tans softer. There is a limit (for me at least) on the size skin I like to use. I like to stay under 36 inches..the problem is the snake hunts sell the meat and there is not much meat on the smaller snakes so no motivation to butcher them. Just some of my thoughts.

I will be glad to share my process with you if you are interested.

I love the look of the Arizona red diamond back...to bad they are protected.

Do a good turn daily!
Don



Rolandranch said:


> its_virgil said:
> 
> 
> > paint your tubes
> ...


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## mark james (Jan 26, 2017)

its_virgil said:


> Both skins have their pros and cons. Skins from young snakes are more fragile. They have much less fatty tissue and can be cleaned so the skin is very thin but it is fragile. The pattern is smaller and tighter and looks great.  I think maybe a little harder to work. Larger snakes have thicker skin and that can be a problem when rapping and gluing. I buy raw skins from a local snake hunt and clean them myself. I scrape and scrape to remove as much flesh as I can. The more the better. Thinner skin tans softer. There is a limit (for me at least) on the size skin I like to use. I like to stay under 36 inches..the problem is the snake hunts sell the meat and there is not much meat on the smaller snakes so no motivation to butcher them. Just some of my thoughts.
> 
> I will be glad to share my process with you if you are interested.
> 
> ...



I have no interest in this topic - (don't mean to be offensive)!  But I LOVE the exchange of ideas and the willingness of Don to educate - No Surprise!  Great exchange of ideas and questions.  Kudos Don!


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## Rolandranch (Jan 26, 2017)

its_virgil said:


> Both skins have their pros and cons. Skins from young snakes are more fragile. They have much less fatty tissue and can be cleaned so the skin is very thin but it is fragile. The pattern is smaller and tighter and looks great.  I think maybe a little harder to work. Larger snakes have thicker skin and that can be a problem when rapping and gluing. I buy raw skins from a local snake hunt and clean them myself. I scrape and scrape to remove as much flesh as I can. The more the better. Thinner skin tans softer. There is a limit (for me at least) on the size skin I like to use. I like to stay under 36 inches..the problem is the snake hunts sell the meat and there is not much meat on the smaller snakes so no motivation to butcher them. Just some of my thoughts.
> 
> I will be glad to share my process with you if you are interested.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much! This is exactly the advice that I need. 
So, how do you tan your skins? I have always used glycerin and rubbing alcohol but I think this is causing problems with the skins when I cast them. I have done some research, but have not found any other method of tanning. I (and my brothers) hunt snakes specifically for pens so we have plenty of smaller skins to work with. When I cast these skins, though, I usually get white areas. This is the reason I have been using bigger ones lately. Again, I think but am not sure if this is related to the tanning process.
Thanks so much for your time.


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## its_virgil (Jan 26, 2017)

I also tan with rubbing alcohol and glycerin. But, I purchase alcohol from a medical supply and get 99% instead of the 89 or 91% locally. The other 10% is water. 

I first soak the skins in warm water with dawn dishwashing liquid and pinesol for about an hour or so. This helps remove fat from the skins. Rinse and dry and place in the alcohol/glycerin mix (50-50) for 5 or six days. 
Remove, rinse and dry on a towel.

I put a think coat of glycerin on the flesh side and smooth out on a board to dry for a couple of days. Roll loosely and place in plastic bag.

I think the white frosty spots are caused by CA glue. I wipe down the skins with a good grade of lacquer thinner once they are glued to the tube and have had a day for the glue to cure. I wipe them down just before putting them in the mold. Since starting with the lacquer thinner my failures have greatly been reduced. I have gone through 5 gallons of resin and have had maybe 5 or 6 blanks that I would not sell.

you may be interested in the two videos here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfTmJ9EKhJfcghR8kghQfZw

I do paint the tubes. I do not like the brass tube showing and it does with the skins from younger snakes.

Do a good turn daily!
Don



Rolandranch said:


> its_virgil said:
> 
> 
> > Both skins have their pros and cons. Skins from young snakes are more fragile. They have much less fatty tissue and can be cleaned so the skin is very thin but it is fragile. The pattern is smaller and tighter and looks great.  I think maybe a little harder to work. Larger snakes have thicker skin and that can be a problem when rapping and gluing. I buy raw skins from a local snake hunt and clean them myself. I scrape and scrape to remove as much flesh as I can. The more the better. Thinner skin tans softer. There is a limit (for me at least) on the size skin I like to use. I like to stay under 36 inches..the problem is the snake hunts sell the meat and there is not much meat on the smaller snakes so no motivation to butcher them. Just some of my thoughts.
> ...


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## jttheclockman (Jan 26, 2017)

Have to say anyone reading this, take note of what Don is saying because I think he is the master when it comes to these snake skin blanks. Thanks Don for sharing your tips and tricks. That is what you have to love about this site.


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## Rolandranch (Jan 28, 2017)

Alright, drum roll. I put 8 blanks in the oven tonight. 4 bolt action and 4 Vertex. We'll see what comes out tomorrow. I got some molds from PtownSubbie and am surprised at how much resin they save. I only used about 4 oz for 8 blanks. Thank you Mr. Ward for all the tips and for taking the time to share your method. I'll post pics soon of how they turn out.


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## RBcarving (Jan 29, 2017)

Those look great !!  Are you casting with Alumilite, polyester or ???


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## OLIVE WOOD (Jan 29, 2017)

Very nice pens. I really like the pen in the second photo. Really nice


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## Rolandranch (Jan 29, 2017)

I finished all of the bolt actions last night and they turned out very nice. This is definitely, by far, the best batch of snakeskin blanks I've ever made. Thank you again for all the tips, Mr. Ward.


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## Rolandranch (Jan 29, 2017)

RBcarving said:


> Those look great !!  Are you casting with Alumilite, polyester or ???


Thanks! I am casting with silmar 41 polyester resin. I've not tried alumilite yet.


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## its_virgil (Jan 29, 2017)

Seth,
Those look very very nice. Keep up the good work. For the help...you are welcome. 
Stay with poly resin for snake skins.
Do a good turn daily!
Don


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