# Sweet Gum Balls Anyone?



## renowb (Oct 10, 2011)

Here is a Phoenix pen made with a cast of sweet gum balls and a mixture of blue resin. I was surprised when I started turning it as it was almost, I say almost, as hard as truestone when I got into the core. But, it came out fairly well I think. Thanks for looking and any comments welcome.


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## OKLAHOMAN (Oct 10, 2011)

Sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!Pun intended!


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## seamus7227 (Oct 10, 2011)

very SWEET indeed!


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## Fred (Oct 11, 2011)

Very nice use of things that usually get burned by the millions down here where I live.


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## BigShed (Oct 11, 2011)

I had a sweet gum (liquidambar) in my front garden of my previous house, and hated those spiky balls. Lost count of the number of times I almost broke my neck over them.

It is good to see you have made such imaginative use of those pesky balls.

Great job and great looking pen.:good:


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## Drstrangefart (Oct 11, 2011)

That just looks killer. And finally the right blank for that kit. The phoenix always looks kinda awkward imo, but that blank brought it all together.


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## rizaydog (Oct 11, 2011)

Awesome pen.  That is very nice work.  Great job.


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## neubee (Oct 11, 2011)

That is a great combination of materials; it really looks nice!


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## navycop (Oct 11, 2011)

+1 on sweet. It always amazes me that you guys can look at something and say "I wonder if I can make a pen out of that?" And then there it is..


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## ToddMR (Oct 11, 2011)

That looks really cool.  Good job!


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## jbswearingen (Oct 11, 2011)

It's like a mini-cholla.


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## Finatic (Oct 11, 2011)

*+++++ Awesome!!*


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## renowb (Oct 11, 2011)

Thanks for the comments. I actually don't have the tree in my yard. I actually "would not" have that tree in my yard. I went walking and on the sidewalk down the street was a bunch of these things, so I picked up a few. They hurt like H*&LL in that state.


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## edicehouse (Oct 11, 2011)

For it to be a real gum-ball, you need to leave that laying on the floor and step on it barefoot. . .


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## Turned Around (Oct 11, 2011)

i like it. good color choice for the resin.


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## SCR0LL3R (Oct 11, 2011)

Finatic said:


> *+++++ Awesome!!*




Absolutely!


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## bitshird (Oct 11, 2011)

Nice Pen, first I've noticed that component set, but your casting looks beautiful, and does go well with that pen.


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## renowb (Oct 11, 2011)

Thanks! I got the Phoenix kit from Woodturningz.



bitshird said:


> Nice Pen, first I've noticed that component set, but your casting looks beautiful, and does go well with that pen.


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## animefan (Oct 11, 2011)

Nice looking pen.


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## leslie hines (Oct 11, 2011)

Great use of the gum balls really like the pen


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## navycop (Oct 11, 2011)

One question: Did you cut them in half first or cast them whole?


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## Brooks803 (Oct 11, 2011)

Looks great Bill! I've got a tub of those things just begging for a resin bath. Just can't decide on how I want to do them.


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## grz5 (Oct 11, 2011)

Any chance of you throwing up a tutorial on how you made the blanks?  Would love to know so I can try to make my own.


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## renowb (Oct 11, 2011)

Basically, real simple. I used a resin mold MC-4. Woodnwhimsies has them. This will hold 4 of the balls, tightly fitting. Some will stick out of the top, but I just kind of mashed them down. Then I mixed the resin and blue coloring, poured into the mold and let sit on my "running" drill press, since I don't have any chamber or vacuum, pressure chamber. With this, I get 2 blanks for a Phoenix or Sierras. After cured, I just cut it in 2 pieces, lengthwise. Drilled the hole and wallah! Turned that buggar down.
It took a lot of gap filling with CA and some of the turned blue material filled in nicely.


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## renowb (Oct 11, 2011)

I cast them whole. I just made a mini procedure.





navycop said:


> One question: Did you cut them in half first or cast them whole?


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## Trillium (Oct 11, 2011)

Inspired use of gum balls..I too have tromped on them by the thousands...not any more! Thanks for sharing!


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## Justturnin (Oct 11, 2011)

Freakin' AWESOME.  I have collected a lot of those and have them in my shop drying.  Once I get my pressure chamber set up they will be one of my first casts of this sourt.


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## johnm (Oct 11, 2011)

Those are totally great blanks!


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## navycop (Oct 11, 2011)

renowb said:


> I cast them whole. I just made a mini procedure.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Thank you.


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## greg544 (Oct 20, 2011)

Nice job Bill.

You are going to have to let me come over so I can learn how to do that!  I only have 2 zillion sweet gum balls in my yard.


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## Dai Sensei (Oct 20, 2011)

What a fantastic result 

Dam it, now I have another thing to try casting :biggrin:


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## renowb (Oct 20, 2011)

Greg, come by any time. Bring some sweet gum balls!:biggrin:



greg544 said:


> Nice job Bill.
> 
> You are going to have to let me come over so I can learn how to do that! I only have 2 zillion sweet gum balls in my yard.


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## Trillium (Oct 21, 2011)

Dude, a seriously stunning use of those pesky seed pods that feel so rotten on bare feet! I need 42 of them for my block mold..I got seven already! Thanks for sharing such a cool idea!


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