# blank question / idea



## user3977 (Mar 19, 2015)

wondering about blank making. does anyone take the shavings and mix them up in a blank? i have some purple heart and oak shavings that i thought might be an interesting combo but not sure how it would hold up. I have never made a blank before but after reading through all the posts here i wonder how it would come out.


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## jttheclockman (Mar 19, 2015)

user3977 said:


> wondering about blank making. does anyone take the shavings and mix them up in a blank? i have some purple heart and oak shavings that i thought might be an interesting combo but not sure how it would hold up. I have never made a blank before but after reading through all the posts here i wonder how it would come out.




Yes it has been done with woods, acrylics, metals and any combinations. Also anything you can think of to make a pen out of it would be a good idea. Just give them a try and post the results. Some cast in resins and some just build up on a tube with CA glue and then finish with more layers of CA.


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## Abby (Mar 19, 2015)

There is hardly no limit on what you can cast in a blank. You just let your imagination flow and see what happens. I have cast shavings, mixed shavings, herbs and plant life. Sometimes it doesn't work but you only know if you try it. Trust your imagination.


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## its_virgil (Mar 19, 2015)

My thoughts are don't waste your time with wood shavings. I've done that and wasted my time. Try other things. Or, give the wood shavings a try. You may have better results than I or you may like the results better than I.
Do a good turn daily!
Don



user3977 said:


> wondering about blank making. does anyone take the shavings and mix them up in a blank? i have some purple heart and oak shavings that i thought might be an interesting combo but not sure how it would hold up. I have never made a blank before but after reading through all the posts here i wonder how it would come out.


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## user3977 (Mar 20, 2015)

what happened that you felt you wasted your time? i like the idea of the CA build up. might try that with some epoxy as the first layer on the tube and then build up from there. I have started my first segment and will post that over in the right thread. this is a crazy addiction lol.


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## Edgar (Mar 20, 2015)

Here's a link to a video by Curtis Seebeck (Mesquiteman) where he casts a blank made from wood shavings then turns it & assembles a pen. I think it turns out pretty nice.

TurnTex Woodworks - TurnTex Woodworks Penturning Resources

It's the 4th video in the list. The entire video is very informative, but this particular demo starts about the 6:30 mark if you don't want to watch the whole thing.


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## Kenny Durrant (Mar 20, 2015)

I see you are attending the next North Texas Chapter Meeting. In one of the past meetings Tom Barron cast a couple of blanks with Alumilite and one of them he picked up a hand full of saw dust/ chips off the floor to use in a cast. I don't know how it turned out but if the person that received it reads this maybe they will bring the pen to the meeting in a week from tomorrow. Sorry I had to reply to put in a plug for the meeting.


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## jttheclockman (Mar 20, 2015)

http://www.penturners.org/forum/search.php?searchid=8272967&pp=25

There are a few done by Les in there called re-engineered lumber


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