# Kali cane: toward a manly cane pen ...



## Kaspar (Apr 6, 2010)

Guess this is the right place to put this.  Things seem to be going well, so I'll start showing a little of what I've been doing lately.  This is one of Toni's kaleidoscope canes.  (She's rather good, isn't she?)   







I've come to a stop for now.   Below are a few pics showing a bit of how I got to this point.  Pretty basic really.  This is the top barrel of a Statesman (BTi).  It's not down to size yet.  

There's a lot I will do better on the lower barrel and even more the next pen like this one I do.  A good start though.

Tiling the cane

Completed sheet

On the lathe 

I did a little test to see how thin CA would affect it.  Looks like a CA finish will work just fine when the time comes.


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## glycerine (Apr 6, 2010)

That's neat... but you should make a kaleidoscope kit from the kaleidoscope cane!!


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## Kaspar (Apr 6, 2010)

But then, how would I write with it?  Didn't think of that, did ja?


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## glycerine (Apr 6, 2010)

Kaspar said:


> But then, how would I write with it? Didn't think of that, did ja?


 
:biggrin:


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## Kaspar (Apr 6, 2010)

No beautiful woman has ever come up to me and asked to borrow my kaleidoscope.  








(Actually, no beautiful woman has ever come up me, period, so that's not quite the slam dunk, _quod erat demonstrandum_ I thought it was ...  )


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## CaptG (Apr 6, 2010)

Very nice Eric,  A thin ca finish has been working well for me.


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## Russianwolf (Apr 6, 2010)

no offense to the others that have been using Toni's canes, but I like this much better than the girlie pens they've been making.


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## cnirenberg (Apr 6, 2010)

Kaspar said:


> No beautiful woman has ever come up to me and asked to borrow my kaleidoscope.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Me either...keep on turning.  I can't wait to see the finished product.


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## workinforwood (Apr 6, 2010)

That's super awesome Kaspar!


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## Jim15 (Apr 6, 2010)

That's going to make an awesome pen.


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## Kaspar (Apr 6, 2010)

CaptG said:


> Very nice Eric,  A thin ca finish has been working well for me.



I've got it down to size now.  I sanded with MM and just finished hitting it with Novus 3.  It's got a pretty good shine line already.  I'm wondering if I really need to mess with the CA.  I will though.  

I was off at first with the joining of the pattern at the back, but now that I'm down into the stock, close to final diameter, it has cleaned up nicely.  I - almost- couldn't spot it.   Almost.  

The pattern is showing a little more too.  The CA ought to make it even better.  I'm seeing a few hairline cracks now that I'm close to the tube.  I won't turn it down any further and it definitely needs the CA to bind it all up.  

I think it's ready to finish, but I've got places to be just now.  More later.


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## Mark (Apr 6, 2010)

I'm psyched. That looks really cool. Hurry back... :biggrin::biggrin:


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## bitshird (Apr 6, 2010)

Please stop showing these PC works, be honest and kind, I have enough vices and habits my wife and Doctor wish I would give up. If you guy and Ladies don't stop tempting me with these wonderful works I'm going to have to form a Penturners Anonymous Group. I used to consume illegal substances that were easier to resist than some of this stuff, there isn't any 12 step programs for this so hqave a heart,,

Really the pieces I've been seeing are making a believer out of me, some of these are just CRAZY Beautiful.


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## Toni (Apr 6, 2010)

Ken I fear its to late for you as well...just give in to the dark side..... I will hold your hand promise...hehehehehehe


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## bitshird (Apr 6, 2010)

Toni your canes are beautiful, I can't wait to give my wife her pen.


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## Toni (Apr 6, 2010)

one foot closer to opening the door.  I will have you hook, line and sinker once it arrives!!!!


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## dow (Apr 6, 2010)

Now, that's going to be one fine looking pen once it's done.  And here I was thinking that all you could do with that stuff was flowers and butterflies.


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## Glass Scratcher (Apr 6, 2010)

Darth Toni Strikes Again!

But seriously, it's a beautiful pen.

How durable is the PC?  I do a test toss of my PR(S41) casts every few patches, and may chip a corner, but no breakers.  Another caster I know using another/different resin tried it with theirs and they got broken shards.  So I just am curious, about heaven forbid, a dropped PC pen...


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## skiprat (Apr 6, 2010)

Wow, you have got to admit that Toni's PC stuff has been like a breath of fresh air around here!! 
This one is just too wild!! I love it. I'd be amazed if the join on the back looks as good.  I hope so!!:biggrin:


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## Kaspar (Apr 6, 2010)

Glass Scratcher said:


> How durable is the PC?  I do a test toss of my PR(S41) casts every few patches, and may chip a corner, but no breakers ...  So I just am curious, about heaven forbid, a dropped PC pen...



It's hard to describe the texture of this stuff once it's cured.  Kind of like hard gritty rubber.  If you don't work it up correctly, it could crumble on you.  It turned easily on the lathe.  

I was worried that it might not adhere to the tube sufficiently to take turning and sanding.  I was worried about nothing there.  

I can't imagine it breaking, because it is a medium hard plastic and bounces back from a ding no problem.   Very forgiving, not brittle at all. 



skiprat said:


> ... This one is just too wild!! I love it. I'd  be amazed if the join on the back looks as good.  I hope  so!!:biggrin:



It's not as perfect as I was hoping, but it's not a disaster either.  In this case, the material selected the pen kit.  I was originally going to put this on one of Gary Pye's Super Sedonas, but the cane "tiles" were too big.  I discovered the upper barrel of a Statesman was perfect.  Now I'll have to use a base layer of clay to bring the lower barrel close to the diameter of the upper, put the tile sheet on and leave it fat.  I'll bevel the end to the kit part, but this will be one very big pen. 

Mainly, it's to show what the possibilities are with a kaleidoscope cane.  A big pen is a good idea in this case.


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## BRobbins629 (Apr 6, 2010)

Looks like eye cane-dy to me.  Sweet,


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## cozee (Apr 6, 2010)

I haven't tried any cane but now am planning to after seeing this design so I have a question. If this is pliable, how do you cut it without disfiguring the cane itself?


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## Kaspar (Apr 6, 2010)

Very slowly and carefully.  With a very sharp, clay cutting type blade  ($4 at Hobby Lobby.)  You can cool the cane in the fridge or even the freezer to make it a little more rigid.  You will still have some deformation.  You can work it back into shape once you've cut the tile loose. 

You will notice that the cane itself is not perfectly symmetrical.  This pen will not be a perfect trellis of patterns.  More like quilt.  

(In no way is the above comment meant to detract from Toni's amazing skill or the incredible level of detail and gradient shading she put into this cane.  It is simply a limitation of the material.  As I hope to show, you can work a kaleidoscope cane into a fine, unique -and not girlie   :tongue:-  piece of work.)


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## Rfturner (Apr 7, 2010)

very nice blank, at this rate the IAP may have to change its name to Darth toni's PC Pens, all kidding aside toni does great work and is very helpful. It is nice to see something other than floral PC on a pen this one definiately leans more towards a masculine pen


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## cozee (Apr 9, 2010)

Kaspar said:


> Very slowly and carefully. With a very sharp, clay cutting type blade ($4 at Hobby Lobby.) You can cool the cane in the fridge or even the freezer to make it a little more rigid. You will still have some deformation. You can work it back into shape once you've cut the tile loose.
> 
> You will notice that the cane itself is not perfectly symmetrical. This pen will not be a perfect trellis of patterns. More like quilt.
> 
> (In no way is the above comment meant to detract from Toni's amazing skill or the incredible level of detail and gradient shading she put into this cane. It is simply a limitation of the material. As I hope to show, you can work a kaleidoscope cane into a fine, unique -and not girlie :tongue:- piece of work.)


 
Thanks!! Once the MPG is over I will order myself some cane and give it a try. I don't see them as girlie or manly, just another medium to use to create a pen. I've liked all the pens I've seen, flowers and all.


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## johncrane (Apr 10, 2010)

Very nice Cozee!! cant wait to see the finished pen.


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## Parson (Apr 10, 2010)

I just bought some canes of leaves to try on a pen blank. I might just start tonight since the wife is busy with the girls and I'm not invited... seems fitting because most of the PC work is done by the ladies


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## Toni (Apr 10, 2010)

> I just bought some canes of leaves to try on a pen blank. I might just start tonight since the wife is busy with the girls and I'm not invited... seems fitting because most of the PC work is done by the ladies


 
Actually all the men on here are the ones who are making them, the wives are just taking them!!


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## workinforwood (Apr 13, 2010)

I have a theory.  I was thinking about this as I was driving this morning.  I don't think it's necessary for the pen to be as thick as the cap.  All you need to know is the circumference of pen and the cross length of your squares.  In simple math, lets say the gent cap is 1.5 inches in circumference.  Your going to place 2 squares point to point like diamonds on the pen.  The distance from each corner would have to be .75 inches, therefore two squares corner to corner is your 1.5 inches and you achieve a perfect match all the way around the pen.  That's the concept, obvious enough.  Now the actual square, I do not know the size, but lets say your cane has a diagonal measurement of .6 inches.  You need it to be .75 inches.  Pressing on the end of the cane, as if you were to put it in a vise lengthwise should theoretically make the cane shorter but fatter.  It will take a little work, but you should be able to beef that cane up until it reaches the .75 inches you want.  The opposite theory works for the pen section.  The pen might be 1" around meaning you need the canes .5 on the diagonal and so you should be able to stretch the cane until it reaches that point.  It will not be as easy to fatten or stretch a square cane as it is a round cane, but I can't see why it wouldn't be possible.  I know with a round cane, you can simply place something like a cutting board over it and roll it evenly out and it will stretch to a smaller diameter.  You just have to work slowly and carefully to adjust it's size and the image should remain the same, just smaller or bigger.  Something to think about.


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## Toni (Apr 13, 2010)

Jeff you are correct with the math involved in working out the size of the cane for the tubes, thats why I hardly do them.


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