Casting Seashell Pen Blanks - Dunkin Junk

This time, I cast seashells in Alumilite resin to make pen blanks with. Overall they were difficult to work with, but they turned out pretty awesome!
Check out the accompanying post on my website for a list of tools and supplies used for this project: nvwoodwerks.com...
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[@peterbrownwastaken]

Wow. That looked like a crazy fight. A beauty of pen though!

[@ZacHiggins]

Thanks man!! Yeah, not the easiest blanks ever. I was pretty surprised that they weren't more difficult to turn though. After cutting and drilling, I was ready for them to just explode the minute the chisel hit them!!

[@73cruiser]

Zac when you cast your blank how did you get the shells through the whole thing, when I tried mine they all sank to one side

[@jonahs92]

Is the video laggy for anyone else? I've checked, and it's not my internet, and it's not KZbin itself, so it must be your end.

[@TristanDare]

Yeah, the video quality isn't very good it looks like.

[@dawnmason9558]

Jonah Safern mine is ok.

[@stevejackson5062]

Not related to the seashell but it is a dunkin junk question. I told someone that I had done a coriander blank when I meant corian. Now I'm forced to cast some coriander but figure I should stabilize it first but I can't figure out any way, other than wrapping each coriander seed in alum foil, to bake it without it becoming a giant glob. And wrapping a couple hundred or so 5mm balls in foil sounds miserable. You have any ideas?

[@ZacHiggins]

Hey Steve, had to look up what coriander was LOL You could stabilize the seeds if you wanted to go that route. Just try to dry off the outsides as well as you can and don't wrap them in foil when you bake them. I use a screen to lay small things like that on in the oven, probably a good idea to put a drip pan or foil below to catch any drips. My other thought is to just cast the actual plant. Lots of people cast flowers and such, so it should be possible to do coriander too. One way to dry it out without pulling all the color from it is using silica gel. Check out this video by Oksana Bell, she does lots of plants and flowers and uses this method: kzbin.info/www/bejne/opbVnXypgpl6n5o I have to be honest, haven't tried it out myself but I am planning to try it out some day

[@acartledge88]

Man. The pen making community is cut throat. Everyone always copying others. Sad people can't come up with their own ideas.

[@topflight2358]

so when it comes to the vac pump, 1 stage, 2 stage, 5 CFM, 6 CFM ???? help

[@ZacHiggins]

The main thing you need to worry about is how deep a vacuum it will pull, all the other numbers don't really matter. Check out my video on choosing vacuum pumps: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iH_dlqWXm6mracU

[@spoplehughes]

perhaps using a tile cutting saw would be safer liquid cooled diamond blade would make short work of the shell but not sure about the resin also i have been known to put a blank in my lathe set to a medium/high speed ,and using my hand held cheap belt sander running the opposite direction to the lathe shape the entire blank with a rough belt and to some degree finer belts AND the bag on the sander collects most of the dust for me

[@ZacHiggins]

Great ideas! Someone sent me a video of trying a tile saw, it didn't look like it was too much better, but probably safer. Diamond saws might do the trick though, just don't have any to try that out. I like that belt sander idea, that would work pretty well I would think

[@robertevans6481]

Awesome...going to try and get back on twitch again this week. But these came out great. I agree the dust from these esp with the shells in them. The dust can cut up the inside of nose and throat. not to mention your lungs.glad to see you had a respirator on...as with most all turning. But esp these.

[@ZacHiggins]

Yay, I'm glad you'll be out for Dunkin' Junk! We will be turning Olympics themed blanks made with ribbons this week. Should be pretty fun I think. Yeah, definitely don't want to be breathing the dust from those shells, respirator is key!

[@jimmobley2895]

Does your SawStop cut your resin blanks in safety mode or do you bypass?

[@ZacHiggins]

Hey Jim, just saw your comment. I keep in in safety mode with Alumilite. You only need to bypass for conductive materials like metals or wet wood. I basically keep the Saw Stop in safety mode all the time. Anything that would require bypass mode gets cut on the bandsaw or the miter saw. I can just see myself putting it in bypass mode then forgetting to switch it back

[@tonyj2216]

Zac, you mentioned in videio that you turned up pressure to 80. Was the purpose of this to force any potential bubbles out?

[@willemkossen]

Could these blanks be cut with diamond cutting disks? The resulting pen is awesome! Nice project!!!

[@ZacHiggins]

Thanks Willem! I'm not sure, that's may work. I didn't have anything like that to try out, but I'd say it has to work better than carbide or HSS!

[@ngfd0035]

I was thinking the same... even try a wet tile saw help to keep the dust down. Nice work!

[@ZacHiggins]

Thanks Jason!

[@PB-ub4gz]

Tile Saw ????

[@timdaniel2434]

masonary bits and blades would do these with no problems

[@ZacHiggins]

Yeah, that might help out a bit.

[@JerryPaulTreeCreations]

That turned out great! Awesome video. I've watched your wood stabilising videos and I'm wondering if the cactus juice could be used to stabilise the shells like you do with wood? The shells would be pretty porous, and I think it may help keep them from being so brittle. Just curious. I also think casting them in tubes would help a lot too. Thanks for sharing this. Cheers!

[@ZacHiggins]

Thanks Jerry! I don't think stabilizing would help any. The problem wasn't that they were brittle, they are just really hard and abrasive. Adding Cactus Juice wouldn't make them any softer or less abrasive.

[@oldmanwoodcraft]

It is a crazy idea ,but it looks amazing . spoke to my friend he owns a granite company and he said that a diamond blade will do the trick .(it will fit the table saw) .

[@ZacHiggins]

It was a tough one to turn, but I'm definitely happy with the results. I wonder how well the diamond blade would cut the Alumilite though since it's softer. It's a conundrum LOL

[@Hotamma]

Would it have been easier to turn if you didn’t add so many shells?

[@cwhussey5432]

Zac, Thanks I have a bunch of abalone shells laying around and was think about doing this... Definitely rethinking it now... Hassle vs Reward...

[@ZacHiggins]

Well, it was a bit of work, but the pens were pretty darn cool! I'd say it's worth doing once :-)

[@blackemmons]

Lookin'' good Zac. Is that a Wall Street II(or similar) pen kit? JimE

[@ZacHiggins]

Thanks Jim!! Yeah I think it's a Sierra technically. Think I got it at Exotic Blanks

[@timbroderickjr]

Nice job! I saw your arbor press behind the parallel clamp you pressed with...don't like it for assembly? I love mine. In any case, the pens looked great!

[@ZacHiggins]

Thanks Tim! I don't have soft jaws for the arbor press yet, it's one of those things that I just never have time to set up. I think it would probably work better than the clamp, but I just never take time to set it up

[@donnabyers]

What do you use for the head stock center on your pens?

[@ZacHiggins]

Hey Donna, I use a carbide tipped "dead center" on the headstock side. I get them on Amazon for pretty cheap and last forever: amzn.to/2i2eahA That can only be used with "Turning Between Center" (TBC) bushings though. The TBC bushings have a 60 degree chamfer that fits perfectly into the live and dead center cones. Much more accurate way to turn pens because the mandrels generally don't run true. Even with brand new shafts on the mandrels, they typically wobble a bit. You can find TBC bushings at Classic Nib online, or from Brian Nikitas on Facebook. Brian also makes adapter bushings that fit into the standard bushings and allow you to turn them between centers. Those adapters are awesome, save you from having to replace all your bushings with TBC style ones

[@censusgary]

Seashells are essentially rocks- they’re made of calcium carbonate, the same thing as limestone and marble. So I suspect that cutting them with an abrasive disk, the kind used to cut stone, would work better than using woodworking tools on them. Limestone is a lot softer than carbide turning tools, of course. There, your main risk is of the shells breaking. They are much more brittle than (most) wood or resin. You’ll want to remove material in very, very thin shavings. Or, as you ended up doing, grind the blank down with abrasives.

[@ZacHiggins]

Actually, the main issue was cutting on the saw and drilling, the carbide tools did pretty well. Still, not a bad idea to shape it with sandpaper, you're almost guaranteed to get through it with no issues that way

[@billsbasementworkshop1902]

Hi, I use my lathe and a jacobs chuck. this seems to be the most accurate way. the bench drill is ok for drilling holes in wood or metal which you are going to put screws through, but the quill seeems to wonder a little and can be as much as 3mm out if drilling 50mm. Nice pen though. Thanks for sharing it. Reagards, Bill.

[@ZacHiggins]

Hey Bill, a good drill press is more than accurate enough for pen blanks. The problem in this case is the drill bit itself. Standard HSS bits just can't cut that shell material, so the bit wanders. I'm pretty sure you'd have the same problems drilling on a lathe unfortunately. Those shells are just plain tough!!

[@chootrain57]

did one with abalone chips, and clear Alumilite and painted the tube silver. You are right it is a pain. I figured it is calcium, like deer antlers, boy was I wrong. pen came out awesome (my wife claimed it). Very nice job though on the pens Zac, colors are very cool, keep up the great work

[@ZacHiggins]

Thanks Lionel! Yeah, these were some tough blanks to work with, but I surprisingly managed to make it through without any major problems. I really figured they would blow up at some point LOL So I was very pleased with the result!!

[@carr869]

I like the idea of the sea shell look. Maybe I'll check Micheal's and see if they have little plastic shells. Thank you for the video. As always I enjoy watching your work. Tom

[@ZacHiggins]

Thanks Tom! Yeah it is definitely a neat design, murder on tool edges though. Plastic shells might be a good way to go if you can find some. Definitely worth trying out

[@telstraoranamall7680]

Try using a diamond wheel

[@TheSafecrkr1]

Two questions Zac. Where do you get the pen parts and what are they called ? You mentioned that your saw blade got dull, did the carbide tools get dull also ? You might try masonry blade in your table ssw.

[@ZacHiggins]

I think the pen kits are Sierras that I picked up at Exotic Blanks. Yeah, the carbide tools dulled quick too, even chipped one corner on one of the cutters. Someone sent me a video using a tile saw, and it really wasn't much better. These things are just devils I think!

[@TheSafecrkr1]

+Zac Higgins Being a Safecracker by trade, maybe my carbide drills might work.

[@ZacHiggins]

They'd definitely do better than the HSS bits I used, they walked all over the place! Took about 15 minutes to drill each sierra blank

[@witchybetch5352]

Just maybe a cool idea maybe try and dunk some cool yarn? I don't do any of this stuff but love watching it and i crochet things while i watch hours of it and the thought of you possibly using yarn seemed cool. You do beautiful work. Its so cool thanks for sharing!

[@ZacHiggins]

It's a fabulous idea! It's actually on the submission list but hasn't been voted in yet. I need to get some better yarn though, I just had some grey and white pieces that aren't very exciting so I'm not surprised it didn't make it yet. I'm keeping my eyes out for something cool though, once I have something interesting to use I'm sure it will get voted in :-)

[@vidalruiz1655]

Nice looking pen. I always use carbide tipped saw blades which are much harder will go through almost everything without getting dull (I've even ran through the occasional nail in reclaimed lumber without damaging the blade) and like you said feed it slow. Instead of the sand paper I use a metal file whenever I'm shaping hard material like rock inlays, it helps the piece not to get too hot and it is easy enough to work

[@ZacHiggins]

Great idea with the metal file, I hadn't thought of that. Have to give it a shot next time

[@aferetis2379]

I think I would try turning it with a medium coarse file, medium speed. This tuned out awesome anyway!

[@ZacHiggins]

Thanks! Actually, the carbide tools did better than I expected during turning, but a file would definitely lower the chance of any chipouts. Drilling and cutting on the table saw and bandsaw was a nightmare though. Once the blade touched the shells, it was dull

[@sjscreations2608]

So Professor did you fill the shell holes or indented areas with C.A or resin at the end? Cheers, SeN. p.S looks fabulous

[@ZacHiggins]

Thanks Sean! You know, I can't remember if either of them required any filling. if there were any voids I probably did, but I actually don't think I needed to on these two

[@stevenpope940]

tile saw blades and tile bits, diamond tipped blades and drill bits specifically for porcelain and ceramic tile.

[@ZacHiggins]

A friend tried cutting one with a tile saw, it didn't go too well. It's just tough cutting through two totally different materials. Not sure if anything will handle both materials well

[@dogwoodtales]

Wow, I just got back from a trip to Florida where I collected a bunch of shells that I thought about doing something like this - what timing! Actually, what I was thinking of doing is epoxying the shells directly to a brass insert with colored epoxy, but unless I make the epoxy an ebony the brass color of the insert would probably still show somewhat. Another thought I have it to epoxy them to a dowel and then casting that in some colored epoxy, then drill out the dowel. My thought is to try to show the face of the shell as much as possible and, hopefully, show off the grain pattern on the shell as well. What you have is a much more random pattern - still very kewl though! I've also used an angle grinder on the lathe before for various things (with good dc behind the lathe to catch the throw-off). I bet that would work well at shaping this project.

[@ZacHiggins]

That's awesome! Great ideas too. The dowel might be a little tricky, but brilliant! Can't wait to see what you come up with :-)

[@dogwoodtales]

+Zac Higgins no pressure right?

[@ZacHiggins]

Yes I used a pressure pot ;) LOL Just kidding! No pressure, just have go fun with it :-)

[@dawnmason9558]

I love these but maybe do some fish in the pale blue see through resin like an aquarium..

[@ZacHiggins]

That's a great idea!! I'll have to give that a shot one of these days

[@billyanderson1456]

hi great viedo, what drive center do you use on the lathe for turning between centers ?

[@ZacHiggins]

Thanks Billy! I use a dead center. You can get them at most of the pen turning supply stores, I got one that has a carbide tip on it from Amazon though, I've been pretty happy with it so far. Here's a link to the one I have: amzn.to/2aYjVPC

[@mikewetzel3737]

Love the finished product,looks great .

[@ZacHiggins]

Thanks Mike =D

[@IBDaddyO]

I hate turning them. I only cast them on request.

[@ZacHiggins]

LOL me too!! Tough as nails. Frankly I don't even like casting them because I know whoever's going to have to turn them is not going to have a good time!

[@georgemccombs5070]

Very well done, you have give me plenty of ideas to work with

[@ZacHiggins]

Awesome!! Can't wait to see what you come up with :-)

[@KagedCreations08XX]

These look great. The seas shells paid off

[@ZacHiggins]

Thanks!! I was sweating there for a while, I really expected them to just blow up when I started turning them LOL The turning wasn't all that bad really

[@RealRuler2112]

Live long and prosper.

[@ZacHiggins]

Heck yeah!! Love that shirt :-)

[@TiffieBJDCrafts]

Beautiful!

[@ZacHiggins]

Thanks Tiffie!

[@dawnmason9558]

Gorgeous

[@roboguy2519]

Where did you get that square stock holding clamp?

[@ZacHiggins]

Hey Vince, I'm not 100% sure which one you're talking about. Was it the vise I used during drilling or the red clamp I used to assemble the pen? The pen drilling vise I got at one of the pen turning supply websites (not sure which one), and the red clamp is a Jet parallel clamp. Let me know if it was something else and maybe when it shows up in the video

[@roboguy2519]

Zac Higgins Hi Zac I'm sorry I didn't make it very clear. But it's the clamp you used during drilling.

[@ZacHiggins]

No problem Vince. I kind of thought that was what you meant, just wanted to make sure. Yeah, they are called pen drilling vises. You can get them from most of the pen turning supply stores. I actually got a new on that I like a little more from Turner's Warehouse. It's a little sturdier, made in the U.S.A. too. Here's a link to that one: www.turnerswarehouse.com/products/pen-blank-vise

[@ZacHiggins]

No problem Vince. I kind of thought that was what you meant, just wanted to make sure. Yeah, they are called pen drilling vises. You can get them from most of the pen turning supply stores. I actually got a new on that I like a little more from Turner's Warehouse. It's a little sturdier, made in the U.S.A. too. Here's a link to that one: www.turnerswarehouse.com/products/pen-blank-vise

[@roboguy2519]

Zac Higgins that's awesome! Zac thank you for the info. And thanks for your great videos.

[@jimmycote808]

Hi Zac, just use diamond blade on table saw for cutting seashells.

[@ZacHiggins]

Yeah, I'm thinking that would work a lot better than a standard blade. I'll have to pick one up sometime and give it a whirl