Craft Stick Pen Blanks - DIY SpectraPly & Frog Blank Alternative

SpectraPly and Frog Blanks are cool. But they can be spendy if you want to use them frequently, and they may not have quite the color combination you want. Well, I decided to do something about that, and found a way to make my own. It's pretty simple, using just some jumbo craft sticks, water-based dye, and time.
You don't have to use these for pens, either. Feel free to use them for any crafts with the kiddos, or just color them and leave them lying around. Whatever you choose. If you aren't going to be turning them, you can save time and just wipe the dye onto the craft sticks, as you don't need it to soak into the wood as much.
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Stuff I used (affiliate links):
Craft Sticks: amzn.to/2JnRdFp
Folk Art Ultra Dye: amzn.to/2JlsMZb
Titebond III Wood Glue: amzn.to/2ykoajJ
Slimline Pen Kit: amzn.to/3avNoK3
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Carbide Turning Tools: amzn.to/33VphSt
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EEE Ultra Shine: amzn.to/2Rb5FF5
Spring Clamps: amzn.to/2vYBjhr
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[@peterbrownwastaken]

That was cool! Thanks for sharing!

[@BearMaked]

Thanks Peter!

[@PerrynBecky]

They look like they're made of Christmas candy. Really nice.

[@paintilludrop]

Interesting..new to pen turning..free classes at my library..so cool

[@BuildDadBuild]

Very cool. I remember you talking about this at WBC. Awesome to see the actual final product! Cheers!

[@BearMaked]

Thanks, Nick!

[@EthanCarterDesigns]

Haha cooking show magic! Such a great idea and so many custom opportunities!

[@BearMaked]

Thanks Ethan! And I'm having a hard time making the blanks now because there are so many color combo choices 😅

[@justinlortie9068]

i dont know if you are still using this method of if it has been suggested to you but have you thought of using a vacuum chamber to help soak up the dye quicker? food for thought.

[@safe1968man]

WOW that was very cool.

[@Unionboggle]

very cool. I've tried that just soaking in the dye...which worked as well as you described. This is good stuff!

[@BearMaked]

Glad to hear it worked for you!

[@BruceAUlrich]

Cool to be able to just make your own colors!

[@BearMaked]

For sure, Bruce! Though now it may be too many options for me 😬

[@msclwilker]

that's awesome! thanks for testing this out! Headed to amazon now to grab supplies!

[@BearMaked]

I look forward to seeing what you create 😁👍🏼

[@nancyirvin1036]

Still waiting to hear about seam rippers. I like them with a ripper on one end and a stiletto on the other. Loving these craft stick color combos I would probably need 3.

[@BearMaked]

I know! I promise I didn't forget about them! My past month and a half or so have been pretty crazy. I'll shoot you a message in the next few days 🙂

[@swcreations4u83]

Awesome video my friend!!! The final results are amazing!!! I will definitely give this a try, soon!! 👍🏻👊🏻

[@BearMaked]

Awesome! I look forward to seeing what you do with it!

[@kenw4257]

Great video. I learned a trick the other day, on a different channel, when gluing up and parts want to move around but a little pinch of salt and it will grip and stop movement. A Craftman’s Legacy: The Wood Worker. Very neat video series.

[@BearMaked]

Glad to hear you're going to give it a shot! I've used quite a few of these now, really love the look.

[@BradsWorkbench]

Been waiting for this one. Pretty cool man. U think rit would work? I believe its water based

[@BearMaked]

I'd say it probably would. I think there are a lot of variables to this, so whatever you use will take some experimenting.

[@alexandermichels5234]

That is cool making your own colors. I just got some off amazon but they are not dyed all the way through and just standard rainbow. Would like some black and white so will have to look into it. I did a few pens and they still were nice. I actually glued the sticks in random directions. If you want to do a wider one, try alternating directions between layers. You won't end up with just vertical lines, but will be more structural and still will look cool. I have examples of both if not clear.

[@BearMaked]

I have considered that! But just haven't taken the time to do it yet. I'm a fan of cool projects, though, so if you have pics of what you made I'd happily take a look!

[@nurseanita1770]

What about finials? What a great way to add some color to Christmas ornaments or do just red and green.

[@alexandermichels5234]

@@BearMaked Here is an imgur gallery. imgur.com/gallery/NlXz350 Not the best pictures as my camera is not the greatest. I have an example of the start of one blank and quick example of one I had actually turned and the resulting pen.

[@lisamackarous5239]

Hi there,your forkart ultra dye seems to be discuntinued what other brand of dye can I use ? Thank you

[@MakerCuisine]

Cool video man, so many colors! Wonder if you could glue a bunch together and make a bowl or something bigger with them

[@BearMaked]

I've thought about that. Would have to use epoxy for it, I think. Or glue it up differently altogether... 🤔

[@MakerCuisine]

@@BearMaked yeah maybe a criss crossing pattern to make it a solid build, I think you could do it with glue but epoxy would give you a much more solid blank

[@BearMaked]

I'll probably play with a few ideas when I have more sticks colored. I've got a bunch more soaking now, so hopefully soon-ish.

[@Knittenware]

Would placing the popsicle sticks in a pressure pot for a few hours shorten the time required to infuse the dye into the sticks? I think it would and possibly deepen the color penetration, especially if the dye is used undiluted. I don't have a pressure pot (yet!), but there a lot of videos on KZbin showing how a pressure pot causes air pockets in pen blanks to disappear and helps to infuse the resin into any wood that is included in the pen blank. Making pen blanks out of popsicle sticks is a great idea to come up with unique color schemes!

[@BearMaked]

I don't know about a pressure pot. But I just got a vacuum chamber, and will probably try it out with that, eventually, as that should do exactly as you say and draw the dye into the popsicle stick. Looking forward to trying it out!

[@Knittenware]

Well, a pressure pot and a vacuum chamber act in opposite ways, of course. One squeezes the air down to almost nothing, the other removes the air from the chamber. It would be interesting to test out each one and see which gets the dye into the wood more effectively.

[@johnreilly4577]

@@BearMaked Your video is very good. Have you tried with the vacuum chamber yet? I think it will speed the colouring process.

[@BearMaked]

Not yet, been too busy with other projects. It's still on my to-do list, though!

[@DJVoyagerXue]

Very cool idea, thank you for sharing, I bet you could do an amazing pen using multiple layers of veneer. New sub earned ;)

[@BillDeMarr]

how about making a clamping jig so that there is even pressure on the whole blank

[@deanc6539]

Might be finicky to glue up, but alternating craft sticks and resin could create some interesting effects.

[@BearMaked]

I've wanted to use these in a larger project, I just haven't had the time to figure out how. Using resin would definitely help.

[@deanc6539]

@@BearMaked I was just thinking about pen blanks, but Woby Design uses broken skateboards with a similar look and on much larger projects. If you haven't checked out his channel, it'd be worth a look.

[@beelerhorkman4152]

Do you think Denatured Alcohol would work better? Maybe for less drying time and to prevent the sticks from warping and cupping?

[@BearMaked]

Didn't even consider that. I have no idea, might be worth a try!

[@tomspallone1868]

Hey, what’s the difference between water based dye and water based stain?

[@BearMaked]

I can't remember exactly, but it has to do with how they penetrate into the wood fibers vs. just sitting on the surface of the wood.

[@Comfortlab252]

how much time the stick being in the water? thanks for the video

[@BearMaked]

It depends how the amount of dye that you use. But for what I did, I left them in there e about 2 weeks.

[@Comfortlab252]

@@BearMaked ok thanks

[@newmanew]

Your stain link for Amazon is outdated and out of stock. Powdered solvent wood dye would be a better choice (available on Amazon). For achieving 100% color penetration for extended staining periods, an alcohol-based dye would be the better choice that water-based. Deeper penetration: Alcohol-based dyes generally penetrate deeper into the wood fibers than water-based dyes, allowing for more complete saturation of color, especially in porous woods like birch and basswood. Faster drying: Alcohol evaporates quicker than water, leading to faster drying times. This is beneficial for preventing the veneers from warping or becoming overly saturated, which can weaken their structure. Non-grain-raising: Alcohol-based dyes are less likely to raise the wood grain compared to water-based dyes. This minimizes the need for additional sanding after dyeing, which can be especially important when working with thin veneers. Reduced blotching: Birch, in particular, is prone to blotching when stained with water-based products. Alcohol-based dyes tend to produce more even color absorption, reducing the risk of blotching.