Another master craftsman....congratulations...what a contrast of colors. The Banksia pod you have taken and the results are over whelming....Thank you so much...
Enjoyed watching this. I have bags of Banksia pods in the shed, and have made some pens and other small items using exactly this process with great success.
Thanks for the kind words. I had no clue when I started what the results would be but as my boss is fond of saying "even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every now and then."
that was the most interesting type of wood I've ever seen. my question is how could I purchase the pin before it was up in the piece of wood meaning and the after the ink pen I would love to have a pin like that.
just found your channel thanks for your work, I was thinking that a small stainless steel spatula or small artist's pallet knife to press the epoxy into the blank might render better results,. so thank you for giving me some new turning ideas
Ripper job mate. I have a Banksia tree next door that I will visit to get a few "subjects" to try your method. Cheers, Dave, Beachmere Brisbane Australia
you prolly dont give a shit but does anybody know of a method to log back into an instagram account? I was dumb forgot the account password. I would love any assistance you can offer me.
@Aaron Zayden thanks so much for your reply. I found the site on google and im in the hacking process now. Seems to take a while so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
This is great... I live in Australia and just went out today and bought a nice big pod for $7 which is great... I might try thinning the coloured epoxy down a tad and use a syringe to inject it in and let it sit over nite... Well done and great job...
I think it would probably look better with a brassy looking almost metalic color for the epoxy maybe get some metal shavings and mix it with a glue instead? or would the lathe not allow that? plus it would dull the tools super fast
gasman5555 I think that could work out nicely, use some very fine glitter than u can get from a hobby store should do the trick. I have some in the shop, and will give it a try. Thanks for watching and the idea.
Thank you for the kind words. I had to breathe a lot of sawdust before the lights came on and it started to come together. Be safe and have a great day.
+Aaron DC mediA Thank you very much for the nice feedback and for watching. I had never done that process before and was happy with the way everything ended.
That's a great idea an fantastic piece of work. Iv got some pods that have been sitting round and can't afford the Alumilite set up either, I know what I'm going to be doing for a while now. Great thanks
The cavities where full of seed you cut when cutting the pod into slices. Banksia's are easily propagated from seed. A common way to release seed is to place the 'cone' in an oven at 120°140° C for about an hour. The follicles then open and the seeds can be removed with tweezers. Two black winged seeds are usually found in each follicle, together with a structure called a separator. Insects sometimes lay their eggs in the flower buds and the larvae may eat the seed as it develops. A small hole in the woody fruit is usually a sign that this has happened and that the seed will not germinate. Seeds should be sown in a very freely draining seed-raising mix which should not be allowed to dry out. As Banksia seedlings are prone to fungal attack, it is better to sterilise the seed-raising mix before planting. If this is not practical, very clean ingredients should be used. Seedlings should be transplanted into small pots as soon as the first true leaves appear. A potting mix made from equal parts of river sand, loam and leaf mould (or peat moss) is generally suitable. Now you have seed to plant but be warned it will in 20 years be a very large tree. Thank you for saying Banksia properly, great video. Heather Sydney Australia.
I love how the pen came out. And, seriously, you're the first person I ever saw who mixed the epoxy in a tape and not in a cup or something. 😂 And as already said: a vakuum chamber or something works great. maybe you will make a form. So you can put your wood and resin in? :)
+Alyathaean The tape is cheap and easy for mixing the 5 minute epoxy and easy to clean up. When I am mixing casting resin I use cups to get exact measurements. Trying to save my allowance for a pressure chamber, would make my life a bit easier. thanks for watching.
What I found when filling holes from the top is that air can get trapped in the hole because the epoxy or polyester resin is too thick to allow the air to escape the cavity. I went to the drug store and bought an irrigation syringe and filled it with the resin. Then push it to the bottom of the cavity and as you fill from the bottom the air will be naturally displaced.
if you try this again my thoughts are if you mix the epoxy in a cup then get a syringe and the needle put it in that and inject it in so it go's down and might give less chance of air holes
+DJDISCOWAFFLE I do not think the banksia or epoxy was really any different than most other blanks, wood, acrylic, etc. The banksia does tend to throw a lot of debris from inside the pods, but just wear eye protection and dust protection and everything should be fine.
You can use a vacuum degaser to remove air from the inside of the blank. Sound expensive I know but SV Seeker uses a pressure cooker and a small vacuum pump. Not cheep but not very expensive.
I Turn Two Good luck on getting an allowance increase. Not sure that my Mrs. would;0) Threaten her pressure cooker if she doesn't, on second thought...........
+karin justine Wow, I had to google "Fibonachi", way over my head. Here in Emerald City we have to import our Banksia Pods and most everything else. Thanks for the interesting ideas and for watching. Chuck
Very interesting and the results were stunning! I am fascinated with wood turning, though I have never tried it. What is 'CA'? And what was that last step you did with applying drops of something then spraying, and repeating it 3 times? How do you know what a pen size is, outside and hollow inside? Is there a way to measure this and set a lathe automatically to that? Also, what would be an approximate cost for a bandsaw and lathe like you have? What wonderful tools they are !!
+Lass-in Angeles Thanks for watching. CA stands for cyanoacrylate, which basically is super glue. The last step was applying a few drops of the CA while the lathe was turning to get an even finish. The spray was an activator which speeds the drying process of the CA. Most pens use a 7mm mandrell to secure the pen for turning and the center hole varies based on the pen model, specific bushings are used for the various models. RJBWood Turner has some excellent videos on pen turning. Try this link for some great information: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HZShe5ntDJY.html
Try using a filler that they use for granite. It's a buttery consistency so when you spread it , it stays were it is. I,ve used this method lots of times and it saves putting tape on. From Roger Brown in England..
+roger brown Thanks for the great tip. I used some of the concrete/granite epoxy in the fall to repair some concrete and decking. If I need to do any finish work this spring I will make sure I save enough to try a few projects. Thanks for watching, have fun and be safe.
Great idea using a banksia pod for a pen blank! I would never have thought it could be done, now you've given me another idea as I really like your results. By the way, what brand of pen mechanism did you use? I've been thinking about trying a similar pen but have never seen one turned like yours. Thanks for sharing and safe turning to you always!
Kenn Harris Kenn, I used a PSI Polaris for this pen. I wanted a pen that only required a single tube. The gold looks good with the banksia, but I would just rate this kit a 3 out of 5 stars
Can you please let me know more specific on the ink/ dye you picked up at Staples? The dyes in woodworking are $20 +/-. I've tried other things to color epoxy, unfortunately each time it effects the balance of 2 part epoxy set up and does not harden properly. Thank you for sharing your experience and for your reply.
I use west system epoxy...it works great with amendments.. its not full of filler like hobby store 5 minute stuff is in order to achieve its 1 to 1 ratio
I think you should have done a vacuum infusion where all the air gaps would have been sucked out. It also would have turned your blank into a solid pore-less piece where fibers would not fray.
Im really wanting to make a wooden fisher space pen bullet. im 15 and just starting does anyone have any suggestions for a kit or a certain type of wood. No need to worry about tools my shop teacher has alot
Kenn, I used a PSI Polaris for this pen. I wanted a pen that only required a single tube. The gold looks good with the banksia, but I would just rate this kit a 3 out of 5 stars.
Curious why you rated the pen kit only a 3 out of 5 stars... Since I'm new at single tube pens, it makes me wonder if there is something I should be looking for... Have you turned other single tube pens and if so, would you advise a different and better pen kit? Again, THANKS for the video and your comments!
Kenn Harris There are lots of nice single tube kits available. I guess my rating is more a personal preference on the style. Try going through the PSI catalog, they have a fairly large selection. The nice thing about a single tube for the banksia is you don't have to match the halves.
+sinephase Since I used a 5 minute epoxy, I thought it would have set before the vacuum pump would be able to get all of the air out. Also, I don't know if I am right or not, but I think a pressure chamber would do a better job of forcing resin or epoxy into all of the recesses than a vacuum chamber. A lot of folks on RU-vid seem to have good luck with them. I am trying to talk Mrs. T into raising my allowance so I can get one. Thanks for watching, stay safe and have fun.
Dear dyed... is there any possibility that i could learn pen making from you... its most beautiful and fascinating thing to learn... pls Im dr raza..from Pakistan.. i hv done my PH.d in literature..
Ok no worries, I have completed it and it is a lovely pen and the worst pen kit I have ever used so a video may still be helpful to others. Thank you very much for your video and time
i am trying to identify where you encountered your problems, can you email me a picture of your pet to iturntwo@outlook.com it might help me get a better understanding.
+Travis Rake get it locally at the woodcraft store. you can get it online from their website for about $8 try this link: www.woodcraft.com/product/839150/stick-fast-aerosol-activator-75oz.aspx
john whitlock Unfortunately I do not have any polaris kits left. If you can describe your difficulties I can try to walk you through a solution. thanks
The twist mechanism sits in the bush with no resistance to hold it there and I think this could fall out its that slack, when the end cap is pushed on to the twist mechanism it's about 3mm proud of the Brass Bush so possibly two problems. Looking forward to your reply
+Luo Xiankang I made this pen from a banksia pod which is from Australia. I filled the crevices with a two part clear epoxy, bought at most home good and hardware stores. The red dye is basically stamp pad ink purchased in an office supply store. Hope this helps and good luck. Thanks for watching.
Nice Job. It looks great. Those pods are HARD eh? I often heat my epoxy to get it to flow for things like this. You will need a slower set epoxy just to be sure it flows before it sets up. I would try to Heat the pod with a heat gun, and then apply the epoxy, it will liquefy and flow really nice.
Nothing wrong with babbling at all. Small-talk is great and shows you as being personable and warm. Ignore people like Bob who have nothing constructive to give. Most of all, thanks for showing me something useful I can do with the Banksia tree in my front yard - apart from as a great form of entertainment when the pods get caught in the mower and fly three houses down the road.
