Saturday, February 23, 2019

The Dip

Many moons ago, I ordered some Liquid Diamonds casting resin because a fellow pen turner was hawking it online and I'd toyed with the idea for a long time. I did some casting in the past with colored resin, but wanted to try making clear pen blanks with printed images inside.

No brainer, right? I mean, heck, Grandma wants a pen with the grand kids trapped inside. Sadie wants a pen with her scumbag husband on it to sign her divorce papers, right? I could make that!

Then the liquid diamonds sat on a table in the corner for several months. What can I say? I put the "pro" in procrastination. What made me bust it out and try it now? Maybe I was bored. Maybe I thought I'd better use it up before it goes bad. Maybe I saw my competition make really cool blanks and that smoldering seed of envy buried deep within flared up with an agonizing goading daring me to try my hand. That was very specific, but who knows?

And since everyone raved about how easy Liquid Diamonds was to use, I went with memory and intuition to make a set of blanks. I mean, who needs to read instructions, right? Am I right?



No. Air bubbles. Lots of them. Apparently I'm not right. Hmm. Where were those instructions?


The second attempt was better. I didn't say it was much better. And it certainly wasn't usable. A third attempt burned down, fell over and then fell into the swamp. But the fourth one? The fourth one stayed up. And that's what you're going to get, Lad. The finest castle in these isles.


Stop that. Stop it. You're not going into a song while I'm here.

Sorry. Sometimes the Python references come unbidden and one must yield.

As I was saying, the fourth attempt actually produced some usable pen blanks.





I think I've got it now. The secret involves a heating pad, the clothes dryer and a third object for which I'm sworn to secrecy. So, now you can get that great vacation picture immortalized in a useful, handcrafted writing instrument. Want someone to think of you every time they write? Get your grinning mug cast in acrylic. Don't send unsolicited pictures of genitalia to your crush. Show her you've got class. Have that picture made into a pen and give her that!