Chicken Feather Sierra

[Shane Whitlock]

I have been experimenting with casting my own blanks. This is my 2nd attempt at casting feathers. The first attempt was peacock herl, didn't turn out very well :( but I am real happy with the way the Grizzly Hackle turned out. :D I didn't count but there's about 30 feathers tied to a painted tube using my fly tying gear.

The picture really doesn't do it justice, it looks so much better holding it in your hands rolling it around.

http://www.shanewhitlock.com/gallery/d/1574-1/IMG_0437.jpg

Thanks for looking...

Comments/Critiques always welcome,
Shane Whitlock

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Shane.............I"m speechless! Stunning and what a fantastically unique idea! Absolutely stunning! Well done Sir!

[Curt Fuller]

I'm certainly not an expert on cast pens but I know that's the first time I've seen that anywhere. That is absolutely beautiful! That's a very cool idea. Thanks for posting.

[Sean Troy]

BEAUTIFUL !!! You are for sure on to something.

[Mike A. Smith]

WOW! My jaw just hit the floor.

[John Terefenko]

Shane

Very nice indeed. You selected a nice kit to go with it also. A few questions if you don't mind. You say you tied the feathers to the pen. What actually holds the blank to the tube?? Is it the tieng and I think this would not be enough or does some resin get to the tube to help secure it.?? Hope you understand what I am getting at.

[Jonathon Spafford]

THat is awesome... I've seen some very unique casting ideas and this is one of the best! Great work!!

What kind of resin do you use? I have been wanting to try this for a long time?

[Jon Lanier]

That is just amazing. Great job! Keep it up, I"m looking forward to more interesting 'Castings'.:)

[Patrick Taylor]

Shane that's great! What a neat idea. Every time I think you've got it nailed you take it to the next level.

Wonderful concept, great execution, and beautiful result. Way to go. :)

[Shane Whitlock]

Thanks for the comments everyone .. I appreciate them :D

Jonathon I used clear casting resin that I bought at Michael's Crafts store.

John ya put the blank in a mold and pour the resin over it. It completely soaks through the feathers and bonds strongly to the brass tube.
This is what the peacock looked like after removing it from the mold. This one was cast the same way.
http://www.shanewhitlock.com/gallery/d/1546-1/IMG_0421.jpg

What the peacock looked like before going into the mold. The hackle was done the same way only it wasn't spiraled around the tube, just tied off on the ends.
http://www.shanewhitlock.com/gallery/d/1538-1/IMG_0413.jpg

Thanks again for the comments.

Happy Turning,
Shane Whitlock

[John Terefenko]

Shane

Thanks and now for another question, The vibrating table you have shown, is that home made or is that available??? Also is it necessary to vibrate the mold to get the air bubbles out??? Is it just necesary on something cast such as feathers that has alot of air pockets??? Thanks in advance.

[Shane Whitlock]

...The vibrating table you have shown, is that home made or is that available??? Also is it necessary to vibrate the mold to get the air bubbles out??? Is it just necessary on something cast such as feathers that has alot of air pockets??? Thanks in advance.

John, yes I made the table last weekend. Is it necessary? No, a lot of ppl successfully cast without it, but I think it helps eliminate the bubbles and also helps the resin work its way into the material.

I have the steps I went through to cast the blank on my website Here (http://www.shanewhitlock.com/gallery/v/wood/pens/casting/)
and how I made the vib table Here (http://www.shanewhitlock.com/gallery/v/wood/pens/casting/vib_table/)

Hopefully I wont get in trouble for posting a link to my website.

Good luck,
Shane Whitlock

[Grant Wilkinson]

Shane

The chicken feather pen is outstanding. I'm not so sure about the peacock blank. I guess that I was expecting more blues and greens.

thanks much for the tutorial on casting. I've tried a few now, and not had a keeper yet. I'm going to build some of your steps into the process.

Grant

[Jim Shaver, Oakville Ont]

:cool: Beautiful pen Shane, but does it taste like chicken??

[Pete Jordan]

I've never seen chicken look so good!

[Keith Burns]

Shane, I gotta tell ya, that is STUNNING !!!!!!

[Patrick Taylor]

Hopefully I wont get in trouble for posting a link to my website.

Not unless you start selling the tables! ;) :cool:

[Steve Schlumpf]

Beautiful work Shane! Great concept - amazing design! Looking forward to seeing what you are going to come up with next!

[Jim Becker]

Awesome! What an incredible idea. Some of you folks really are coming up with some absolutely outstanding ideas for creating unique pen blanks...kudos to you all and keep 'em coming!

(I gotta send this picture to Professor Dr. SWMBO...we're "bird people" and she'll get a kick out of this!)

[Steve Trauthwein]

Beautiful pen Shane! You beat me to it, I have been trying to figure out how to incorporate my tons of fly tying material into pen making. You have some great ideas that I am going to run with.

Thanks for the tutorial and for sharing your method with the grizzly feathers. I was thinking it would be great to tie up some 20's or 22's and imbed them in a casting.

Regards, Steve

[Barry Elder]

I knew there was a reason I kept all that fly-tying material! Shane, that is just incredibly unique!

[Jim King]

If I knew how to turn a pen these guys would be in hiding.

[Bill Wyko]

Thats awsome. Very unique. I'm really going to have to try pens one of these times.

[Tom Sherman]

Awsome pen Shane, very unique

[Patrick Taylor]

Thats awsome. Very unique. I'm really going to have to try pens one of these times.

Oh man, it's a whole new vortex! :)