not as productive, but a vision born

[Russianwolf]

I give you the "Dragon Slayer's Wand"

Irish Bog Oak and Dragon Skin (okay, Blue Dyed Python)

[Uncle Cracker]

Very nice piece, Mike... Mixed feelings, tho... As a penturner, I appreciate the inventiveness, but as the proud "parent" of a live python, I might've gone another way.

[bthere]

I love the dragon skin n that wand - it really stands out. I had to do a double take at first. In my initial glance at the picture the shadow looked like part of the wand and I was trying to figure how you would make it.

[Russianwolf]

Very nice piece, Mike... Mixed feelings, tho... As a penturner, I appreciate the inventiveness, but as the proud "parent" of a live python, I might've gone another way.

I think if I do another (quite likely) that I'll try to get Red Cobra to really set it off. How's that. Don't worry about me, I'd never intentionally harm a snake that posed no danger to me and mine. But you might want to think twice before inviting any of the Pen blank casters to you house.......

[Uncle Cracker]

But you might want to think twice before inviting any of the Pen blank casters to you house.......

Have already thought more than twice...

[dbhost]

Just out of stupid curiosity, how are those blanks made? I would assume the form is first turned, then the texture, then a clear coat of some sort of resin... How do you get that snake skin look?

[bigstick509]

[Uncle Cracker]

Just out of stupid curiosity, how are those blanks made? I would assume the form is first turned, then the texture, then a clear coat of some sort of resin... How do you get that snake skin look?

It begins with real snakeskin, prepped and sometimes (as here) dyed, wrapped around a tube form, and then with a clear acrylic cast around the whole thing. Then the whole assembly is turned down and polished.

[radhak]

It begins with real snakeskin, prepped and sometimes (as here) dyed, wrapped around a tube form, and then with a clear acrylic cast around the whole thing. Then the whole assembly is turned down and polished.

wait-a-sec - that there is real skin? Whoa! No wonder you don't want to show it to your 'offspring'!

Mike - nice turn. What's the size of it?

[crokett]

Mike,

That is awesome but I think a red, orange or yellow - a 'firey' color would really pop.

[jking]

Very nice. Excellent choice of materials, too. There's something about using the Irish Bog Oak with "dragon skin".

[RAFlorida]

Nice and unusual design.

Like the color too. Too bad I could've had you a rattlesnake skin last weekend, but he is history after hitting my left shoe; also 3 holes in him from my piston. (He was in the yard, bad place for him.)
Just off hand, from start to finish, how long does a pen take to do?

[dbhost]

Like the color too. Too bad I could've had you a rattlesnake skin last weekend, but he is history after hitting my left shoe; also 3 holes in him from my piston. (He was in the yard, bad place for him.)
Just off hand, from start to finish, how long does a pen take to do?

You threw a Piston at him? I guess use what you have with you huh?

[Russianwolf]

I don't make the cast skinz blanks myself as I don't have all the equipment yet. But with Glimmerzandmore's blanks which are already rounded and trimmed, a pen can be done in about half an hour. The wand took a bit longer as there was a bit of prep work in putting everything together.

I used a 5 inch piece of bog oak and turned a dowel that matched the ID of the tubes on the blanks (10mm cigar sized) leaving about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the blank full sized. Then I drill a matching hole in the end of another longer bog oak piece. Used GG to glue the blanks, a trim ring from a cigar pen, and the shaft onto the handle dowel. Let it all dry and the turned to shape leaving the tip and butt for last. The tip and but were shaped on a disc sanded and then buffed with EEE.

I agree that the Yellow and Red Cobra that I have would really pop. But I had already used the yellow on a pen and the Red is for a 7mm slim so I wasn't too sure about the strength of the dowel that small. I'll be ordering some more though as I was to do a limited number of these for the new Harry Potter Movie.

[radhak]

...
I'll be ordering some more though as I was to do a limited number of these for the new Harry Potter Movie.

Are you serious? You are a supplier to the movie?