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6K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  Timbo 
#1 ·
Urchin Shell Ornaments

I found figuring out how to make these ornaments quite a fun challenge.

(I already posted this video in my projects, but apparently that does not get it onto the LumberJocks Video Page)

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/57125#comment-1116565

 
#6 ·
Very well done video. Great info about shopping around for the shells. Plexiglas and acetone was a new idea for a finish for me. How do you apply it? How much plexiglass to how much acetone?
Great drawings too- how did you do that? I am a draftsman and enjoy using pencils, but this computer graphis has interested me since I failed at leaning AutoCad back in the late 80s.
Your sliding mortise solution is nothing less than genius- I'm gonna have to make you my next buddy. I can learn a lot from you. The mortises don't have to be in a dowel. It would be easier for me to make a hole in a square section length of wood and then trim it to an octagon. Drilling into the end of a dowels would not be my cup of tea.
Drilling the hole for the eye hook before turning the top. I never would have thought of that. Super.
This was very much appreciated, Brian. you done good. Donna
 
#7 ·
Thanks everyone!

Sanity: Yes, Cindy Drozda's work is indeed fantastic. In fact I have a have some completed lidded boxes that I have yet to post, some with finials for which I took my cue from looking at Cindy's work.

Donna: I like the octagon idea. It may add to the idea of being able to repair an ornament if the shell breaks. After cutting the mortise in half, perhaps it would be easier to soften the CA glue with some acetone and remove the old mortise. A hexagon would be easier to grip the old mortise (perhaps even with a wrench) and remove.

I applied the plexiglass much the same way that turner's apply CA glue finish, by wetting a cloth and touching it to the pen while it spins at a fairly slow speeds. I found applying it well to be a difficult task, which is partly why I do not use it any more.

The correct plexiglass to acetone mix is somewhat of a guessing game. For the solution I used on the shells, I filled a 1 pint mason jar about 1/4 full of broken plexiglass and filled with acetone. After about two days, the plexiglass will be dissolved and the solution will have a constancy similar to a light oil. I poured about 1/4 of that solution into a new 1 pint mason jar and filled the rest with acetone for a thin solution. My goal was to have enough plexiglass to harden, but not so thick that I got a film build.

I used Google Sketchup for the pictures. In this video I used only still pictures exported from Sketchup and used a fade transition, but in other videos, I have also exported whole animations as movies, and re-editied it with the other video clips. Best part: Sketchup is free.
 
#8 ·
Thanks for the careful explanations, Brian. I know that Sketchup must not be too difficult, but my computer skills are limited at best. I like my pencils and erasers. I have used some Ubuntu for coloring a drawing I did for a logo. It works a champ- much better at getting even color coverage. I edit my videos and burn copies of them, but this graphics stuff just doesn't work for me. I'm glad you do it so well- looks fantastic.
 
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