This Pen Studio original was inspired by a request for a seashore theme pen. After hunting high and low I came across a selection of very tiny whole and partial shells that would be appropriate for casting. (See close-up) I started by painting a brass tube to emulate the transition from deep water to sandy beach. A mix of three colored sands was glued to the “shallow end” of the painted tube. Tiny shells were individually glued around the tube and allowed to dry for 24 hours.
The acrylic mix consisted of clear, a Caribbean blue and white to represent the foamy retreat of waves. I used a different method for this pour. I wanted to achieve a very transparent acrylic with a thread of blue and white in the “shallow” end over the sand and shells, transitioning to a more opaque Caribbean blue for the “deeper” water. This meant pouring into an empty preheated silicone mold and using a toothpick to draw threads of color to the shallow end and then carefully lowering the sand and shell encrusted tube into the mix.
The mold was placed under 40 psi of pressure to prevent air bubble from forming while the resin hardened. The blank was allowed to cure over night. The cured blank was shaped with a carbide blade by slicing thin ribbons from the spinning blank on a lathe. The acrylic was turned down to size and wet sanded through 9-steps to 12,000 grit. Renaissance wax was applied and then the barrels were further polished with White Diamond compound on a Jeweler’s buffing wheel.
This unique barrel was mounted on a chrome click ballpoint. This pen uses Parker ballpoint or gel refills.