Troy Tools Custom Brush Handles
- Thread starter TroyTools
- Start date
Huge amount of gold foil flake shoved into a mold of clear resin.
QC fail as that amount of gold foil flake introduced too many air bubbles that wasn't overcome by the pressure pot.
Its a NFS as a QC failure because the surface is pock marked with air bubble cavities, but pretty to look at.
Stopped trying hard on the shape when I realised it was a bust.
Glad I did the experiment, but not likely to repeat, at least not without vacuum chamber treatment before the pressure pot.
Lessons to be learned daily!
QC fail as that amount of gold foil flake introduced too many air bubbles that wasn't overcome by the pressure pot.
Its a NFS as a QC failure because the surface is pock marked with air bubble cavities, but pretty to look at.
Stopped trying hard on the shape when I realised it was a bust.
Glad I did the experiment, but not likely to repeat, at least not without vacuum chamber treatment before the pressure pot.
Lessons to be learned daily!
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2019
- Location
- Darwin
Nice, has a shiny cork look to it
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2019
- Location
- Darwin
I was thinking something a bit more exotic like Champagne CelebrationGold cork?
Hold my beer!
but "Hold my Beer" could be the Aussie slang version 
Gargravarr
Our resident snake charmer
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2020
- Location
- lutruwita
Umm, right, this from the man who came up with "Chasin' the BBS" to the tune of "Waltzing Matilda".I was thinking something a bit more exotic like Champagne Celebration
(You're never going to live that one down )
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2019
- Location
- Darwin
This one is so pretty I think SWMBO might even buy it and allow me to display in her perfume cabinetHuge amount of gold foil flake shoved into a mold of clear resin.
QC fail as that amount of gold foil flake introduced too many air bubbles that wasn't overcome by the pressure pot.
Its a NFS as a QC failure because the surface is pock marked with air bubble cavities, but pretty to look at.
Stopped trying hard on the shape when I realised it was a bust.
Glad I did the experiment, but not likely to repeat, at least not without vacuum chamber treatment before the pressure pot.
Lessons to be learned daily!
![]](https://i.imgur.com/xNScpwY.gif[IMG/])
Gargravarr
Our resident snake charmer
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2020
- Location
- lutruwita
I sometimes wonder about this - a SWMBO could just as easily be a HWMBO, and I don't recall anyone here ever mentioning such an orientation. After all, inclusivity is supposed to be the thing, is it not?
I only bring this up because I lived for a couple of decades in a street in Perth where 50% of the other residents were gay, and I struggle with an assumption that P&C members have none amongst their number.
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2016
- Location
- The "Wet Lord of Voodoo" Boogie Man
Huge amount of gold foil flake shoved into a mold of clear resin.
QC fail as that amount of gold foil flake introduced too many air bubbles that wasn't overcome by the pressure pot.
Its a NFS as a QC failure because the surface is pock marked with air bubble cavities, but pretty to look at.
Stopped trying hard on the shape when I realised it was a bust.
Glad I did the experiment, but not likely to repeat, at least not without vacuum chamber treatment before the pressure pot.
Lessons to be learned daily!
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My latest work of art is this Buffalo horn/resin hybrid shaving brush. A huge amount of planning and preparation work went into this piece to achieve this stunningly beautiful result. The outside of the horn is on the inside of the handle and is coated with Red/Gold/Violet chameleon pigment. The inside of the horn faces the outside of the handle and is coated with ghost chameleon pigment in Purple/Grey/Green before the whole thing was submersed in clear resin. Turned and polished on the lathe, and topped off with a 28mm 2 band finest badger bulb knot.
Both these brushes came from this one horn. Too bad it's not solid right through. Who knows what could be made with it then.
Two big handles for two big 28mm knots.
"Go big or go home" they say.
Both these brushes came from this one horn. Too bad it's not solid right through. Who knows what could be made with it then.
Two big handles for two big 28mm knots.
"Go big or go home" they say.
Razor Burn
President of the TF Custom Brushes Fan Club
Grand Society
Da Menth Heads
2019 Charity Auction Winner
2020 Charity Auction Winner
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2017
- Location
- Canberra
Keep up the awesome work @TroyTools as these look amazing!My latest work of art is this Buffalo horn/resin hybrid shaving brush. A huge amount of planning and preparation work went into this piece to achieve this stunningly beautiful result. The outside of the horn is on the inside of the handle and is coated with Red/Gold/Violet chameleon pigment. The inside of the horn faces the outside of the handle and is coated with ghost chameleon pigment in Purple/Grey/Green before the whole thing was submersed in clear resin. Turned and polished on the lathe, and topped off with a 28mm 2 band finest badger bulb knot.
Both these brushes came from this one horn. Too bad it's not solid right through. Who knows what could be made with it then.
Two big handles for two big 28mm knots.
"Go big or go home" they say.
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2019
- Location
- Chalong, Thailand
My latest work of art is this Buffalo horn/resin hybrid shaving brush. A huge amount of planning and preparation work went into this piece to achieve this stunningly beautiful result. The outside of the horn is on the inside of the handle and is coated with Red/Gold/Violet chameleon pigment. The inside of the horn faces the outside of the handle and is coated with ghost chameleon pigment in Purple/Grey/Green before the whole thing was submersed in clear resin. Turned and polished on the lathe, and topped off with a 28mm 2 band finest badger bulb knot.
Both these brushes came from this one horn. Too bad it's not solid right through. Who knows what could be made with it then.
Two big handles for two big 28mm knots.
"Go big or go home" they say.
I was going to ask you previously whether the buffalo horn can be stabilised,? I guess the above results more than answer that question for me.
Excellent results, especially the chamelion pigmentation
.Only part stabilised really, the external surface of the horn as you can see in the cross section of the horn at the orange pigment join has texture that runs a few mm deep into the horn. This is where air and moisture can hide and then spoil the casting when the clear resin is curing at really high tempreature. Any moisture will steam off into the clear resin and spoil it. I "treated" the surface with several coats of UV resin in the vacuum chamber with a UV torch shining in on the resin to try and seal this area before flooding with the clear resin in the mold. The rest of the horn is super dense and didn't need any stabilising, but the exterior horn surface (which is now inside the handle) is all weathered and beaten from a hard life in the sun and the wild, so better to treat it before discovering you should have after you didn't, wasting a good blank in the process).I was going to ask you previously whether the buffalo horn can be stabilised,? I guess the above results more than answer that question for me.
Excellent results, especially the chamelion pigmentation
The results are pretty clear.
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2016
- Location
- The "Wet Lord of Voodoo" Boogie Man
Your starting to amaze me @TroyTools
Gargravarr
Our resident snake charmer
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2020
- Location
- lutruwita
Wow, well done. Art and science in tandem, just for a little shaving brush. I'm impressed.Only part stabilised really, the external surface of the horn as you can see in the cross section of the horn at the orange pigment join has texture that runs a few mm deep into the horn. This is where air and moisture can hide and then spoil the casting when the clear resin is curing at really high tempreature. Any moisture will steam off into the clear resin and spoil it. I "treated" the surface with several coats of UV resin in the vacuum chamber with a UV torch shining in on the resin to try and seal this area before flooding with the clear resin in the mold. The rest of the horn is super dense and didn't need any stabilising, but the exterior horn surface (which is now inside the handle) is all weathered and beaten from a hard life in the sun and the wild, so better to treat it before discovering you should have after you didn't, wasting a good blank in the process).
The results are pretty clear.
@TroyTools that's beautiful 
alfredus
Auctioneer-in-Chief + organises many group buys
Staff member
Site Moderator
State Convenor - SA
Grand Society
Group Buy Caporegime
Charity Auction Team
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2014
- Location
- Adelaide
Spectacular work @TroyTools
Meanwhile, while I wait for medallions for the handles to be delivered, knocked up a full chameleon handle, drilled ready for a medallion, when they arrive.
Approached this one differently than the others. Before carving into shape, this blank was hollowed out with a big drill and backfilled with black resin so there would be a dark base for the chameleon pigment to really pop against. Takes a while waiting for resin to cure twice over, but this thing really pops out in the sun! No transparent washed out orange look about this one now. Drilled to suit a 24mm knot. Had to keep it slim for the 2 resin layers around the knot socket.
Approached this one differently than the others. Before carving into shape, this blank was hollowed out with a big drill and backfilled with black resin so there would be a dark base for the chameleon pigment to really pop against. Takes a while waiting for resin to cure twice over, but this thing really pops out in the sun! No transparent washed out orange look about this one now. Drilled to suit a 24mm knot. Had to keep it slim for the 2 resin layers around the knot socket.
