Alternative Tortoise shell blank

[Slipnslider]

Evening everyone,

I am interested in using some of the alternative tortoise shell blanks to make myself a nise fountain pen.

The material looks to me to be quite translucent what would be the best colours to reverse paint ?

Any body got some pics of what they have turned with this material.

All help much appreciated

Pete

 

[wm460]

They most defiantly need to be painted, I found out the hard way. I haven't had another go yet but was thinking either black or white.
I will be interested in what other people say.

 

[GSteer]

Good question. I picked up a couple of these blanks, saw exactly how translucent they were and then wrote off using them with a kit, planning to use them on a kitless in the future. Would be interesting to see a kit made up with one, as however I looked at it, it looks like you'd see drilling marks or the tube.

 

[Winemaker]

I would go for white

 

[wm460]

If I remember l will take a photo of the blanks. I have tried a bit of engraving on them.

Sent from my D6683 using Tapatalk

 

[Woody]

I turned this for my wedding ring 14 years ago it is very translucent and yes the tubes will most definitely need painting a light colour will lighten the finished produce and show the colours off more and a dark paint obviously will darken it so it wont look as colorful so it depends really what you want the finished product to look like either way it will look good

 

[Penpal]

I like the dark.

Peter.

 

[wm460]

In the second photo is the back of the tortoise shell uncovered so the light can show through?
Looks like amber.

 

[Woody]

In the second photo is the back of the tortoise shell uncovered so the light can show through?
Looks like amber.

Yes Mark I done it just so it could be seen just how translucent it is

 

[Penpal]

Difficult medium.

Peter.