Description
Finally, a reliable source of aluminum honeycomb for resin casting! Honeycomb adds a whole new dimension to your turning blanks, and it's fun to get creative with for pen making, knife making, or any other resin project. Aluminum honeycomb is an awesome material to embed in resin for pen blanks, knife scales or any other project you can imagine. Two size to choose from:
- 7/8" thickness with 1/4" cells
- 2" thickness with 1/4" cells
- Each sheet is 5" x 8" and prices are per 5"x8" sheet
- Also available are Variety Packs with two 7/8" thick 5"x8" sheets and one 2" thick 5" x 8" thick sheet (SAVE 15% by ordering the Variety Pack)
After testing numerous brands of aluminum honeycomb, one brand came out on top in terms of bonding with resin.
Note: Although this is the best product I've found, the bond between aluminum honeycomb and resin is not ideal and could delaminate depending on conditions and factors during casting and while turning/processing. My testing showed minimal chipout overall using specific resins and turned by numerous different people with different pen turning skill levels, but all the blanks used during the testing period were made by me using my processes and resin products.
This material is brand new, not leftovers or scrap. To ensure the product quality remains consistent, I buy full sheets brand new directly from the manufacturer.
Caution must be taken while turning blanks with this material embedded in it. The bond between the resin and honeycomb is fragile and can delaminate if overheated or stressed. For best results soak the material in acetone for 10-15 minutes and dry fully prior to casting to help remove any oils or other surface contaminants that may weaken the bond between the resin and honeycomb. To provide additional adhesion after casting and during turning, douse blanks with super thin CA glue to strengthen any weak spots. It is also recommended to douse the inside of the blank with super thin CA glue after drilling holes for pen tubes to provide additional strength to any weak joints, and you can also apply CA glue to the blank while turning.
For help on how to prepare and examples of casting aluminum honeycomb, check out the playlist I have set up on my YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoeB-EPC_91sczwdW20oDvQUCFAYmgCdc