# "Canadian Pickles"



## Can-Opener (May 11, 2013)

I had an awesome day today. I played in the shop non stop. Melted HDPE slabs and then I made slingshots out of them. Here is some triplets of my Turtle Bone in red and white. Could also be called where is Waldo? 
This frame is small but mighty. I have really grown to love the feel of it in my hands. I put no clips on this because I like the extra grip the band wraps give the frame.  I cut several cans in between melting, cutting and routing.
Then for comparison I would shoot my full size frame TTF  I like that also. Then back to this one OTT. Both styles are fun and equally accurate. I really enjoy that I can do both comfortably. 
Melting the HDPE is an addiction. It is really fun to see the patterns. The first melt is well controlled stripes. Then the waste from that is added too and melted again. That come out a little wilder. Then the waste from that is added to and the final melt is done. That one is still in the pan but it looks to hold some HDPE GOLD!!!!!  I am too tired and it is still too hot to remove from the mold so it will be a nice surprise in the morning. Only problem is I have to work tomorrow and it is going to be talking to me all day. 
I was thinking of my Canadian friends when I melted these colors together  Canada Day is July 1 

Happy slinging
Randy


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

Turned out Nice Randy !


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

Sweet! Like candy canes


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## parnell (May 20, 2012)

Very nice work! What are you using for your mold? It doesn't look like you are have any air bubbles.


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## PorkChopSling (Jan 17, 2013)

Sweet!


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## Imperial (Feb 9, 2011)

canadian pickles ? do they say "aye" after each shot ?


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## Arber (Mar 30, 2013)

Wow! They make me want to go to Canada.


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## GrayWolf (May 14, 2012)

Those are sweet looking!! To me, the wilder the swirls, the better it looks. The shape of the frames do look comfortable...great for an all day can killing spree.

Todd


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## S.S. sLinGeR (Oct 17, 2013)

Nice job Randy!


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## AnTrAxX (Jul 18, 2012)

Glad to hear you had a great day 

The Shooters do really look fantastic!

That is so cool, i bet with a Bandsaw and a Router they are relatively quick to make compared to your other projects, plus you can use what you cut off...no waste compared to an aluminium cutout.

Seems to be the perfect material to make tons of Slingshots


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## Pawpawsailor (Jun 8, 2012)

Looks like Christmas candy canes.


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## Devoman (Oct 15, 2010)

Nice job!


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## Pilgrim (May 3, 2014)

Awesome work!


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## Greavous (Sep 29, 2013)

Its like the damascus steel of plastics! One of these days im going to have to play with this.


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## Chepo69 (May 1, 2010)

Se ven preciosas esas pequeñas. Fantastic work Randy


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## monoaminooxidase (Jun 20, 2011)

Oooh, strawberry and cream? Those look delicious :drool:


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## carboncopy (Jan 14, 2014)

Wow!

Your HDPE slingshots have such a sweet pattern!

Superb work! :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:


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## mr. green (Nov 3, 2012)

Canadian Pickles, eh. They look delicious, Randy. I love my pickle bone. Thank you.


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Very sweet indeed!!! Happy Canada Day!

Cheers ..... Charles


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## Marnix (Mar 29, 2014)

Really nice!


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## flipgun (Nov 14, 2012)

Lookin' at those make me dizzy. :huh:

Can't beat it for style though!


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## CanH8r (Dec 3, 2013)

Really cool Randy!


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## Can-Opener (May 11, 2013)

parnell said:


> Very nice work! What are you using for your mold? It doesn't look like you are have any air bubbles.


I had a few air bubbles in the beginning but the last three pans have been very nice. 
I am using a Teflon coated brownie pan. It is aprox 8x8 it fits my toaster oven perfectly so i do not have to melt in the kitchen oven. I am melting at a higher temp than most 400 F this allow the material to become more fluid and the air bubbles rise to the top and pop. This creates some cool patterns. 
After the material is completely fluid and the air bubbles have all risen out. I take it out of the oven. I let it sit on a couple scrap boards so it is in the air and can cool top and bottom. In about 15 to 20 minutes it breaks away from the sides and starts to rise in the center. At that point I put an 8x8 3/4" plywood board on the top and one under the pan. Then I carefully clamp them down so the slab is even in thickness. If you squeeze it to tight it will pop on the edge and excess will ooze out. It is very HOT!!!!! and will burn you!!!!! Do not ask how I know this  Then it takes several hours to cool down.


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## parnell (May 20, 2012)

Thanks for the info. I have done 375, I will have to try 400. Also I will try the letting it cool for a bit before applying the boards.


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## Danny0663 (Mar 15, 2011)

Those are some top quality laminates Randy, looks like you've perfected the lamination process, no voids or imperfections.


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## Oldbattleaxe (Jun 5, 2014)

They remind me of bacon, and that's never a bad thing!


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## Teach (Jul 5, 2014)

These look awesome Randy. Being new to the forum I'm not familiar with the process once the block has cooled. You mentioned the process as melting, cutting and routing. Do you have a pattern that you trace out onto the block and cut it out on say a band saw and then round off with the router?

What about the finishing re sanding etc.? I think this material would lend it self well to being tickled with the flame of a torch to very briefly and lightly melt the surface to take out sanding scratches and leave a nice shiny surface once cooled again in seconds.


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## Jolli4688 (Aug 18, 2013)

seriously want some candy canes right now


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## Can-Opener (May 11, 2013)

teach said:


> These look awesome Randy. Being new to the forum I'm not familiar with the process once the block has cooled. You mentioned the process as melting, cutting and routing. Do you have a pattern that you trace out onto the block and cut it out on say a band saw and then round off with the router?
> 
> What about the finishing re sanding etc.? I think this material would lend it self well to being tickled with the flame of a torch to very briefly and lightly melt the surface to take out sanding scratches and leave a nice shiny surface once cooled again in seconds.


I have a 1/2" thick corian template that I stick on it with double face carpet tape. Then I cut close to the template with the band saw. Then I flush trim with a router. Then another cut with radius cutters form the edges. The beauty of the whole process is no sanding required.
If it is sanded it is difficult to make it look as clean as it dose off the router. No torch required a good heat gun will melt the surface. I should try a torch to see what it dose but I have not needed too so i do not really know.  thanks for the compliment! 

Regards Randy


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## Poiema (Jul 21, 2014)

I wonder what a *chocolate an vanilla swirl* HDPE would look like. 

Seriously tho, you should consider making more of those *red and white* striped ones. Great for Christmas, Canadian, and Valentine's Day*!*


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## Arnisador78 (Apr 10, 2013)

You should consider selling your boards you do amazing work


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## bigron (Nov 29, 2012)

those are simply beautiful nothing else to say except that you are a true artisan and magician when it comes to what you present out of your shop "amazing"that is all there is to say :headbang: :headbang: :headbang:


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## flipgun (Nov 14, 2012)

Arnisador78 said:


> You should consider selling your boards you do amazing work


+1


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## stinger (Jul 6, 2014)

I really like these. They really jump off the page! Well done.


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## LBH2 (Jul 20, 2013)

OH CANADA, EH!!! NICE SHOOTERS CO!!! LBH2


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

Seems I vet in one every time I drive up there... 

...gorgeous sling, though...


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## sharp eye (Jun 3, 2014)

Arnisador78 said:


> You should consider selling your boards you do amazing work


+3


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## tyrone8511 (May 2, 2014)

wow, wow, wow when you get 1 of those days you just got to grab it with both hands


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