Casting & stabilizing

Stabilizing vs. casting – what’s the difference?

If you’ve been curious about making your own pen blanks, you’ve probably heard the terms stabilizing and casting. They’re not the same thing - but both will let you make fabulous blanks right in your own workshop!

Stabilizing uses a vacuum chamber and vacuum pump to pull the air out of soft or punky woods. Resin (like Cactus Juice) is drawn deep into the wood, leaving you with a strong, workable blank. It’s especially handy for spalted woods that are too soft to turn otherwise. Add a little dye to your resin, and you can create blanks in some truly stunning colours.

Casting is all about pouring your own blanks from resin. Using a pressure pot and an air compressor, you push air in to make sure your resin cures smoothly and without bubbles. Casting is where you can get creative – clear blanks, glitter swirls, mica powders, or even hybrid blanks combining resin with pieces of wood.