Making a fan

[Mato Winyan]

I have some before and after photos of a fan the powwowbum helped save.

[Mato Winyan]

After

[Blackbear]

Yeah that was what I was going to ask next..how many POUNDS did it feel it weighed after 2 minutes of dancing LOL!! Don't even bother with that clay anymore... I know what you are talking about and it's futile... the self drying stuff is not strong enough and will chip and flake on you. HOWEVER... Some of those self drying compounds such as the stuff crayola makes for sculpture... it's a plasticine compound not earthen clay...might and I say that iffy like...MIGHT work. I am making a mini flat fan for a doll and I used sculpy clay (polymer clay like fimo) around two tooth pics... I set the fan feathers in (a pigeon tail fan...would'nt have tried it with anything reallly nice in case it didnt work) and slow cooked it in the oven for 15 minutes or somethign like that. IT WORKED... but for a large fan??? I dont' know if I would like to risk that...

and yes in case anyone was getting ready to ask it...I will post a pic of the mini fan when I finish it.

[Tsiniti]

You asked about modleing clays,

I used that skulpty clay for my fan! Then just stuck the feathers in where I wanted them. I need to take some pics of mine, seems like I posted one on my website somewhere too

http://www.geocities.com/tsiniti_waleli/crafts

I think it's on that page, but I can't remember, my brother made my daughter's fan different, he took a pine handle he carved a groove in, and slid the wing into it real tight ...

or it could be in

http://www.geocites.com/birdbearcrafts/home

I'll have to take some and post them!

[spottedeagle]

Tsiniti, I couldn't get your links to work.

I got someo Bondo over the weekend and I'm gonna give that a try this week, if I get the chance.
For those of you who use this method, any advice??

Do you lay anything down to work on like tin foil or suran wrap to keep the bond from sticking to your work surface?

Do you score the back side of the handle once you flip it over, before you add more bondo to round out the other side?

Do you put a dowl or anything inside the hadle to give it strength??

[Blackbear]

I got some of that crayola model magic and gonna give that a try to make a small fan handle... I'll let you guys know how that worked out.

[spottedeagle]

How'd it work Blackbear?? I still haven't tried the bondo yet. Been too busy beading

[Blackbear]

yeah same here..been trying to bead a new glengarry for our easter powwow and have'nt had the time to do the fan yet...I'll let you know though when it's done

[spottedeagle]

Well thanks to SD in AZ, I'm ready to try the bondo handle. Now I just gotta find the time to make one. LOL I'll let everyone know how it turns out as soon as I get it finished.

[spottedeagle]

Well I finally got around to making my fan. Bondo works great. Posted the pic in the galley here is the link

http://www.powwows.com/galleries/showphoto.php?photo=2756

Let me know what you all think

[spottedeagle]

While I was at it I made my wife a fan too.

here's the link for it

http://www.powwows.com/galleries/showphoto.php?photo=2757

Let me know what you think

[spottedeagle]

Hey Blackbear did you ever try your Crayola fan handle????

I decided to make Pam a new fan today. The other one just seemed too big for her. Here's a pic


Now all I have to do is find the time to bead it!!!!!!

ADD ANOTHER THING TO THAT LIST OF MINE!!!!!!!!!!:Chatter

[Blackbear]

No, still have'nt done it yet... I've been too busy to mess with it... but it's still sitting there reminding me it needs to be done. LOL! I have'nt forgotten either.

[meetmeinthegarden]

This is my method,
I amde 2 fans, first the tail falt fan. I get a handle preferably something you like that is comfortable, and has a canal or tunnel instead or predrilled holes, take off one wall of the wood, that leaves a flat surface. put the feathers on dowels for sure to protect them from damage. Use Craft glue, it's called Tacky glue you can get it at Wal Mart for a couple of bucks. This glue is great for bonding, but if you want to take the feathers off the dowel, it becomes pliable after it dries so you can't damage the quills that way. then lay out the feathers as you want them and use high temp hot glue, work on a table or something flat, pour the glue on the opened handle. and then take a stack of magazines or something else heavy to weigh the feathers into place. keep the handle on the table too, the angle of the handle and the weight on the feathers will set them up to lay flat. The glue should set in like 20 minutes, but leave the feathers under the weight overnight, this will train them to lay flat.

Seriously I made a fan 3 years ago and it is still perfectly in tact. I highly recommend the tacky glue for working with feathers at all it kicks royal ***.

The Wing fan I use hot glue too, same method you just dnt have to weigh it down and I do recommend using pony beads to spead out the feathers, wing fans are a lot easier b/c you can place the feathers and spread them easily without damage.

[Tsiniti]

I finally found the pics, I knew I had, mine is a turkey feather fan made from the Crayola modeling clay, which is over two years old, and still going!