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This video is part 2 of a 2 part series. In part 1, I created a turned segmented pumpkin box to hold special treats during the Thanksgiving season.

This video for part 2 concerns the ‘natural stem’ for this pumpkin. For the stem I and my son:

1. Selected two small pumpkins with interesting stems;
2. Spray varnished (rattle can) the stems;
3. Cut the bottom out of two plastic cups;
4. Used Sculpey clay to form a seal between the top of the pumpkin and rim of the cup;
5. Approximated the volume of Part A of silicon rubber compound and weighed it on a digital scale;
6. Reset the scale and added 10% by weight of part B ofthe silicon rubber;
7. Thoroughly mixed the rubber,
8. If we would have had vacuum equipment, we would have pulled a vacuum to draw out air bubbles;
9. Poured the liquid rubber into the cups and let harden;
10. Apologized to the pumpkin for its hardship;
11. Removed the hard rubber from the pumpkin;
12. Using 2 part expoxy, measured the epoxy into two separate cups;
13. Mixed sawdust into each cup of epoxy;
14. Subjected each cup to a vacuum to remove bubbles;
15. Mixed the two cups of epoxy together and again subjected it to a vacuum;
16. Poured the mix into the molds and let harden.
17. Cleaned up the excess epoxy and drilled for a tenon;
18. Glued in a tenon
19. Mounted stem to the pumpkin lid.

All in all, the process was not very difficult and my molds can be used over again.

My epoxy was old 2 part counter top finish. It was a challenge to have harden probably due to age. Use fresh epoxy.

Good turning.