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Thread: first pen
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27th December 2013, 09:02 PM #1SENIOR MEMBER
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first pen
Finally figured out how to stick the mandrel onto my shopnotes lathe and made a pen. Blackwood from the paddock finished with some walnut oil from the kitchen past its use by date................ seems like a chunk of blackwood will make a lot of pens.
I doodled the shape with a small spindle gouge - I find the strange shape odd, but appealing, but my wife doesn't approve.
Made a few blunders - cut it far too thin near the nib - made a horrible mess with the superglue - will better understand what I'm doing on 2nd pen.
Do you find that strange and bulbous or just downright weird shapes can be appealing to people ? Or is it best to stick to classic pen shapes for gifts to friends and family ?
Have got a heap of plastic blanks that I found whilst tidying Dads shed - will try them next.
Adaptor for shopnotes lathe was made by drilling 19mm hole in pine then screwing it on to drive shaft which is 20mm bolt - then trued it up, found the centre, drilled a hole and installed the mandrel, the far end of the mandrel rides in a bearing sitting inside a hexagonal nut on the tailstock.
Regards
Bill
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27th December 2013 09:02 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
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27th December 2013, 10:24 PM #2
Having a go is the main thing ,any refinements will come as part of the ongoing process, making do with what you already have is a good way to start off as well, and keep costs to a minimum ,in case you don't get the addiction hehe. Shapes vary ,but you generally look for an aesthetic and balanced feel to things ,some very elegant and fancy pens come from the basics ,and a little experience will help better understand what works, gluing up with super-glue can be a mistake as it is not good for gap filling,and as your pens get hot with turning and sanding the glue can let go, or leave voids between the tube and the wood,which almost invariably leads to problems a bit later on . At least you have looked realistically at your work,and realised where you can improve, and thats what counts,doesn't matter how many pens you make ,we are all looking for improvements to our products and better ways,or more interesting ways to make our pens stand out from the bunch hehe. Cheers ~ John
G'day all !Enjoy your stay !!!
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27th December 2013, 11:08 PM #3
Good on you for having a go, and great ingenuity in adapting your lathe to take the mandrel.
Personally I prefer the more traditional shape, or close to it for pens. Others may have different opinions, but I think the bulbous top end would make it too top heavy. Bit of bad luck with the nib end , but practice will iron out those mistakes.
Make sure you keep this one so that you can look back in 12 months time if you have become addicted, and see what changes you have made to your designs and quality.
Keep them coming.Dallas
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28th December 2013, 10:07 AM #4Skwair2rownd
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Second everything sed Bill!! good onya for having a go and
being able to adapt.
That fat boy look certainly stands out.
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28th December 2013, 12:42 PM #5Intermediate Member
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And I will second and third what was said before. You did a fine job with what you have, and congratulations. The appearance is what appeals to you, unless you are going to market your work. You first need to please yourself, and after that, if it going to be for someone else you may want to go for a more conventional shape. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Enjoy the work and if you are going to give them or sell them to others, then think as to what would be appealing to them. The great masters (of painting) were not thinking about what others would think of their work. My best wishes.
John in Canada
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29th December 2013, 10:43 PM #6SENIOR MEMBER
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2nd try - think I like this
Hello,
Just had a go on a wooden zig-zag blank.
Lots of thin strips glued together in a zig zag pattern.
The patterns on the turned pen are quite astonishing - am enjoying this.
It was another wierd shape - Although I like gaudy shapes I prefer quiet finishes to bright shiny ones.
Any downsides to using beeswax and or oils to finish wooden pens ?
Acrylic tomorrow.
Bill
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29th December 2013, 10:59 PM #7Nut and Bolt Fanatic
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Sounds like you are enjoying the learning curve. That's the most important thing. Your ability to adapt things will stand you in good stead along this fun journey. Keep it up.
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29th December 2013, 11:07 PM #8
hiya bill
its good to see you having a blast, i have a few pens shaped something like you have made around the shed for a couple of reasons
1. you can drill a hole in a piece of wood and the pen will hang there right where you need it
2. SWMBO hates the look of it, so its safe, it will NEVER get acquired
the only time you really need to worry about what others think is when its for them
many people make pens with beads, cut out and even captive rings on the top section, so go for it experiment and have some fun, thats where new ideas are born
the other point i like is that you are using a home made lathe
well done on all counts and keep the pickies coming
MIKNo Result Without Effort
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30th December 2013, 07:27 AM #9GOLD MEMBER
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ingenious adapter making! you have to love a thinker! very well done!
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30th December 2013, 02:13 PM #10
Very well done on your first pen. You will find yourself making different ones as time moves on.
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30th December 2013, 04:27 PM #11
Congratulations on that first pen, make it a keeper, Bill, be nice to see the second pen--the zig zag one you mentioned, Amos
Good, better, best, never let it rest;
Til your good is better, and your
better, best.
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31st December 2013, 08:38 PM #12SENIOR MEMBER
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Zigzag patterns on pen body
Hello,
Here are the zigzag patterns - I like how they change drastically as the pens are rotated 90 degrees - bought these 10+ years ago - am assuming either still available or easy enough to make yourself
Thought I was in newbie heaven having done my first 3 pens in a row ................ then ................
tried an acrylic and cut it too thin - broke it - awkward stuff - dont like it but will persevere - useful to learn how to cut it - is there a T shirt for messing up my first acrylic ?
Happy New Year
Bill
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1st January 2014, 07:43 AM #13
Bill ! all the T-shirts are long gone Looks like you don't like clips on your pens hehe, the "Diamond wood can be a bit tricky ,liable to split at times but looks like you managed it ok , with acrylics they vary from soft and "powdery" to hard and brittle. A skew tool is best for these materials ( and sandpaper is your friend ) try to work the ends down first just proud of the bushes ,this will help avoid breakouts at the bushes , also if you have a linisher or sanding disk it helps to take the corners off a fair bit (to roughly round) this can save a bit of heartache and help stop chipping when getting started , these materials need a bit more care and are less forgiving than most timbers . Sharp tools are essential so you can take gentle cuts ,the rewards when you get it right are worth perservering with , scraping is also another finishing tecnique that will help as well , till I learnt how to use a skew correctly I almost always used it as a scraper hehe.
Cheers ~ JohnG'day all !Enjoy your stay !!!
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1st January 2014, 10:31 AM #14
I have turned exactly the same blanks recently. I don't know if they were the only two colours they made as I was given the two that I had. I believe they were sold by Carbatec.
You certainly like your artistic designs.
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1st January 2014, 11:26 PM #15
good to see someone having a play with designs, for a little bit more freedom you can leave out the center band, you can turn both blanks to the same width or curve one down to meet the other like these i made a few years back
keep up the good work
MIKNo Result Without Effort
Mecha Blanks now on Facebook - Miks Blanks
Mecha Blanks now Available at Perfect Pens and Pencils
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