Six hours in the shed!

**BoomerangInfo** · 12th March 2012, 07:33 PM

It seems I get slower ever time I make a new pen.

I have to provide a catalogue of all my pen types to a potential customer, so today I lined up five styles I didn't have pictures of and figured I could get them all done in one day. The agenda was Dayacom Magnetic, Longwood Click, Jr Majestic, Jr Marshall and Jr Statesman. Six hours later, arms covered in CA flung from the lathe, eyes twitching from accelerator that blew in them, and sore legs and back, I've only managed to finish 3

Have I ever mentioned I hate CA finishes? Well, I do. The theory seems sounds, but I always seem to manage taking the whole thing off and re-applying at least once per pen, and I managed to do a couple twice even today. Thin CA, Medium CA, CA/BLO, CA/Shellawax(

), I tried them all.

The Irish Bog Oak gave me the biggest hassle. It's tricky filling all that grain, and ever little bit of colour trapped in the grooves shows against the black wood. I thought I'd finally got it done, started pressing the nib and endcaps into the long blank, and sudden two white/silver (like air bubble) marks show up on each end! Somehow the CA coating must have lifted away from the wood surface with the pressure from the fittings. No idea how that happened in those small spots, but it was another resurfacing job required.

Oh also, for anyone who has tried, or are planning to try, the GPW Jr Majestic, the assembly instructions are wrong. It shows the narrow bush as the nib end, when in actuality it seems the other end of that part is the nib end, at least in my case it was.

Anyway, here's the end result. A Magnetic pen with my own blank, the Jr Marshall for the Irish Bog Oak, and a Jr Majestic with Red Mallee Burl.

Given I have work tomorrow, but need to get these pictures off to the client, does anyone have a Longwood Click and Jr Statesman picture I could borrow to show them? Also, wouldn't mind sending a picture of a Lotus and Bamboo for them to choose from as well, as they're specialist doctors, so I'm sure they'll want something classy

Russell.

**sturina** · 12th March 2012, 08:07 PM

Attached a few Longwood clicks for you, can probably take more photos if required. Three pens a day is a good effort in my book and they look great. Good luck with the client.

**cookie48** · 12th March 2012, 09:34 PM

They are all nice looking pens.

**gawdelpus** · 12th March 2012, 09:38 PM

Russell Best bet would be to contact Amos for piccies .I am sure he would help you out

Cheers ~ John

**mkypenturner** · 12th March 2012, 11:45 PM

russel hers a link to my pith pen i got from wizard on the iap
https://www.woodworkforums.com/f69/my...wizard-145055/
its a bamboo with a nice truestone blank on it , if need be let me know and i can take another pic or 2 just pm me your email addy and ill do it tomorrow in the daylight

**mkypenturner** · 12th March 2012, 11:53 PM

[QUOTE=BoomerangInfo;1457991]
I thought I'd finally got it done, started pressing the nib and endcaps into the long blank, and sudden two white/silver (like air bubble) marks show up on each end! Somehow the CA coating must have lifted away from the wood surface with the pressure from the fittings. No idea how that happened
QUOTE]
i also have had that problem

i find now that i leave them sit for a day or 2 to fully cure

all i use is a scap block of pine with some bamboo skewers cut to size and glued in

__I __I __I__
[__________]
see sample wannbe cad design

**BoomerangInfo** · 13th March 2012, 06:18 AM

Thanks for the help guys. Those couple of pictures are great.

I also forgot to mention, I cut my thumb while sanding one of the brass tubes, took skin off one knuckle and broke my fingernail while trying to catch the lathe chuck I took off before starting the pens, which slipped out of my hands and fell on the floor. I also had a wierd problem when turni the first blank between centres, where it wasn't turning round. I changed back to using mandrel and everything was fine again. It sure was a day of trials. I think I was being punished for not turning any pens for so long

Russell.

**gawdelpus** · 13th March 2012, 08:02 AM

Ah well ! now that you have those out of the way you can get on with turning pens without minor diversions to distract you hehe, cheers John

**BoomerangInfo** · 13th March 2012, 08:45 AM

Originally Posted by gawdelpus

Ah well ! now that you have those out of the way you can get on with turning pens without minor diversions to distract you hehe, cheers John

Heh yes, well. I finally got my CNC dust shoe finished yesterday. So, assuming it works, I can get back to CNC'ing HDPE for pen moulds....

Russell.

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