Thread: Xcut Osage Orange Churchill Fountain Pen

G`day Amos so does that mean you are cutting end grain? What chisel did you use (skew)?
Mick

Very nice btw

Nice one Amos, don't have timber like that over here. I'm with Mick what chisel did you use ??

Rippa

Very nice Amos .

Great finish, shame about the crack

ouch, that crack ruins a great peice of timber and a great pen.

nice work otherwise Amos

Crack? Crack? What crack? Oh, you mean that "feature?"

It's a nice pen, just the same. 'Tis a good match of kit and timber.

That is one seriously nice pen!

Mick and Rippa, I stuck to a well sharpened bowl gouge, was to frightened to use a skew because most of my work has been with either bowl or spindle gouge, i used a skew once and almost ruined a good blank, some time in the future when I am using more "common" and cheaper blanks I may give it a try. Cross Cut means I have cut the blank across the grain rather than with the grain and that xcut brings out a different pattern in the wood. Skew and Stirlo, I like Skew's view of the "feature", Amos

[quote=Woodenink;606694]Mick and Rippa, I stuck to a well sharpened bowl gouge, was to frightened to use a skew because most of my work has been with either bowl or spindle gouge, i used a skew once and almost ruined a good blank, some time in the future when I am using more "common" and cheaper blanks I may give it a try. Cross Cut means I have cut the blank across the grain rather than with the grain and that xcut brings out a different pattern in the wood. Skew and Stirlo, I like Skew's view of the "feature", Amos[/quote.

Hi Amos

That is a beautiful pen.

Just as a point I never use a skew as a skew but use it as a scraper. I have a 1" skew made from an old file and I rough down with a gouge and I don't know what type it is. It is one I have owned for over 50 years that I used as a patternmaker and the skew is just as old.

The point of my post is that the skew used as a scraper give a beautiful smooth finish without any catches and minimizes sanding.

I find using a skew as a skew no matter how careful I am leaves little ridges that require more sanding.

I watched Stirlo's video on turning a pen and there is no way that I need to sand anywhere near the amount that he had to.

When I sand I use a strip about 1" wide and hold it with both hands one behind the pen and one in front over the top of the pen and this gives me great control over the sandpaper and I sand from 120, 180, 240, 360, 400 to 1200 grit.

Now I am not saying this is the way that is right but this is how we used to sand as a patternmaker when spindle turning with very good results.

Barry, that is how I use my sandpaper also, as for using the Skew as a scraper, when I get to turning some more inexpensive blanks I will "play" using the ideas given here and elasewhere, thanks and have a great day, Amos

Thanks for the answers.
Mick

Not sure about the crack you mention, I can't see any cracks. Really nice looking grain and pen anyway.

One comment - I can understand CA then Glow, I use that to get that extra shine, but CA over Glow??? Glow is a wax based product, so wont the CA just delaminate in time?

Neil, you covered that in another thread, what my thinking is, 1. because I am using Shellawax as the ONLY sealer, that is I have not used EEE, or Sanding Sealer, then hopefully my one coat of Shellawax Glow will "sink in"" and not form a layer that is so thick that it covers every gap, that way the CA has also something to "fill" and grip onto. I have noticed that problem when I use a particularly hard piece of wood, the outer layer of Shellawax is completely covering the surface and the CA tends to smudge or make a milky finish, therefore, I am careful to note what wood it is, and on a harder piece of wood, I would use CA first, then Shellawax, in fact , because of what you said in a previous thread I mostly try for CA first, but sometimes the CA first just doesn't "shine" like it should , it is then that I try the other way. Amos

Amos thank you for the kind words about using cross cut timbers you are showing class in the timbers that you are choosing from what you are showing my friend. The pen shows class and has an amazing wamth to it. Stirlo there is no such thing as a crack it is called character mate. I know the finishing thing has been covered before. It is not the path I would personally go, but just a thought why not use Ubeauts sanding sealer, it will seal off the timber and allow you to build up a CA finish. as niel stated, just the though of the CA de-bonding at a later stage.
Darren

Thanks Darren, have some of that on hand, another idea to try soon, Amos