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For thin acrylics, I like to mix a little colored mica pearl in with 5-minute epoxy (using some color that will add to the 'pretty' of the plastic) when I glue the tube in. I swab it into the blank...

I finally broke down a couple of weeks ago and got some shellawax. So far, I like it better than mylands friction polish, it seems to shine up better. I didn't realize about letting it set for a...

Hi guys!

I wish I could participate, but I'm really behind in orders, and things are getting really busy again at work. Seems like every free moment I get I'm either catching up on pens, cleaning...

Great looking pen, Sam! I'm still up in the air whether I like those new cigars, I think, but when you got a blank like that one, it works! :)

Wow, I never knew Foster's even came in casks! heh...you guys got wine and everything down there, huh? I really need to visit someday. :U

I got that from Ernie at Bear Tooth Woods. That kit looks really nice with ebony, too, very stealth. :cool:

So, a few of you noticed that I was off the boards for a while, but was still turning when I could, things have been really hectic lately.

I've bitten the bullet and set up an Ebay store where...

Well, I was just planning on shoving this thing in that hole in the cask between glasses. :q

Thought I'd try my hand at a stopper. Nice break from pens! This is obviously some of my box elder, with a kit from Woodcraft. Mighta got a little out of hand with the turning and burning, but...

Aye, the center is so thin on these that for the cigar, I basically drilled it all away, leaving a bunch of floating leaves, which made for much sharpening and the occasional expletive (coupled with...

Well, worked on a second pine cone today, cast in PR, Berea black chrome cigar.

Little fill, little re-attach a leaf here and there. Somewhat of a pain, but worth it in the end. I'm working out...

Amos, the cloak don't work without the matching tights! :U

Beautiful pen!

I get the same thing, Terry. Watery eyes, half the time I'm crying like a baby when I'm using CA. Pretty sure it's not at all good for you. I find that after a longer night of finishing, I wake up...

Wow, Angelo, that's funny! I live in Paradise as well, I'm on Leacock road off of 30! Small world! Amazing that we had to go all the way to Australia to bump into each other. :U

I just used the...

Hi Angelo!

No, I trimmed the outside of the cone off on the band saw until I had the last 1" of the core, then cast that. :U

Hey Mick!

Thanks for the tip, I've been thinking about what to do about centering my cones in the mold, and your idea sounds like the ticket. I use HDPE cutting boards for my molds, so I'm good...

I'll look for some more cones that are similar, I need to get some more anyways. :) This one was maybe 2" around, fully opened, and the little 'petals' were very thin at the outside. I think it was...

Yeah, with the resin casting, the trickiest part about the whole thing was making sure to drill right through the center of the cone afterwards. Other than that, it was a pretty standard turning,...

Well, I finally stuffed a pine cone in the pot today to see what I could do with it. Not sure what kind of cone it is, picked it up off the street while walking the dog the other day. This was really...

lol - I'll let you in on my secret. Fill up the pockets on your pants with chocolate beans and then just run them through the dryer. Saves on jaw muscles! :U

Wow, great looking stuff, Sam!

I think the Jr Statesman is still my favorite pen to date. Never turned one meself, but they definitely look much better than the Gentlemens except for the rare...

Hey, Stirlo! If you're going to try the acetone thing, try dribbling it vertically down the mandrel and let it wick inside the brass tube. Hopefully it won't get on the outside of the pen at all.
...

Looking good, Sam! Glad to see you back in action! :U

Actually, the Polaris kit is a bit different. The Polaris is from the PSI camp, whereas the Carbera is from Berea.

Carberas are made by Berea. I'm not sure what sort of distributors you have down there, but I get mine from Ernie at Bear Tooth Woods. www.beartoothwoods.com :)

Been playing with some Carbera kits. I really like these pens, they show off the blanks well, are simple to assemble, and fit together better than the Sierras (IMO). Kits are from Berea (via Ernie at...

Gentlemen's Shop - Well, you know, expensive cigarettes, cigars, pipes, golf trinkets, velvet smoking jackets, brandy snifters, etc...

Stuff for snooty old duffers with lots of money. :U

The set looks more like zircote, it's got those nice random black grain lines

Great looking pens, Matt, I bet they'd sell well at a 'Gentlemen's Shop' like. :)

Looks great, Dar! I've been looking for what to use to dye some wood, I'll have to look into the Ubeauts stuff, that is just gorgeous!

Thanks guys. :)

The resin didn't have much color when it was thin, just lots of pearly sparklies, so I colored the brass tube black and then added more red pearl powder to the epoxy when I glued...

Finally got back on the lathe!

Turned my first pen from the blanks I made the other night with my new HF pressure/vac pot setup.

The kit is a black chrome Carbera, the resin is my little...

Ahhh, there it is, the UBEAUTS!

I think I'm going to change to Neils, though. You know, I'm a mover and a shaker and all. :U

Thanks for the reply. I like to keep you Oz types separate in my...

What happened to our comfy tan/yellowish Wood Forum motif!?

You gotta warn people before you just change things willy-nilly like!

I logged in, hit the refresh, and BOOM! I'm on a different...

I've been busy, quietly building up my shop and tools and such. Not had much time to post or turn pens, but I'm getting back in the swing soon, I guess!

I've got all that box elder wood from the...

Very nice pen, love the wood!

Question: I've got a cheapie little drill press with a 1/2" chuck. I'd like to try making a Churchill, but the bigger drill bit is just over 1/2". Anyone have any...

Nice looking stuff, Sam! Take it easy on that arm! :~

Hey...did anyone else notice that everything that Sam turned today has a little left tilt to it? :U

Good looking Tulipwood, Matt. That's about the way mine turned out, too. Those blanks look really nice to start with, but then once they get smaller it's not quite the same. Be careful putting it in...

Man, those are the worst pens I've ever seen. Looks like you melted down some cotton candy and used a cheese grater for the finish. They'd make nice tent stakes, though! :;

There, I used humor,...

Great looking finish, Dar! Nice work on the snakewood, as well, I've heard that it's a bear to work with. :)

Toni, that is a great pen. I've yet to try such a complex segment pen. Was it fun to make? I see all these Celtic crosses and such, and with my rampant perfectionism, it seems like I'd either spend...

:whs:

How did you do that lettering?! It looks great!

Wow, Sam that's awesome. Finding meaningful wood like that makes it so much more fun. Nice gloat, and hope the ol' wing is mending nicely! :U

I actually cut the ball joints off one of the bigger leg bones to see if it would work. It is hollow, and there's a good bit of thin material if I could figure out how to optimize it in a laminate. I...

You know, I saw a piano on the side of the road that had fallen, possibly 'accidentally' out of the back of a truck, and seriously considered going back and cannibalizing the keys, but I figured,...

Wow, outstanding step-by-step, thanks for taking the time. I know how much of a pain it is to remember to stop and get a snapshot every few minutes and then sift through them to find the ones that...

Heh...

So, basically, you're making pens out of plywood and pallets and anything else you can find, and they end up looking like that, where I've spent mucho dinero on wood that doesn't end up...

Hey, those are some great looking pens! Very unique and well made. Welcome to the forum! :U

Oh, goody. *shudders*

So I can get them here, too, huh, instead of just enjoying looking at all of your exotic and weird stuff?

Uh, cool...

Gah. Stupid snakes. First person to start making...

Wow, another great skin! You guys are so lucky, having access to all those blanks! Best I can do around here is finding a big garter snake, and even then, I don't have the heart to bash it in the...

Lizards now, too? Toads, snakes, lizards, crocodile hunting...

You guys are pretty weird, you know that? :q

I can't remember who it was sent me a message about some wood they wanted to trade (I...