Thread: 11 pen blanks in excange for a finished pen!

Iam in with this offer PM sent
Andrew

I can see that someone's gonna be up to their ears in pens...

Originally Posted by BoomerangInfo

Oh that's all fine. I wasn't trying to say your offer was a good or bad deal, you just asked originally about the value of doing it. I haven't tried to shove a 3Kg bag in a plain envelope, so if it fits, that'd be a decent saving.

I think anyone would be hard pressed to get a pen sent for less than $5.50. It's $4.20 for a 0 - 250g parcel, the cheapest you can get, plus a small postpak to put it in will run you minimum 0.95c unless you buy in bulk for the discount. For the 0.35c saving, the prepaid bags give you much more room to be flexible with more secure packaging, plus they're up to 500gms. A standard parcel for 500gms is $5.40, but then you have to add a package cost as well. So the 500gm prepaid satchels really are excellent value.

I guess you might be able to slip just a pen in a toughbag and try and slip it through as a large letter, as long s you can get the final parcel less than 20mm thick. Then it's only cost $1.10 to send. But if I were sending a pen to someone, I wouldn't take the risk as it wouldn't be a enough protection and the pen would probably be ruined in transit.

Also, I was probably a bit uncharitable with the blank cost. I was simply trying to describe what the stock standard "common" timber blanks are selling for. A lot of your list is not generally commonly available, therefore increasing their intrinsic value. I can't comment on the amount of figure in those timbers, which also increases perceived value, as I haven't seen most of them myself. I'll be keep to see some of the results though, and add the finished results to the "catalogue" of woods running around inside my head.

As I said originally, my time is the enemy for me, not the cost, i just have too many other things on to be able to guarantee a result. Heck, it took me two months to do my swap pen!

Hope it goes well for you.

Russell.

Thanks Russel, I understood your line of thinking from the very beginning and I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to expand a some issues based on your questions, you served the purpose quite well.

You are welcome at any time to be part of this and make me a pen, if you can find a little spare time and want some local timbers.

Interestingly, you mention about the pen to need be about 12mm thick with the envelope to be sent in a envelope, and that brings me to another observation made today by another interested forumate in relation to my pen blanks size. I did mention that I'm cutting them 1"x 1", and according to some pen makers, if the blank is sliced with a very fine saw (scroll-saw), you can get 4 blanks out of each one. I'm no expert in pen making, but apparently they are a few styles of pens that are quite thin, with the 12mmx12mm approx., resulting from splitting my original blanks more than enough the make them. If this is the case, those that use the thinner pen kits will end-up with enough wood for 43 spare pens, wow Don't worry, even knowing this, the blanks will be sent at 1"x1", as originally mentioned.

PS: I recently notice lots of pens being made for swaps and to our troops overseas, I'm not sure if my idea will be of some help for these pens makers, as they will be probably looking for some blanks to do the pens with, this could help them a bit, mainly if they are making the thinner pens. Some how, I hope this will become and added bonus to the pen makers and not just an extra job!


All good mate...!
Cheers
RBTCO

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

I can see that someone's gonna be up to their ears in pens...

Hahahaha Skew, some how, I hope you're right...!

I will set a limit right now, I will cut no more than 10 (ten) cubic meters of pen blanks, or fill my wall display at my puter room, full wall 2,400 high x 4,200 meters wide, of pens displayed side by side, which comes first. How many I can fit? I haven't worked out yet but I reckon many hundreds...! I will be using that perfureted paneling, I forgot the name (2,4 x 1,2 meters x 3mm thick sheets), I only have then to make small curved wire hooks, 2 per pen, and voila...!

Every time I need to offer a gift pen, I draw a number in the computer, that number will correspond to a particular pen (as every pen will have a number written on the board where they are displayed. The computer will also locate that pen as per the system used on a Street directory (A-13 / G-4, etc).

I will always know who done that pen, as the pens are arriving I will give it a number, and on that number spread sheet data, all the other information will be there, maker, finish, pen type, timber used, etc, etc.

Another way of giving the gift, for those able to drive to my place, I will introduce the wall of pens to my guest, and ask him/her to draw a number. Take him/her out of the room as soon as the number is drawn, and go and have some dinner or a drink or something. This will increase the expectation and excitement out of this friend, I reckon...! when all settles, another visit to the wall of pens, will identify the pen that will leave and empty space, but will make someone happy, well, so I hope.

It sounds too much work, doesn't it, and a hell of time to get it all done, huh?
Like any other project, it takes time as effort. I would like this to be a fun and interesting process from the very beginning (yesterday) and all through out, including the gift offer process, which I'm expecting to be elirious on some occasions . Certainly looking forward to all that, this is my plan and this is what I will try to achieve with the help of the forumates pen makers, obviously!

Cheers
RBTCO

A worthy challenge indeed ! hehe with a limited number of available kits , and the wood provided by yourself with some limitations also, be interesting to see how many variations you come up with in the end . I already know what mine is hehe ! cheers

Hi RBTCO,

Posted the envelope containing an envelope today...

Cheers,
Dave

Originally Posted by robutacion

I will set a limit right now, I will cut no more than 10 (ten) cubic meters of pen blanks, or fill my wall display at my puter room, full wall 2,400 high x 4,200 meters wide, of pens displayed side by side,

Wow!, that sure is some quantity of pens you are expecting to have. One could say, a commercial quantity. I guess if you decided to sell them off, you would make a small fortune. But then again, that wasn't what you had in mind was it.

Originally Posted by munruben

Wow!, that sure is some quantity of pens you are expecting to have. One could say, a commercial quantity. I guess if you decided to sell them off, you would make a small fortune. But then again, that wasn't what you had in mind was it.

Hi munruben,

Absolutely not...! why would I go through all this trouble, if money was the objective? I would make 3 times more money (at least), just by selling the raw blanks, and 10 times faster...!
The number of pens I end-up with, is probably (I nearly could say "I'm sure") a lot less that everyone can estimate.
Do I have enough timber to produce a high number of pens? I sure do. Would I cut some logs as pen blanks only, absolutely not! Would I run out, not a chance!

My projected objectives, limits, reasons and expectations have been already clearly set so, I will work from there and see what happens...!

Que sera, sera...!

Cheers
RBTCO

Hi ,

I live in Adelaide - would be definately interested in your offer. I make slimline pens, wood only at this time, hoping to try some resin casting later.

pm me if you want location details - as said I am on the northern side of Adelaide.

Dave

Originally Posted by daf

Hi ,

I live in Adelaide - would be definately interested in your offer. I make slimline pens, wood only at this time, hoping to try some resin casting later.

pm me if you want location details - as said I am on the northern side of Adelaide.

Dave

Hi Dave,

Thanks for your interest.

I can see 2 ways of going about this, if you live in the Adelaide area. The first one is, you come for a drive (I will provide details by PM), get your pen blanks, and who knows, maybe a few extra "goodies"!
The second option will be the same pre-paid, self addressed 3 kg mail bag. This can sound a bit silly being close but, being close, still means 100km or more of traveling, each way so, and unless you have the time and want to travel up here, the $10.50 or for the bag is a lot less than the fuel needed to cover 200 km+ distance. I would prefer to see you here tough!

PS: While I'm here, how many sizes are there for pen blanks, thickness and length? I've got so far; 5/8 x 5/8 x 5" - 3/4 x 3/4 x 5" - 7/8 x 7/8 x 5 " 1/2. I work in metric so some of this measurements need to be translated but, and apart from that, is any more sizes? I would like to know then all if possible! thanks.

Cheers
RBTCO

I've made every pen from a 19 x 19 x 130mm blank so far. It's wasteful for smaller pens, but gives me an allowance for not drilling straight.

Russell.

Hi peoples,

I never had much to do with pen making, nor I'm that familiar with the different styles pen kits available out there. Since I started my offer, I have become aware of these bullet pens, which I didn't know what they were or how they look like until, a while ago I as reading another thread and I've seen a beautiful pen that looked like was make with a rifle shell and projectile, and that look very appealing to me, for many reasons, the main one would be a representation of my professional shooting career that ended 4 years ago. What I'm trying to say is that if anyone has some of those kits, I would be most then thankful to have some made out of them, I really would!

Anyway, will see what happens...!

Cheers
RBTCO

G`day you will have to get someone local to make the bullit pen you can`t post it.
Mick

Originally Posted by robutacion

Hi munruben,

Absolutely not...! why would I go through all this trouble, if money was the objective? I would make 3 times more money (at least), just by selling the raw blanks, and 10 times faster...!
The number of pens I end-up with, is probably (I nearly could say "I'm sure") a lot less that everyone can estimate.
Do I have enough timber to produce a high number of pens? I sure do. Would I cut some logs as pen blanks only, absolutely not! Would I run out, not a chance!

My projected objectives, limits, reasons and expectations have been already clearly set so, I will work from there and see what happens...!

Que sera, sera...!

Cheers
RBTCO

Sorry if I offended you,, my original comments were made "tongue in cheek" I wans't having a go at you or your idea. Good luck with it.