Thread: first pen

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

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.

Second everything sed Bill!! good onya for having a go and
being able to adapt.

That fat boy look certainly stands out.

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

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

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.

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

MIK

ingenious adapter making! you have to love a thinker! very well done!

Very well done on your first pen. You will find yourself making different ones as time moves on.

Congratulations on that first pen, make it a keeper, Bill, be nice to see the second pen--the zig zag one you mentioned, Amos

Originally Posted by PenTurner

Congratulations on that first pen, make it a keeper, Bill, be nice to see the second pen--the zig zag one you mentioned, Amos

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

Originally Posted by steamingbill

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

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 ~ John

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.

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

MIK