Thread: My first pen

Looks like a very nice fit with the pen kit parts. Congratulations! You are well on your way to a very addictive hobby.

Nice looking pen,

The first couple are always a learning experience. Did you use a CA finish on it. My favorite pens are the sierra's and you will find these are actually easier to make than the cheap ones.

BJ

Welcome to the madhouse Jow. Make sure you keep that one to see where you have come from. Oh yeah... nice first pen too

Corbs

great job!

Onward and upward !

Good to see you have the first one made John. Its all a learning curve and you learn from your previous attempts. I no longer use the barrel trimmer but use the sanding disc on the linisher with the necessary jig.

As Corb's says you must keep that one for posterity.

Great start John I just hope you realise what you have taken on It is a very slippery slope full of wealth hazards that you have chosen to enter.................

Welcome along with that first pen, you are doing well, and you will continue to improve, keep it up Amos

The first of many I think. Great pen . Well done! Yeah, those barrel trimmers can be savage with a bit of grunt behind them. I don't use it any more, instead I rough the blank (cut long) then sand to the tube on the bench sander. Works for me. Did you have fun??

Grest pen for #1! They'll just keep getting better from here on. Keeep mit and have a look at it after about 10 and see how you have advanced.

I'm still (well, when I think of it) working on a sanding/squaring jig for a disc
sander. Machine shops wanted too much. I've got some 5/4 EOS (thick Corian)
that I might try this morning and see if that will work.

If I get it square, I'll send it to someone to try.. see if it is worth producing or not.

Decided it should use the pilot bits you already have from the barrel trimmer..
cheaper than making individual tubes to mount the blanks on..

Jow nice start maybe when FC arrives you can teach how to make pens segmented ones from your box off cuts

Jow, nice first pen. My first was scarry to say the least. But with a little practice and lots of help from new found friends, they will get easier and even better looking

Russ

I finally got all my bits together and started on some pens yesterday,Made three ,but you are right about the trimmers, I was doing one of those laminated blanks cut on the diagonal ,and about a third of it broke off down to the inner tube, rather than throw it I decided to continue and turn it into an easy grip ,when it was all turned it just had enough full wood to cut off the inch needed for the rubber grip,but it was scary to say the least trying to finish a blank with a big chunk missing, wife has taken them to work to show off,so will make a photo and post here tomorrow, I hope she doesn't take any dam orders!! , now to make some more tools to help with assembly and so on ,cheers !

Making some jigs


First Jig is something to drill those blanks out.
My drill press only drills 50mm deep but I purchased a B & D drill stand ten years ago from a car boot sale £5 and over those years it has hardly been used. So now its got a full time job.



Parts all came from the scrap box or cut up some rodding.



So getting ready for the 2nd, third etc.etc.





I have been using some bottled super glue and as you know there is very little time to get that brass tube in with that type of glue.
Never used any of that poly type stuff, so I thought I would order a bottle of Gorilla to try, any good?

Next simple jig, to get that dust off the lathe table. I had a lip surrounding the bench to hold the dust in but yesterday I cut out a section and put in a gate.



.

Next jig?