Thread: Well, it's a start.

from me
Well done
Mr Fiddleback

Nothing wrong with that. That Allocasuarina torulosa looks a wee bit like the Allocasuarina fraseriana we get over in the west. Nice wood for pens.

Thanks Biggus, I really need to go for a walk along the river bank. We had a good "fresh" go down the river a couple of weeks ago and there may be some River Oaks that have come down that I could take a sample from. It seems a shame to ignore a resource that's sitting almost at your back door especially when the next flood will transport it all the way to the coast where the council will pay someone to chip it up for mulch.
Then I need to do something about polishing the pens. So many choices available, it's not funny.

I would be more than impressed if that was first pen,

Be careful tho this pen turning stuff can be addictive.

Cheers Matt.

Thank you, Simplicity. I am pretty happy with the way things worked out considering I took note of some ideas from Youtube. I used a belt sander to trim the ends of the blanks before turning them which is OK but doesn't remove any glue that gets inside the brass tube. I think a .25" brass brush from the gun shop and a case chamfer tool might be handy things to have. A chainsaw file will get rid of the really bad globs of glue.
The next problem is getting a "finger-proof" finish for the wood. I used French Polish on that pen because I had some handy. Rubbed on a couple of coats while the lathe was running but I think it needs something a bit better, perhaps something with more gloss? Don't know, need to practice a bit more and experiment.

Originally Posted by Old Hilly

Thanks Biggus, I really need to go for a walk along the river bank. We had a good "fresh" go down the river a couple of weeks ago and there may be some River Oaks that have come down that I could take a sample from. It seems a shame to ignore a resource that's sitting almost at your back door especially when the next flood will transport it all the way to the coast where the council will pay someone to chip it up for mulch.
Then I need to do something about polishing the pens. So many choices available, it's not funny.

I made a pen out of some River Sheoak (Casuarina cunninghamiana) recently and was a little underwhelmed at the timber. It had none of the prettiness of that A. torulosa or A. fraseriana. Rather soft and a bit bland for pens IMHO though I've only seen that one sample and it may not be indicative of the species as a whole.

Originally Posted by Biggus

I made a pen out of some River Sheoak (Casuarina cunninghamiana) recently and was a little underwhelmed at the timber. It had none of the prettiness of that A. torulosa or A. fraseriana. Rather soft and a bit bland for pens IMHO though I've only seen that one sample and it may not be indicative of the species as a whole.

It's all about experimentation Biggus. Who knows what wonders lie hidden in fallen timber?
Years ago I made wooden buttons for spinners and weavers that were entering garments in the local show. I used Black Wattle branches cut and polished on a tiny circular saw table that I put together one day. Drilling the holes for the thread was the awkward part.
I've got some Liquid Amber sitting in the carport under cover. It looks a bit bland in it's natural state but it may combine with something else to make a good pen blank.

Agreed. Here's a pic of the river sheoak and a mechanical pencil I made from it. It's OK, but not a real looker like some other Casuarina and Allocasuarina species.

Originally Posted by Old Hilly

...... but doesn't remove any glue that gets inside the brass tube. I think a .25" brass brush from the gun shop and a case chamfer tool might be handy things to have. A chainsaw file will get rid of the really bad globs of glue........

It is generally better to keep the glue out in the first place. We use sheets of bee's wax for candle making. Press the brass into it and a little wax plug covers the hole. Do both ends. When the glue dries remove the wax with a pick or thin knife. Others do the same with a side of potato or a bit of plumbers putty. There is a wax dentists use that comes in sheets like the bees wax.

Your pen is great for a first and it is good to see it not made super fat.

Pete

Thanks for the comments QC, I guess I was excited when I made that pen. I had the lathe and all the other stuff and the pen kits had turned up the day before so I thought I had no real excuse not to make a start. I used 5 minute Araldite to glue the tubes into the blanks which was OK but I wouldn't have wanted to be any slower getting the last tube into the blank, it was a bit "stiffer" to get inserted than the first one.
As for the size of the pen, well, it has to be comfortable to hold and as I don't have big hands the pen has to be slim. It seems a waste to turn all that wood into shavings but that's the way it goes with turning anything, you make shavings. I'll have to look around for sheets of Bee's wax. I can get it in blocks or raw but sheets could be harder unless I make my own.

You are right Biggus, it's not got the "character" of the Allocasuarina, sort-of more plain but still interesting. I did notice that the blanks I used were a little "patchy", some sections were a bit harder than others and perhaps that had something to do with the grain structure?
Next cab off the rank will be Liquid Amber. I have a couple of logs of it seasoning and there was this annoying branch that I cut off that gave me a few blanks that might prove interesting or be completely boring. Beats the hell out of watching TV.

I have used EEE from u beaut for all but my acrylic pens and once sanded to a fine finish just apply the EEE polish with the lathe on, have had pens that are probably four years old still looking fine .

Mature One, I see EEE Ultra shine is available from Timberbits as a mail-order item but Shellwax Creme is classified as Dangerous Goods and is only available as a pickup only item Which makes life interesting for us old buggers that live in the bush. Same goes for a few of U-Beaut's products, it must be hard for him if places like Bunnings don't stock his stuff.
I'm not really happy with the French Polish I got from Bunnies, it makes things too yellow, sort-of like looking through a graduated tobacco filter on a camera. The Liquid Amber pen I just finished lost it's gentle pale grey colour. Oh well, pull it apart and start again.

Nice work. You have been warned of the addiction risk, so beware! I use carrots to keep the glue out (much more convenient than buying dental wax) but wipe the carrot juice off the outside before glueing (and you can eat what you don't use) . Twenty four hour Araldite is slower but stronger (and easier to work) than the 5 minute version.

For finish, I use EEE then Shellawax Glow, or spray cans of White Knight Acrylic or Squirts Gloss Clear (both of which are readily available from Bunnings). And if you would like a selection of pens blanks of many types of timber, just PM me and I'll send them to you (no charge, just show us the pens when made).

Cheers, Gary