Thread: todays pens

Holy cow Neal, how good are they ?. The finish is Rolls Royce mate !

Fantastic pens with great looking finish.

I agree, well done

nice, i can see that ill have to have a crack at my own pens soon

Very Nice Neal you done a great job and you also have a very good finish on the by the look.
I think my fav has got to be the gidgee I have a few pieces myself that I am about to make some EB's out of soon.

Keep up the good work

Cheers Ian

Hey Neal

AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME what else can I say

Ian

Well done, like them both
perhaps it's time that I got hairy oak and purple gidgee and had a play

nothing wrong with those Neal. No one has asked, so I will, what lessons were learnt from the pens you made today? keep going mate your quality is right up there.

Yes please Neal,

I want to know what lessons were learned as well. As the sign says so much to learn and so little time to learn it in!

And the finish looks really good

Ady

Woowww Neil It's all being said. Just beutiful.
Cheers Tony,

Originally Posted by Adynaton

Yes please Neal,

I want to know what lessons were learned as well. As the sign says so much to learn and so little time to learn it in!

And the finish looks really good

Ady

Thanks everyone for the generous feedback on these two for starters, its gratefully recieved and appreciated..

Ady,

This was my third time attempting a 20CA coating, and first polaris kit, however i'm probably most proud of the pens thus far i've done. Not counting the polaris missfit, theyre my best so far in terms of finish, turning fit, sanding and general look.

I learnt NOT to guestimate a blank to tube hacksaw cut after a glue in, instead use the right tool for doing it, the mill or the disc sander...and yes i did hit the tube and trim too much off it, whitch resulted in the polaris refill protruding out the nib by the ammount of tube i cut off and had to mill back, in an effort to save time with the mill by using a hacksaw i caused pengineering mayhem.

I learnt that medium CA to glue up a sierra is ok, and streamlines, but its dangerously close to not enough time to glue up a longer tighter drilled polaris tube...i need to use thick CA for gluing up or start getting familiar with epoxys, while i had a narrow miss and almost ended up with half a bare tube sticking out of a blank it gripped right as i got the tube seated on one side, close call.

I learnt that as good and fast as thin CA is for a coating, you have to be carefull with how you apply it, i used a tissue, and after about every 5 coats it would grab the tissue wrap it around and glue itself to the blank, much swearing and carefull sanding off fixed it. However on relooking at the process (dave's method) i found it helped to apply it over the blank and put the tissue/applicator to it and spread rather than apply it to the tissue and apply to blank as i had been doing.

And again with the CA i think even though i allowed more than enough time to flash dry and cure, i think it stays in a gel like state for a little while or perhaps it was the humidity in brisbane, the only thing i can see perhaps i need is to use the acellerator to set it even faster so as to not grab at the tissue / kitchen paper towels etc.

Also again on CA, as good as it looks on a pen, its not as attractive on my hands, particularly with bits of tissue attached....i'll say no more on that.

you did ask Ady .

Neal.

G'day Neal,

Yeah, I can relate to that. I had someone ask me what did the doctor say was wrong with me when they saw all the little white spots, and when I tried to explain I had tissue paper stuck to me, they thought I should be seeing a psychiatrist instead!

I am too unco for the Ca, and it doesn't feel as nice as timber for the finished product from my point of view so I tend to restrict my pens to Shellawax and Glow.

Still looking for the perfect finish that won't wear off, and the customer can still feel the beauty of the natural timber, and not ruin it with their sweat and natural oils

Ady

When you find it mate let us know. I know i am unco as well on the CA at present but i'm getting a lot better at it through practice (now i think i just need more on the pen than me an i'll be happy), i started out on acrylics so i like the flashy bling a wet look generates.

I bought my eee and glow for bowl / larger turnings initially, and like you i am looking for a natural finish that wont wear, i'm not selling my pens as yet, so i've got noone to please per se than myself, with that said i know if i could get a more satin type feel to a pen i know exactly who i'd make em for and they'd be appreciative of it.

Perhaps a trick i learned about after talking to Neil (U-Beut) at the woodshow was to wet wipe a partially sanded piece (larger turnings) to raise the uncut woodgrain and resand would perhaps make a smoother more even surface sanding on raw wood, then perhaps a straight wax and glow.

I know of a guy in the US who sands thru to 600 grit using a paste wax (i think carnuba and bees wax mix) mixed with mineral oil (castor oil) to form a sanding slurry to cut down on dust (again on larger turnings), it would probably have the same effect of raising the grains, though essentially an oily waxed satin finish. This perhaps you run the risk of sanding the bushes into the wood, or having an oil stained shirt.

just some thoughts

Neal.

Hey Neal. Re- the CA & tissue use. Always apply the CA to the blank (3-4 drops along the length) as you move the tissue directly underneath where you put the drops. You only get about 3 seconds to spread the CA along the length of the blank. As soon as you finish each application, reach for the accelerator, and give the blank a very short quick spray, then go straight onto the next layer of CA. If you use accelerator, the tissue will not grab, as the CA will cure in about 4 seconds after spraying. Perfect your routine Grasshopper ! )