Custom finial for an El Grande

I recently made an El Grande with a custom finial and I was asked to show how I did that.

Others may have a different way of doing this but this how I do it.

The El Grande has a flat top finial and I decided to customise it by drilling/boring out a space for a finial matching the blank on the pen, bark from the Red Ironbark in this case.

To hold the finial I mounted the threaded part it screws on to in a suitably size collet, I used my metal lathe, but it could just as easily be done on the wood lathe.

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/IMG_2546.jpg

The finial was then screwed on and drilled and bored out to the desired size.

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/IMG_2544.jpg

Resulting in this

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/IMG_2545.jpg

Part of the blank is soaked in thin CA.

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/IMG_2540.jpg

On the wood lathe this time, we turn a tenon on this piece of bark so we can hold it in a collet chuck.

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/IMG_2547.jpg


In the collet chuck ready for turning the finial

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/IMG_2549.jpg

Turned to required diameter

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/IMG_2552.jpg

Turn a "stub" to locate it in the finial

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/IMG_2553.jpg

Final application of CA

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/IMG_2554.jpg

part off with small parting tool (or fine saw, whatever works).....and here it is on the pen.

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...p/IMG_2574.jpg

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...p/IMG_2577.jpg

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...p/IMG_2567.jpg

Fred, how did you do the final parting? that pen looks magnificent! I think I will engrave it free " Wooden Ink" :D Amos:)

2mm parting tool Amos.

Fred, fantastic effect, thanks for sharing this technique, it's always the little things that makes a pen stand out among others.