ACU pencil....first attempt

[MikeH]

Here is the first attempt at what started out as a pen and turned into a pencil....The top half is the piece with the corian and the bottom is wrapped straight on the barrel. It's not perfect, but I'm sure it will get beat up in Iraq.

Let me know what you think.

 

[ptt49er]

Looks GOOD! very nice job sir! Can I place an order now?

 

[NCPete]

Nice job!

 

[Eaglesc]

I think it came out great.
Wrapping the fabric directly on the tube is how I have been making my.PR wrapped, and denim pens.
AS you say it will probably get banged up but a good heavy coat of CA for the finish wiull help.(As long as it is not left in the sun on a dash board).
Does the corian top make it feel top heavy?
Keep the experiments coming!
:icon_thum

 

[MikeH]

Looks GOOD! very nice job sir! Can I place an order now?

What a great pic of Joel! He's getting so big. Thanks for the compliment Phillip. It looks a lot better than I thought it would the other night. How many you want?

 

[MikeH]

Nice job!

Thanks Pete!

 

[MikeH]

I think it came out great.
Wrapping the fabric directly on the tube is how I have been making my.PR wrapped, and denim pens.
AS you say it will probably get banged up but a good heavy coat of CA for the finish wiull help.(As long as it is not left in the sun on a dash board).
Does the corian top make it feel top heavy?
Keep the experiments coming!
:icon_thum

Thanks Eagle! I expect it to get banged and beat up, but that will just mean it carries memories with it. I had both barrels in my hand before assembling it and they felt about the same weight. I can't feel any difference.

I'm ordering some cigar kits with black chrome and will try casting the material and go that way next. I'll post pics as soon as I make some progress.

Thanks again,

 

[Eaglesc]

Thanks Eagle! I expect it to get banged and beat up, but that will just mean it carries memories with it. I had both barrels in my hand before assembling it and they felt about the same weight. I can't feel any difference.

I'm ordering some cigar kits with black chrome and will try casting the material and go that way next. I'll post pics as soon as I make some progress.

Thanks again,

I am not sure where I read this quite possibly on this site.
If making pens for militart personel that will be used in the field, flat finishes are preferred because of "glinting" of sunlight on them.
I don't know if the black chrome will reflect light but I thought I would mention it.
A suggestion for making pencils out of this material by wrapping tubes.
If the pencil does not separate in the middle, you can eliminate the center coupler in the design by buying 10" long tubes and cutting them to the same length as the pencil would be if it were assembled.
If the mandrel fits through the coupler you can use the supplied tubes and grind them round leaving just enough of a shoulder for preesing them together.
MAke a couple of "fids" that will fit in the ends of the tubes and support them on the lathe between a Jacobs chuck in the head stock and a live center (or use a dead center in the tail stock)
Do not attempt to wrap the tube with the lathe on.(no I Was not dumb enough to try it,just common sense).
A little tip.
Measure the ends of the tube from a fixed point on the lathe so yo know when to stop wrapping after the first layer.(DAMHIKT)

 

[toolman]

Great looking [strike]pen[/strike] pencil. :lol: Do you have some one over in Iraq?

 

[clowman]

One thing I did remember from when we turned pens for the troops last year, they preferred pens that would fit in their built in Uniform pen holder... If that makes any sense.

 

[MikeH]

Great looking [strike]pen[/strike] pencil. :lol: Do you have some one over in Iraq?

My brother is being deployed at the end of Nov. He is in the 25th Infantry Division stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

 

[MikeH]

If making pens for militart personel that will be used in the field, flat finishes are preferred because of "glinting" of sunlight on them.

Do you know where I can get pen kits with a flat finish?

 

[DaveO]

Do you know where I can get pen kits with a flat finish?

Mike, I got this kit from a PSI re-seller -

I can't remember what they called it though...I'm a lot of help:roll:. I'll try to look it up later for you.
Dave

 

[nelsone]

Looks great Mike! Are you still going to try casting one, or just go with this? I'd probably go with this since it came out so well.

 

[Eaglesc]

Looks great Mike! Are you still going to try casting one, or just go with this? I'd probably go with this since it came out so well.

I am partial to the CA wrap also.
Covering the tube and casting in clear resin reminds me of the cheap advertising pens i get in the mail.
The CA wrap takes ingenuity and each pen is unique.
Anyone can make a plastic pen, that is why the world is full of them.

 

[MikeH]

I am partial to the CA wrap also.
Covering the tube and casting in clear resin reminds me of the cheap advertising pens i get in the mail.
The CA wrap takes ingenuity and each pen is unique.
Anyone can make a plastic pen, that is why the world is full of them.

Good point Eagle! :icon_thum Although I'm not a huge fan of the slimlines I think it is probably the best kit for the application. I think it needs to be thin enough to fit in the uniform pocket as mentioned before.