Finished a pen tonight

[Flootsie]

My wife and I love turning pens. Some turners pooh-pooh pen making. I think pen turning is wonderful. A good, exceptional bowl blank can cost $40 or way more. An exceptional pen blank can start at a dollar. Add in the possibility of sentimental wood and you have many ways to go with your handiwork. Pens can be made from: countertop of new kitchen, Daddy's bowling ball, maple flooring of replaced H.S. gymnasium, replaced decking of "Old Ironsides" for Navy veterans, Grampa's old rocker that finally fell apart, the ideas are endless! My avatar is a group of mimosa pens given to the blood relatives at the funeral of a woman who planted the tree.The tree was twelve yrs old. It died about a year before her death.

The use of the mimosa tree is absolutely PERFECT. Alan & I are talking about it now. Thank you for this note.

I need to get a grip and learn to turn those things!

 

[aplpickr]

Milissa: We always keep a few pen blanks prepped ahead. Wood cut to length, drilled, and tubes glued. That way, in fifteen minutes or less, you can produce an instant gift, award, or whatever you need. We stock a few light and dark pen presentation boxes. Make your hobby pay for itself. EVERYBODY uses and loses pens. They can always use another.

Bill

 

[boxxmaker]

Hey,just because folks don't leave a bunch of responses doesn't mean they don't like your work,I'm guilty of that myself,but it is a beautifull pen.

 

[Flootsie]

Milissa: We always keep a few pen blanks prepped ahead. Wood cut to length, drilled, and tubes glued. That way, in fifteen minutes or less, you can produce an instant gift, award, or whatever you need. We stock a few light and dark pen presentation boxes. Make your hobby pay for itself. EVERYBODY uses and loses pens. They can always use another.

Bill

Are you & your wife coming this way anytime and have 30 minutes to give me a run-through / see the workshop / meet up? I have some blanks and tubes.

Nate & I are meeting up as well, but the more people in an area that know each other the better.

 

[Flootsie]

WOW.... you give me hope I was sure you had to be using carbide cutters .... I'm even more impressed

WOW! I guess I will need to be a bit more particular with finishing. It is looking like 220 ain't going to be the end of the road with this pen gig.

 

[aplpickr]

Milissa: Wife and and I will be at the June 16 CMW meeting. On pens, since they are observed so close up, we always go to 600. Usually we keep going to 800, 1200 and on thru MM to 12K. Those final 6 grits make the difference between WOW! and PIZZAZZ! The MM adds only about two minutes to the process. The 800 and 1200 grits are from Klingspor in Hickory.

Bill

 

[MikeH]

That's really sharp! I have never tried acrylic - what kind of finish did you use?

That is the beauty of acrylic. There is no finish needed!

 

[nsawyer12]

WOW! I guess I will need to be a bit more particular with finishing. It is looking like 220 ain't going to be the end of the road with this pen gig.

I have used 12,000 grit micro pads on the acrylics to get them to a glass finish. Polishing compounds work great as well! I usually go to a 1500 grit on most woods that can handle that kind of finish.

 

[MikeH]

I have used 12,000 grit micro pads on the acrylics to get them to a glass finish. Polishing compounds work great as well! I usually go to a 1500 grit on most woods that can handle that kind of finish.

I always take my acrylics up to 12000 grit micro pads also. It varies on wood pens unless I use a CA finish then I take them up to 12000 grit also.