First Pen----Now Second

Garry Foster

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Well the pen swap got my interest, I had intended to try this for years but never found time. So with the swap blanks arriving I got enthused again. So I used a cherry blank I bought several years ago at PSI and set a mandrel upon the little HF micro metal lathe I bought this March on close out for $80.00. Used a brazed carbide metal bit and went at it..

Slimline kit bought several years ago at PSI with old BLO and some medium CA for the finish.

I realize it isn't art or much craftsmanship. But it was fun, the wife is impressed and it may even go as a gift this weekend.

Now to get a wood tool post so I an easily add some curves in the future...
 

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Alright! Doesn't matter if it's a metal lathe or a cordless drill with a mandrel in the chuck...you turned a nice pen. :thumb: And it sounds like the vortex has started pulling you in already.
 
Second Pen

Well I went on to number two. Another PSI slimline from the past and Olive Wood I ordered from Israel via Ebay a couple months ago. Learned to check pre-drilled blanks as I got the epoxy on and the tubes wouldn't go in without a lot of persuasion. Created problems all the way through the process including a small split when pressing in the mechanism. Was fun and a learning experience, I also learned I will get a pen mill, in fact ordered one this AM off Ebay from Australia with 6 cutters.
 

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You are doing fine, Gary. But, personally, I wouldn't waste a nice wood like Bethlehem Olive wood a/k/a BOW on a Slimline.
Where do you live? If possible order your parts and equipment from known source like Craft Supplies. You mentioned Australia. Do you live there?
 
Frank
No I live in Pa....

I understand what you are saying but these pens are what I had, and I wasn't in the mood to wait. Don't know when I will stop real fix-up projects and get back to this. I was in field service more or less and used to visit a couple of places near PSI. So at lunch or in the evening when staying over I would run by. Over the years picked up some stuff with the idea I would make some pens. Never happened but I retired almost a year ago and with the pen swap box arriving it got me enthused so I was making hay while the sun shined so to speak. I have probably bought 50 blanks over the years and made more but never got around to turning a pen. I will use some better kits someday but now using the little metal lathe these slimlines are the best suited for the equipment. I do have everything I need for the Shopsmith to turn now, so I may drag it out one of these days. In fact one of the real drivers is that I want to make a couple of fat pens for the wife as she has problems with the skinny ones. I have a couple of Big Ben kits that again I bought years ago. But I need to make a tool rest for this little micro lathe or drag out the Shopsmith to do them.. In either case much more setup time required.

But it will happen...
I am sure the gentleman I plan plan on give this olive wood pen to will value it highly, as it will be a statement as to what he has meant to me over the years....Spirtually not about woodwork..

Thanks for the input..

Garry
 
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Guys
Thanks for the positive comments. I appreciate them, even though I realize there isn't much art in either of these. However they were satisfying to make and I see more in my future.


One thing I didn't mention earlier is I really like the simple look of the Slimlines, they seem to me to just let the wood do its thing. I will try and buy a better grade of hardware but I suspect the majority of my pens will be something with simple lines like this.

1. As I said I like them...
2. I don't plan on sales, mostly gifts and will want to keep my cost down..
3. I may well not be enough artist do get into the fancy stuff....

I had heard how neat they were because in 30 minutes you could actually make something, and while I may have had more than 30 minutes in each they were quick...
 
I think it's a cool use of a metal lathe.

Do you just use the (and heres where my metal lathe terms fall flat) the tool attached to the tool post and run the wheel to do the cutting?

I've been so tempted many times to get one of the slightly larger metal turning lathes. Never could justify what I would use one for though.

Pretty cool! :thumb:
 
I think it's a cool use of a metal lathe.

Do you just use the (and heres where my metal lathe terms fall flat) the tool attached to the tool post and run the wheel to do the cutting?

......

Yes Brent that is what I am doing ..
I am using a mandrel that I unscrew from my Shopsmith adapter where it basically becomes a drill chuck mandrel. I install it in the three jaw chuck and then use bushings and install the blank or blanks. Using one blank actually works better. ( This is a 4" diameter by 5 inch length lathe. Actually a little bigger where I can do both blanks at once but it is really tight.) Then the other end of the mandrel goes to a dead center(I don't have a live center to fit this little lathe.)

I have a 1/4 inch brazed carbide metal cutting bit installed in the normal tool post. Then using the cross slide and the normal lead screw hand wheels I turn the blank down to very near the bushings. I then use 150,220,400 and 600 sandpaper to finish up, just using my fingers as backing. Then boiled linseed oil followed by CA modelers glue for the finish applied with and burnished with folded paper towels.

.......
I've been so tempted many times to get one of the slightly larger metal turning lathes. Never could justify what I would use one for though.
......

Well I wanted a metal lathe all my life and finally bought an old 10x24 Jet that was/is well beat up off the back of a pickup truck at a thrashers reunion. The only regret I have is that I didn't buy one as soon as soon as I got out of the Navy, I have easily saved the cost over and over making little repair items for the house and cars. However it runs pretty slow to do this kind of work on.

When HF blew these out this spring at less than a third of what they had been wanting I jumped on one. They are really a Seig C0 if anyone really cares. I decided yesterday to give it a try at this and have been well pleased. I can get it off the shelf turn and finish a couple of barrels put it back up and clean up in less than an hour....Best 80 dollars I ever spent...
.......

Pretty cool! :thumb:
Thanks
 
When HF blew these out this spring at less than a third of what they had been wanting I jumped on one. They are really a Seig C0 if anyone really cares. I decided yesterday to give it a try at this and have been well pleased. I can get it off the shelf turn and finish a couple of barrels put it back up and clean up in less than an hour....Best 80 dollars I ever spent...

Wish I'd have seen them at that price!

Not to mention, if you really get into pens, you can make your own custom bushing or make sure the ones you get are 'really' the right size for the kits.

The only complaint I have about pen bushing is that sometimes they are not exactly the same size as they should be. This can cause you to have a little bit of a ridge from say the nib to the barrel if the bushing is oversize.

With one of these lathes, you'd be able to shave those few thou off pretty easily and make sure things match up...
 
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