boy o boy, one of those days. pens, should be much easier than this

allen levine

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so Im not a big turner, but Ive made Id guess around 40 pens over the last year and half. 95% of them came out ok as far as Im concerned.

my home infusion nurse, a very religious woman, noticed 2 of my pens and my pen wallet 2 weeks ago while she was infusing me, and questioned me.
Ok, she thought it was great. we know better than that, but I couldn't convince her I really make only mediocre pens.
She insisted I make her some after she looked through the penn state catalog that arrived that day.
She picked out the chrisitan fish blanks, and the cross blanks.
I was already trying to bow out because I knew if I ruin a blank, its 6 or 7 bucks in the garbage, and I don't know what material the blank is, and well, that's that.
Im not making excuses here, not at all, and Im sorry for just not posting my work without the background why I did it.

I suggested to her Ill contact my buddy(meaning Dan Noren, as Ive purchased a pen from him) and ask him what he'll charge her for 6 pens. Figuring maybe he will take 10% off since they are for a good cause, 2 pastors, 2 church elders?(women who run things) and 2 other gifts for helpers in the church.
I did not want to do it.
I don't want to have to get involved charging people for work, especially, if this woman thought I cheated her, or didn't do great work, uh vey, she hooks me up to IV system 6 hours a day for 3 days every month, not someone I want to be mad at me.
If I pass out, I want to make sure she hits me with the epipen, not say, well, I didn't like his pens too much, maybe let his throat swell up and break out in hives for a few more minutes.
ok, all kidding aside, I JUST DONT Want to get into making anything for anyone I don't consider the product a gift.

Now what am I going to charge her. Even though I was warned not to charge her my cost, I cant charge her more than that simply because its going to pastors of a church, and I need all the points I can get when my time comes, and Ill take them from anyone and anywhere.

enjoying this nonsense yet?

When she picks them up, Ill shoot a picture of her, as shes my real first pen client. (I turned down the metropolitan life insurance executive, informed him I could direct him to other more qualified pen makers as well, everyone is looking for a bargain, no one wants to pay full price, and I wont get involved)

I don't make pens one at a time. I drill out at least a dozen blanks at a time, since I don't want to move things around more than once, and take out all the pen supplies.

I used to use 2 2x4s with notches cut in them and clamped together to drill out my blanks.

I couldn't find them, so like an idiot, I just held the blanks with a pliers, and drilled them out.
Never had a problem in the past, ever.(not the 40 or so pens Ive made)

naturally, the 2 cross pens I made, I drilled the blank crooked, and normally, this wouldn't matter too much, but with the cross, it now tilts to the right. Not once, but both blanks.
So the blanks were ruined, I went ahead and made the pens, used a dutchess kit, since it was for 2 women.
She chose the purple blanks.
Im not charging her above my costs, so if she doesn't want them, that's that.someone will want them.
The other purple acrylic is hers also.(dutchess, womans pen)

now on to the Christian fish pens for the pastors.
so what way does the fish face, up or down?
I looked it up on internet, seems mostly fish swims right to left, but this one is up or down.
Cant believe I spent 20 minutes on internet trying to figure this out.
I decided after looking at pictures of pens online, the fish should face down on the pen.
I finished the first one, came out really nice. Was assembling it, a piece of the bottom cracked off. I had already popped the top in the tube, so I figured I can crazy glue it on, then refinish on the lathe.
Carefully, I attempted to remove the top from the tube, (Ive done this before with presimo pen kits, successful 2 out of 3 times) the pen cracked the entire length. Lucky for me, I ordered 3, and decided I had enough today.
I have a lot of blanks drilled out and tubed for tomorrow, so I should move along and finish her pens and a few more.

Overall, not a very good day, not really fond of the material its made of. Not a hard acrylic, soft, easy to scratch while turning.
I used flitz paste and tried some hut wax, couldn't get that bright shine as I do on other acrylic or inlace acrylester.

Here, have a good laugh, courtesy of my stupid mistakes, a crooked cross.

(Im making all acrylic blanks this bunch, next bunch is all wood. Im waiting till I get to the show next month to see what kind of wood blanks I could pick up cheap)
 

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my next pen order, Im going to get a small pen vise and a press kit, my hands don't work so well, it will make life easier.

and to be clear on charging people, I have no problem asking 6 or 700 dollars for a walnut radiator cover, wont go down on that price, but I feel funny asking for 40 dollars for a 10 dollar pen simply because Ive seen great pen work,and Im far from it, so for me, pen making is for gifts.
 
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Lou Ann is sitting here beside me talking to Tess on the phone, as I pulled up the picture of your pens she leans over and says,"those cross pens are pretty!". So there you go.
Look great in the picture. You are being to hard on yourself. Before you buy a pen vise, I purchased for my students for acrylic pens a pen drilling device for the lathe. I will edit this post with the items after I get in from chores.

We were getting a lot of egg shaped holes at the top of the acrylic pen blanks (probably somewhat due to dull bit, you would not believe how many times it gets dropped on the concrete floor!) so for my advanced students I bought this: http://www.pennstateind.com/store/CSCPENCHK.html?prodpage=1CS

And then because we have the jaws to hold the blank we of course need:http://www.pennstateind.com/store/TM32.html?prodpage=1TM

For round blanks the jig centers nicely, for square blanks of course it holds it by two opposite sides so centering and straight holes are more common. Gives my advanced students a feeling they get better tooling and it does help they struggle the first semester so they appreciate this their second and third semesters. You could even barrel trim your blanks with this set up if you so desired.
 
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Allen, sorry but I can't help but be amused by your day of frustration. :rofl: Kidding aside, don't disparage yourself the way you so. You make excellent quality pens........PERIOD! :thumb:
As for your struggles with pen fees, ask for a few prayers on your behalf. I'm suspect they would accommodate this reasonable request. Or, you ask for a future, unknown favor that you know will never be asked. This'll keep them guessing. :rofl:
You do have a sense of humor!:thumb:
 
Hi Allen; I wouldn't do this for just anybody, but for you here's what I would do! Tell me what pen hdwe and blanks you want turned, providing they come from PSI, I will purchase them from my PSI supplier in Canada (Scarboro), turn them and finish at no cost to you. You just pay me for the hdwe, blanks, and the mailing to you.

Only for a friend!
 
I had to take my wife dress shopping this morning, but Im going to get out there and turn the 2 pens now, hopefully, no more cracks, Ill be a bit more careful assembling them.
You know I greatly appreciate the offer.
 
Some sharp pens there Allen!! Most people equate exacting standards to cabinets, tables and the like. One little boo boo with a pen and it's oops!!!
 
funny, I just drilled out and glued up one of your castings, Jim, for tomorrow.

I know my inexperience contributes to many errors, and I don't blame stock or merchandise for my shortcomings, but those religious symbol pens were not cast very well. Difficult for me to turn, nothing like acrylic blanks.
And they don't smell like acrylic when turning, not sure exactly what type of plastic they are.
they chip too easily, and I changed out the blades on both my carbide chisels. It took me 3 times as long to turn one of them as a normal acrylic, I was very careful not to take off anything more than hair width ribbons of plastic.
I would never turn anymore of them, only the one blank I have left, hope it comes out ok, I have someone in mind to give it to.
finished the other two Christian fish pens, presimo chromes with etched covers.
Too cold out there today, too damp, my knees are killing me out there, so only made 3 pens today.
The green acrylic was a breeze to turn after those 2 blue pens.
Ill call her tomorrow to see if she wants to pick them up.

I purchased a few acrylic and stabilized dyed maple blanks for bottle stoppers, so Im hoping to get to some of them, I seem to be struggling with inlace acrylester blanks and I really need practice getting smooth and round tops.(yeah, jon, I could have used one more lesson on that)
 

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took a break from pens and broke down some pine to practice turning.
then I took some of the spalted dyed maple blanks and made a couple of bottle stoppers, and finally, I think I got a grip on turning the inlace acrylester, didn't have any bad spots, and as told, I kept it real simple to avoid chip outs.
Put 2 coats of flitz paste on the acrylester.
will put 5 -7 coats of gloss poly on the maple blanks.
 

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