why i don't do pens

my wife asked if i'd make the doc she works for a pen for christmas. Well i don't like making pens as i'm no good at it.:( Well just to make her happy i went out in the shop today and these are what i made. They are a couple of kits i bought when i got my lathe. Had to go online and get the directions as i don't know what happened to them.Now if i could make them look like them guys from canada(Les and Mark) and some others, i'd make some more.(NOT)
Well heres the pics for what there worth.
Steve
 

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I have just spent 5 minutes trying to see what's wrong with them. I have yet to make a pen as I suspect is the Doc they are for and whilst maybe the experts could see something wrong... I am blowed if I can.

Pete
 
my wife asked if i'd make the doc she works for a pen for christmas. Well i don't like making pens as i'm no good at it.:( Well just to make her happy i went out in the shop today and these are what i made. They are a couple of kits i bought when i got my lathe. Had to go online and get the directions as i don't know what happened to them.Now if i could make them look like them guys from canada(Les and Mark) and some others, i'd make some more.(NOT)
Well heres the pics for what there worth.
Steve

Hi Steve; Would you mind telling me where you got that pen box from!
Oh, the pens look good to me. I'm sure the doc will like them.
 
I'm with Pete...I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with either of 'em. They both look great from where I'm sitting. :thumb:
 
Well it looks to me like you did just fine. Nice looking set.

Now when you get the next 100 done you'll be a expert!!!!!!!!!!!:rofl:
I might get my next 100 done in the year 3010.:rofl:
I have just spent 5 minutes trying to see what's wrong with them. I have yet to make a pen as I suspect is the Doc they are for and whilst maybe the experts could see something wrong... I am blowed if I can.

Pete
Thanks Pete there just so plain looking to me.
Hi Steve; Would you mind telling me where you got that pen box from!
Oh, the pens look good to me. I'm sure the doc will like them.
Mark i belive i got them from psi. i bought a whole kit with a number of kits blanks mandel the whole deal about 3 years ago. these are the 4 and 5 th i've tryed.
I'm with Pete...I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with either of 'em. They both look great from where I'm sitting. :thumb:
I guess i'm just getting pickie in my old age.:rofl:Now if i could put something special on them maybe i'd like them better.
 
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steve i cant make one let alone two,, and i also see no flaws in them and yes we and youincluded are our worst critics.. you have gotten good marks from 4 great spinny guys and we know that they are picky folk:) so next time your bored just grab some really neat wood and try another, the kits make the pens sometimes and your are good looking to me..
 
One thing I have learned selling my work is that people who don't turn see design and either like or don't like. They don't see the work involved the way we do and so don't find fault in it. Whilst this is no excuse for shoddy workmanship we need to remember that if we are making for other people we don't have to be quite so picky about things. Yes your pens are plain. What's wrong with plain. You are making writing implements not pieces for a gallery. If you spend the time to enhance and make them really gorgeous you would have to charge more and possibly no-one would buy them....or be afraid to use them. Are they fit for purpose? Yes. Are they turned well? Yes. Are they finished well? Yes. What more can you ask from a pen. The main attraction to the Doc will be that you have actually made something for him. That alone makes them special to him. Unles he's a grumpy old git in which case give them to someone else :rofl:

Pete
 
What's wrong with plain. You are making writing implements not pieces for a gallery.

I'm with Pete. I think a well executed simple design beats something 'fancy' any day of the week. I've made a few kits with the rubber writing grip, and while it wasn't my favorite kit, the person who got it (and requested the kit) loved it.

Those are some nice looking pens and I think you did a good job on them... :thumb:
 
steve i cant make one let alone two,, and i also see no flaws in them and yes we and youincluded are our worst critics.. you have gotten good marks from 4 great spinny guys and we know that they are picky folk:) so next time your bored just grab some really neat wood and try another, the kits make the pens sometimes and your are good looking to me..
Thanks Larry. Your right as we are our own worst critics.Sher likes them so i guess they'll do.I still think learning to do them fanicy boxes are a lot more fun.:D

One thing I have learned selling my work is that people who don't turn see design and either like or don't like. They don't see the work involved the way we do and so don't find fault in it. Whilst this is no excuse for shoddy workmanship we need to remember that if we are making for other people we don't have to be quite so picky about things. Yes your pens are plain. What's wrong with plain. You are making writing implements not pieces for a gallery. If you spend the time to enhance and make them really gorgeous you would have to charge more and possibly no-one would buy them....or be afraid to use them. Are they fit for purpose? Yes. Are they turned well? Yes. Are they finished well? Yes. What more can you ask from a pen. The main attraction to the Doc will be that you have actually made something for him. That alone makes them special to him. Unles he's a grumpy old git in which case give them to someone else :rofl:

Pete
Your right Pete as Larry said i'm probly my own worst critic. As far as the doc i never meet him.He does take care of his employees so i guess means something.

I'm with Pete. I think a well executed simple design beats something 'fancy' any day of the week. I've made a few kits with the rubber writing grip, and while it wasn't my favorite kit, the person who got it (and requested the kit) loved it.

Those are some nice looking pens and I think you did a good job on them... :thumb:
Thanks. It was ether them or some slim lines.i just thought they were better than the slimlines.
 
Stephen... what's the problem? Do you see something in your mind's eye that eludes you in physical form? A different shape, perhaps, or a different effect in the wood? A different finish effect?

A different shape is easy to come by - that takes only practice, with cheap woods, and if you don't like a shape you just made you can peel the wood off the tube & go it again.

A different choice of woods can make a lot of visual difference. Try one in tulipwood, or in macassar ebony, or in bloodwood or canarywood or cocobolo (unless you're already allergic to cocobolo). Bocote is a very interesting pen wood, too - one of my favorites. There are also worlds of burls to add visual interest, or pressed sunflower seeds, or money embedded in plastic, or corncobs or pine cones or you name it.

A different finish effect? Would you like to see the pen come out more matte, or more glossy, or more (or less) uniform? If so... try playing around with different finishing materials & techniques.

Or... just don't like pen turning. Your choice.

I won't buy "I'm no good at it", though. Not acceptable. You CAN like your work more, and you deserve to. Let's figure out what you don't like about it & engineer up a workaround, shall we? :)
 
Stephan,
I'm never satisfied with the work I do even if it's some of the best I've done. I thought I was getting pretty good at woodworking until I did a workshop with Sam Maloof. He raised the bar for me. I am far ahead of where I was before the workshop but I know I can still do better. That's one of the most frustrating things about wookworking is we are always striving for perfection and know we will never be able to achieve it yet we keep on trying.
.
 
Stephan,
I'm never satisfied with the work I do even if it's some of the best I've done. I thought I was getting pretty good at woodworking until I did a workshop with Sam Maloof. He raised the bar for me. I am far ahead of where I was before the workshop but I know I can still do better. That's one of the most frustrating things about wookworking is we are always striving for perfection and know we will never be able to achieve it yet we keep on trying.
.
Don i think you hit the nail on the head.:) like you i can always see what i could of done better
 
Don i think you hit the nail on the head.:) like you i can always see what i could of done better
fortunatly for you and me there are a lot of folks out there who are not woodworks and go Ohhh and ahhh when they see a piece that they consider beyond them. Thats what keeps us going. don't quit striving for perfection but don't loose sight of your accomplishments either. When I look back at the work I did 30 some years ago and compare it to todays work I am impressed but it also shows me that I can further improve what I do. I have taken some very good partialy finsihed pieces that I considered sub standard and cut them up for scrap just because I knew I could do better. I won't let a piece I consider substandard to leave my shop. I never thought when I started wood working that I would be building furniture on the scale that I am now doing. So I am cosstantly challenging myself to do it better.
 
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Don't know what you think is BAD about them. I've made thousands and they look pretty good to me!

Bruce

PS: something to remember is "That we are our own worst critic!"
 
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Well done Stephen!
Don't be so hard on yourself!
Excellent fit and finish along with great choice of
plating for the timber.
I am sure the recipient will be quite please with your work.

Les
 
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