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Need to get Busy

Bernie Weishapl

Bernie Weishapl

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Location
Goodland, Kansas
I guess I need to get busy. I had a call from a lady out of the blue from a museum. She saw one of my pens that I had given a friend. Anyway she said she was so impressed with it she wants at least 36 and maybe more. After we talked she wants some lower, mid and high end pens. She would also like to have them by June 1 before Fathers Day and she said no acrylic. Also the Art Gallery where my turnings are she wants 24 more pens for sale and display. So yesterday the wife had the day off and we headed for Woodcraft in Denver. Walked out with about $400 worth of pens kits (64 kits), pen boxes, and pen blanks hoping to quadruple my money on this go round. I just got the pen kits put away in bins as I had only made about 3 different pens that I made before but now I have about I think 9 different kits. So with bushing, extra tubes, drill bits, etc, etc, etc I decided to get them put away neatly, labeled and where I could easily find them. Better get to work.

Also walked out with $150 in tools I had been thinking about. A Sorby spiral tool and a 16 tpi hand thread chasers. I am hoping with the thread chaser to thread some of my lidded boxes. Also want to make some threaded wood bolts for threaded wooden knobs that I will turn for my cannister sets instead of just gluing them.
 

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Bernie Weishapl said:
I guess I need to get busy. I had a call from a lady out of the blue from a museum. She saw one of my pens that I had given a friend. Anyway she said she was so impressed with it she wants at least 36 and maybe more. After we talked she wants some lower, mid and high end pens. She would also like to have them by June 1 before Fathers Day and she said no acrylic. Also the Art Gallery where my turnings are she wants 24 more pens for sale and display. So yesterday the wife had the day off and we headed for Woodcraft in Denver. Walked out with about $400 worth of pens kits (64 kits), pen boxes, and pen blanks hoping to quadruple my money on this go round. I just got the pen kits put away in bins as I had only made about 3 different pens that I made before but now I have about I think 9 different kits. So with bushing, extra tubes, drill bits, etc, etc, etc I decided to get them put away neatly, labeled and where I could easily find them. Better get to work.

Also walked out with $150 in tools I had been thinking about. A Sorby spiral tool and a 16 tpi hand thread chasers. I am hoping with the thread chaser to thread some of my lidded boxes. Also want to make some threaded wood bolts for threaded wooden knobs that I will turn for my cannister sets instead of just gluing them.
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Bernie great hall and nice problem to have.:D good luck and we expect lots of pics.
 
Wooo that is when it leaves being a hobby and becomes work. Congrats though. Did you get the full size Sorby texturing tool? I just got the mini one a week ago and it works great. I think the big one would even be better.

This was my first try with it. just playing on a yoyo that didn't turn out.
 

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Bernie, which kits did you get? I just made a "click" Wallstreet II pen that I really liked. There are so many kits to choose from. Which is kind of nice to have.

Tom
 
Congrats Bernie, that sure is a lot of pens, and being organized is the only way to fly.

I did 75 pens in one sitting once, that is a lot, I learned to hate them little parts in all them little baggies :D
 
Super commission. Much bigger than anything I have ever had. Congrats. :thumb:
What kits do you do?
Mine are primarily: Europeans, Jr. Gents. and Gents. A few Statesmen, Patriots, Artists pencils and one :rolleyes: Emperor. A few sundry others now and then.
 
Congratulations Bernie!! As I don't have any Woodcrafts close anymore (it closed this winter) I primarily use Woodturningz.com and Beartoothwoods.com . They are tremendous people to buy from and turn around time, well ordered for a student Thursday morning, Friday it was in my mailbox at home. Great prices and selections on kits and blanks. Well, will patiently be waiting for the pictures of the finished products!
 
Thanks all. I am going to start the gluing and drilling hopefully today and tomorrow. I don't use Woodcraft to often because of price but they do have some pen kits I love such as the Wallstreet II click pen and the Woodcraft click pen. These two sell like hot cakes. Also their Ultra Cigar. Anyway wanted to get them quick so I can get started. Oh and it looks like rain all weekend so no yard work to get in the way.:rofl:
 
Frank Fusco said:
Do you have a special system for doing high volume pen making?
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Kind of Frank. Most times I lay out what pen kits I am going to turn. I put blanks that I am going to use with the kits together. I put together the pen kits that use the same drill bit so I can drill all of the same at one time. Then it is turn like all the Sierra's at one time, all the slimlines at one time, all the click pens at one time, etc. It goes a little faster that way without having to go back and forth with bushings, etc.
 
Bernie Weishapl said:
Also walked out with $150 in tools I had been thinking about. A Sorby spiral tool and a 16 tpi hand thread chasers. I am hoping with the thread chaser to thread some of my lidded boxes. Also want to make some threaded wood bolts for threaded wooden knobs that I will turn for my cannister sets instead of just gluing them.
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Bernie,
Congratulations on the new orders... sounds like you do have your work cut out for you.

Also congrats on the new tools... I don't know if you already are skilled at hand chasing threads... it's quite a trick when you master it. I had an offer a while back to do some boxes for a company in New York for some hand threaded boxes... I didn't get the order, but I did get the tools and taught my self to do the threads... don't know if I can now since it's been over a year since I did any...

Allan Batty has a great video out about chasing threads... if you need any help, might be of value. I have a little trouble because my lathe won't go quite slow enough to do them well... according to Allan Batty it's best to chase threads at about 200 to 300 rpms... mine only goes down to 450...
 
Thanks Chuck. Yes I was thinking about that DVD and I have the one by Mike Mahoney. He was making screw on finials or knobs for his canister sets. So thought I would give it a go. Will let ya know how it comes out but will probably be at least July since we will be gone the month of June traveling and I have about 3 clocks to finish and 36 or so pens to turn before then.:bonkers:
 
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