1st Try - Puzzle Pen
- Thread starter mitchm
- Start date
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altaciii
Member
very nice. You have more guts than I do. I have yet to do one and I get the itch everytime one gets put on the forum.
jedgerton
Member
Looks like your nerves and sweat paid off! Thats a great looking kit and you did a great job.
John
John
Rangertrek
Member
Very nice looking pen. I recently did two of the Christian Fish kits from Kallenshane for a client and had the same feeling about working on the kits. Everything turned out OK. I now have more confidence working with high end kits. Keep up the good work.
markgum
Member
looks fantastic. Great job.
GoodTurns
Member
nice job, Mike. I have two of them taped, ready to glue. you're right, it is nerve wracking!
Gagler
Member
Nice looking. I, too, have one taped up and ready to go and hope mine looks as good as yours!
Druid
Member
Really nice work & excellent finish.
TowMater
Member
That is a fine piece of craftsmanship!
jttheclockman
Member
Always did like those pens and the colors are very vibrant. Nice job and thanks for showing.
toolcrazy
Member
Very nice pen, I have a puzzle kit, haven't had the weather to try it out.
OldWrangler
Member
I did one of these about 2 months ago. It took me 7 1/2 hours just to fit it together. I found that some pieces go together from the underside and some on top. My pieces were not all marked it a number and some did not match the diagram. With a lot of help from Ken at Kallenshaan I finally got it together and then it turned beautifully. I put it in a display at one of my retailer, the art gallery and it sold for $150 before I got home. I have waited for a couple of months to tackle another but the art gallery keeps bugging me for more of them. I have them on order from Ken now.....might even come in today!!!!!
So they are tough but really worth it. And Ken is great about helping. I wish they would mark the numbers better but the instruction, if followed to the letter, are very helpful. Bare in mind I am old, my hands tremble from early Parkinson's and my eyesight is not wonderful. A fellow turner has taken pity on me and offered to assemble them as she enjoys it(?). I want to try one more before I send them to her. I am also gonna tackle one of his Moonscape kits. That looks really cool. Probably only a 5 1/2 hour project to put together.
And the price is definitely got to go up to $195.
So they are tough but really worth it. And Ken is great about helping. I wish they would mark the numbers better but the instruction, if followed to the letter, are very helpful. Bare in mind I am old, my hands tremble from early Parkinson's and my eyesight is not wonderful. A fellow turner has taken pity on me and offered to assemble them as she enjoys it(?). I want to try one more before I send them to her. I am also gonna tackle one of his Moonscape kits. That looks really cool. Probably only a 5 1/2 hour project to put together.
And the price is definitely got to go up to $195.
Last edited:
ed4copies
Local Chapter Manager
Mike,
Can you send me a little of your sweat? Did you use it as sanding sealer, or a "between coat" BLO substitute?
GREAT finish!! Oh, and nice pen.
And "Old Wrangler", think about the 7 hours and the $150-195. I don't have an answer here - but every time I sell one, the price is a little higher. I started at $165 last spring. By Fall they were $250 and up. NO, I don't sell a lot of them and Dawn is starting to LOVE to put them together, so I may have to reconsider. But, with the kit at $50, coupled with the time - it really SHOULD be at least $200.
Can you send me a little of your sweat? Did you use it as sanding sealer, or a "between coat" BLO substitute?
GREAT finish!! Oh, and nice pen.
And "Old Wrangler", think about the 7 hours and the $150-195. I don't have an answer here - but every time I sell one, the price is a little higher. I started at $165 last spring. By Fall they were $250 and up. NO, I don't sell a lot of them and Dawn is starting to LOVE to put them together, so I may have to reconsider. But, with the kit at $50, coupled with the time - it really SHOULD be at least $200.
OldWrangler
Member
I agree but there comes a ceiling where people won't pay any higher. I think $195 is about it for around here. My retailer gets 40% so it means I would get $117. Kit costs $55 and pen kit about $7 so I gotta get my construction time to something less than 2 hours.
Hell, I'm old and the only jobs left are Greeter for WalleyWorld at minimum wage. I would rather lose money making the Puzzle Pen than even go in a WW.
Hell, I'm old and the only jobs left are Greeter for WalleyWorld at minimum wage. I would rather lose money making the Puzzle Pen than even go in a WW.
wolftat
Product Reviews Manager
Love the pen, but it sounds like you made it a little harder on yourself than you had to. Next time you do one of these kits, you may want to try leaving the skew on the bench and just using sandpaper to turn it down to size, that method has worked for me many times and it takes the nerve racking part out of the turning.
mitchm
Member
Hell Ed, no problem!! You send me a puzzle kit and I'll send you a pint... would you prefer the sweat pre or post Armani. :biggrin:
To tell the truth.....more sweat than BLO AND CA together. :embarrassed:
mitchm
Member
Neil I had used so much CA on the blanks that the rubber bands become little concrete pieces, would have had to start sanding with 80 grit....just don't seem right. :biggrin:
Oh.....the instructions, or was it an article in WT Design, said you got to use the skew....and I always listen! haha
Ligget
Member
Fantastic pen, hope the ones I have waiting turn out like your one!
Jim15
Member
Really, really nice, great work.
VisExp
Member
That looks very nice Mitch. The colors go nicely with the kit you chose. It's great to see you back and turning pens again.
papaturner
Member
Awesome job and pen.
Constant Laubscher
Member
Great pen and kit!
workinforwood
Member
Looks great and no doubt worth every penny!
Mather323
Member
I think your pen came out just fine!
toolcrazy
Member
I have a puzzle kit I need to assemble.
Gorgeous pen.
Gorgeous pen.