Celtic knot made out of deer SKULL

[Drstrangefart]

This was a test run for what I hope to be a much nicer one in the kinda immediate future. I need better power tools and more experienced hands to help get the veneers a uniform thickness and sharper tools to stop chatter. Skull veneer hates a chatter. Comments and such are appreciated, as I'm not entirely sure where I stand with this pen.

 

[hunter-27]

Looks good except it appears you over turned the nib end. The knot is pretty cool.

 

[Drstrangefart]

Looks good except it appears you over turned the nib end. The knot is pretty cool.

I got bit by using a dead bushing. It was totally my fault.

 

[hunter-27]

Been there. Calipers should become your newest tool.

 

[Drstrangefart]

Been there. Calipers should become your newest tool.

Yeah. I don't wanna have to learn that one yet, but I know I'll never go back when I do.

 

[hunter-27]

You can certainly use the bushings in conjunction with the calipers to avoid those "oh crap" moments during assembly. Turning close, check it, if all is ok, keep going. It is also wise to check the bushing against the hardware anyway, not all bushings will be accurate out of the box, unless Johnny made them.

 

[Drstrangefart]

Right. I've gotten used to being able to get the right bushings out of the box. I ended up using an extra "good" bushing to space the barrels. I did a smart thing and worked them down one at a time, but if I don't space enough when turning separately them there's unintentional grabs that have destroyed good blanks. I should have been more careful in the absence of calipers. I may make a jig to make sure my slims are going well before sanding. I've used wrenches for bullet pens before some bushings showed up.

 

[Brooks803]

I like it Allan. Be sure to bring it to the meeting (that is if it doesn't sell first!)

One trick I learned with the nib section is to take it all apart and resquare that end. Take it back just enough to where the metal meets the wood. Since you don't have calipers just hold up that good bushing and eyeball it.

 

[Drstrangefart]

I like it Allan. Be sure to bring it to the meeting (that is if it doesn't sell first!)

One trick I learned with the nib section is to take it all apart and resquare that end. Take it back just enough to where the metal meets the wood. Since you don't have calipers just hold up that good bushing and eyeball it.

It should be there with me!

 

[ghostrider]

Outside of the already mentioned I think it looks pretty cool.

I always use calipers, and even then still have a hard time because I haven't developed a consistent formula for finishing. (Thanks to you and some others, I've gotten my finishes looking good, just need to nail down the number of coats, sanding time, etc... that determine the thickness of the finish). I can sand down to just below the bushing, and build up with finish, but where it will be after final polishing is a guess at this point.

Really like the look of that pen. (funny, but I always called it a "Turk's Head" before reading these forums. :biggrin.

 

[robutacion]

Now, segmenting with skull bone, that is getting "cheeky" and not easy. You may get better results in using the bone with a darker wood, for contrast...!

Yeah, Brooks suggestion is very good, so it is the caliper suggestion from Hunter-27...!:wink:

You can make a jig to help you out, no doubt but, I found one of the easiest ways to solve the problem of a worn bush or a slightly undersized one, even if new, is to rap 1 or 2 layers of masking tape around the bush, flash to the "good" edge.

You just have to remember to not overlap the tape if you only want 1 layer of tape. You can make it safer and add 2 layer of tape, 1 to guide you with the barrel size (rough turn) and remove 1 layer to guide you for the hand sanding.

You can use different colours for the layers and you can always replace the tape if it gets damaged before you're ready...!:biggrin:

It doesn't take more than a few seconds to rap some tape to the bush(s)...!

Good luck...!

 

[Drstrangefart]

I'm hoping to take a simpler route than trying to fix the vad bushings and just buying some new ones soon, and probably start using calipers soon.

 

[sbell111]

Honestly, I'm not loving the caliper suggestion. It is simply easier for me to turn using bushings. I do incorporate calipers as a way of occasionally checking bushing wear, but never as a replacement for bushings (except for those relatively rare scenarios where there is no bushing for the job, of course).

 

[Drstrangefart]

Honestly, I'm not loving the caliper suggestion. It is simply easier for me to turn using bushings. I do incorporate calipers as a way of occasionally checking bushing wear, but never as a replacement for bushings (except for those relatively rare scenarios where there is no bushing for the job, of course).

I don't REALLY wanna have to learn, but at least being able to double-check would be an improvement. Idiot proofing me from myself seems to be a full time job these days.

 

[bitshird]

Other than a slight bushing malfunction I think it's great, Never thought of using skull for much, pretty cool idea.

 

[Drstrangefart]

Other than a slight bushing malfunction I think it's great, Never thought of using skull for much, pretty cool idea.

Cutting them into the strips needed is TOUGH. But, it can be done.

 

[Sam@CSUSA]

The knot looks very even all around. Great job!

 

[Drstrangefart]

The knot looks very even all around. Great job!

Thanks. I took a lot of time trying to get the drill press centered. Came really close.