Copper and Walnut OH MY

[Travlr7]

I have been playing around with this since I heard that someone had made a pen using copper wire.

It was difficult to do. The wire I used was #12 guage solid electrical wire.

First, you have to bend the wire around the brass tube without collapsing it. The original plan used solder to keep it in place. I chose CA instead. Appears to have worked well. After the CA hardened, I turned the ends of the copper flush and square.

Next was adding the Walnut. That wasn't hard. Just make sure the end mating to the copper is square. Turned the Walnut down to the level of the Copper, then finish turned the whole thing to the dimentions I wanted.

Sanded through 12,000 and finished with 8 coats of French Polish.

Your comments appreciated

Bruce

 

[Ligget]

Hi Bruce, the pen looks excellent from over here!
Unusual to say the least, I am sure you have just started a trend. Thanks for sharing........

 

[cigarman]

Very nice Bruce. It appears to have a good fit but I would like to see a larger picture. Maybe when you put it on your album.

 

[Gregory Huey]

From what I can see it is a nice looking pen. I made one doing the solder and found the pen to be to heavy. Know what you mean about wraping the wire around the brass.

 

[Gary]

Interesting use of materials, Bruce.

 

[esheffield]

Very nice! I really like that look. Have to try that myself sometime. As for the tubes collapsing, perhaps some kind of plug in the tube while wrapping? For 7mm you could probably put them on the mandrel. For larger ones perhaps use a drill bit or a dowel turned to the proper size. Just an idea, like I said I've never done it myself.

 

[jkirkb94]

Looks like you did a good job! Kirk[8D]

 

[TheHeretic]

looks good. I would like to see a copper CB on it though. I think the walnut/copper/walnut/copper pattern is broken up by the gold tone CB and distracts me.

just my 2c


Dean
Columbus OH

 

[dougle40]

Neat idea , looks good .

 

[Tom McMillan]

Great job on that one Bruce!!!! Looks really nice!!

 

[Fleabit]

I like the work. Good looking pen and a good use of the materials. Agree with Theheteric, the CB looks a little out of place (being picky here). Overall, excellent pen!

 

[Travlr7]

Here is a larger picture.

<br />

If I do another one, It will probably be without and centerband.

Bruce[]

 

[KKingery]

Cool lookin pen...nice job!

 

[btboone]

You can add a light bulb and wave a magnet near it and have a flashlight! [] I agree with the copper centerband comment. Just get a few inches of 3/8" copper plumbing tubing from Home Depot and part off a piece and it's done. You could expand it on a tapered mandrel if necessary to nail the dimension. Nice looking pen.

 

[Craig B]

Neat looking pen!

 

[opfoto]

Nice looking and unique pen.

 

[tipusnr]

Neat pen. Will the finish you used keep the copper from oxidizing?

 

[Travlr7]

Thanks for the Idea, Bruce.

I'll give it a try and see how it looks.

I believe that the finish is substantial enough to keep it from tarnishing.

Bruce

 

[Darley]

I like your pen Bruce very nice I will set aside the idee.

Serge

 

[PenWorks]

Very nice pen Bruce, I to would like to see a close up of the pen. I have read that article and it has been on the back burner as well. Glad you made yours. Fine job.

 

[Travlr7]

This is about as big as I can get it without the picture going to Blah.

<br />

Bruce[]

 

[Travlr7]

After looking at your posts and reading your suggestions, I figured out what was bothering me with the pen.

It's not that the centerband is gold instead of copper. Any centerband made from anything other than Walnut breaks the pen up into too many pieces, so I turned a Walnut centerband. I think it looks better.

How about you? Comments please!

<br />

Thanks for being patient with me on this one.

Bruce[]

 

[DCBluesman]

Voila! VERY nice fix!

 

[JimGo]

Yes Bruce, MUCH nicer! It gives the pen a cleaner appearance.

 

[Randy_]

Guess I'll have to swim upstream here. I like the gold centerband. Since you have a clip and a nib that are gold, I don't think the color is objectionable.....but maybe it doesn't look as good in real life. Sometimes pictures do funny things.

What I did notice that doesn't please my eye is that the walnut pieces on either side of the center band are not the same length. I think the pen would have a more pleasing appearance if all of the walnut pieces were the SAME length. Overall, though, it is a unique and pretty pen. Looks like this is one that will have to go into my library of pens that I would like to make.

And for whatever it is worth, I think the copper wire centerband would be a little too much copper. I do like the wooden band, although I might be tempted to try a darker color.

 

[Tom McMillan]

Looks good to me, although, I'm thinking a copper one would look good. If I did a copper one I'd likely make it the diamond shape I do on some of my spirals to break it up a little.

 

[Travlr7]

Randy, Thanks for your imput. I can see what you're talking about and agree that it would look better If they were exactly the same. The problem stems from the fact that once the copper is wrapped, it is very difficult trimming it square, let alone making sure that there is exactly the same distance left on each end. Even then that length will change slightly when using the pen mill. The overall difference is 2mm on this one.

Thanks to the rest of you for your comments, too!

Bruce


PS: Just thought of this. If I wanted it to be perfect, I could do it on a milling machine........................but where would the individuality of it be? And what fun is there in knowing I can have a machine do it? Nah, I'll keep doin' it myself, even if there are imperfections. I have been told that weavers of Persian Rugs intentionally make a mistake in the pattern because they believe that Only GOD is perfect.

This is not meant to be a slam, but a reflection of why I do these "Spinny" things. Even if the effort is non-saleable or something that should be returned to the firewood pile, I learn from the experience and enjoy the effort. To me, that's what is important and I DO APPRECIATE ALL COMMENTS............REALLY!

 

[Randy_]

Bruce: If you decide to put that pen back on the firewood pile, I'm a little short of kindling..... send it my way!![][]

I went back and took a second look at my post and decided that I didn't say exactly what I meant. Maybe you understood what I was trying to say; but just to clarify. In spite of what I wrote, I didn't mean to suggest that all four walnut sections should be identical in length. What I did mean to say is it would be nice if the two pieces of walnut on either side of the center band were the same size(or nearly so). Because they are so close together, any difference in length is much more noticeable.

I can appreciate that trimming the copper wire is a little tricky. I am wondering if you used a skew or a parting tool to "square-up" wood/metal joint or perhaps some entirely different technique?? Thanks.

 

[Travlr7]

Hi Randy,

I guess I should not make pictures so big. The difference in those two pieces is just proud of 1 mm. I might try sanding the bigger one down. You have a GOOD eye for detail.

In answer to how I squared up the ends of the coils, I did use a parting tool. It had to be sharpened several times during the process to keep it from grabbing on the copper.

Bruce