A couple more finished

[buttonsHT]

Here's a couple more that I've done recently. I took the advice of someone on youtube and turned some blanks from a scrap 2x4 and practiced CA finish on those. I feel I'm slowly getting the hang of it...

On to the new pens! There's a couple I can't post as they're for the BASH contests (Beginner and Russ Fairfield Slimline are the two I'm entering)

1 - A gold Slimline kit on unknown blank (some colored plywood type wood I had laying around)
2 - A gold Longwood kit on an acrylic blank
3 - A chrome Slimline Econo kit on purpleheart with a caduceus (for my girlfriends friend who is a nurse)
4 - A gold Cigar kit on Brazilian Rosewood
5 - A gold Sierra Click kit on Guatemalan Rosewood

Any comments and criticism are welcome. I know I still have some things to work on (including my terrible photography :biggrin

Thanks for looking!

 

[scottsheapens]

I like them Mark. Nice work.

 

[Ted iin Michigan]

Mark - Couple things. First, congrats. Your work shows attention to the craft. Practicing finishing before doing it "for real" is an excellent thing to do. You'll make the necessary mistakes and progress a lot faster than I did! It's cheaper, too! Second, a photography tip. Assuming you are doing digital work, take the same shot and bracket the exposures. Most cameras will allow this. You can choose which one to use after you look them over. Frankly, in my photos, I will most often choose a shot that is "overexposed" at least +1 stop.

Keep up the good work. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work.

 

[Tom T]

looken good, keep going.

 

[buttonsHT]

I like them Mark. Nice work.

looken good, keep going.

Thank you both!

Mark - Couple things. First, congrats. Your work shows attention to the craft. Practicing finishing before doing it "for real" is an excellent thing to do. You'll make the necessary mistakes and progress a lot faster than I did! It's cheaper, too! Second, a photography tip. Assuming you are doing digital work, take the same shot and bracket the exposures. Most cameras will allow this. You can choose which one to use after you look them over. Frankly, in my photos, I will most often choose a shot that is "overexposed" at least +1 stop.

Keep up the good work. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work.

I wasted 3-4 kits when I first got setup. :frown: 2 because I didn't glue them properly (I can be very impatient) and 2 because I didn't know what I was doing with CA! That stuff can get really messy really quick.

I went on youtube and watched 243284738 videos of CA finishing and the one that REALLY hit home was from the gentleman at Wood-n-Whimsies. He explained the process very well and I did it the way he did and it worked out much better. He's also who mentioned the idea of using scrap wood to try out on.

 

[GaryT45]

I'm not sure what grit you are sanding to with the wood pens, but the last 2 look like there are still some sanding marks left.
I use 150, 240, 320, 400, 600, then 1000, 1500, 1800, 2400, 3200, 3600.

 

[OZturner]

Nice Pens Mark,
As you have found, Pens, Adhesive, and CA etc., are not very forgiving.
You hit the nail on the head. Don't be in a hurry, a great pen is not judged on how quick it was built, but on the Material Selection, Form and Profile, Fit and Finish.
Just like in a Contact, "The Devil is in the Detail".
Congratulations,
Brian.

 

[Jim15]

Good looking group of pens.

 

[bobjackson]

Mighty fine group of pens. Great job.