Feeling brave enough to showcase!

[Bugware]

After a couple of months making pens I feel that it is time to show a few samples. I would be grateful for some feedback.

Regards


Neil.

 

[hewunch]

look good from over here!

 

[Rollerbob]

Ok here's the deal, if you must display your first pens that you claim "you have only been doing for a couple of months", they first must look like beginner pens. If you are uncertain what that looks like, pm me for photos.:wink: Super start, very nice!

 

[Ligget]

Looking good from up here too, where about in the UK are you Neil?

 

[skiprat]

Ok here's the deal, if you must display your first pens that you claim "you have only been doing for a couple of months", they first must look like beginner pens.........

LOL, you took the words right out of my mouth:biggrin:

All VERY impressive Neil. Did you do the keys yourself?

 

[Brittleheart]

I wish my first pens had looked like that after two months.

 

[workinforwood]

Great looking pens Neil.

 

[keithkarl2007]

a couple of months??? :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin: who do you think your kidding :biggrin: i suppose you just also happened to learn to take perfect photo's from a camera straight from the box :biggrin::biggrin:

 

[mitchm]

Great looking pens Neil. Awesome job!!

 

[hunter-27]

Not buying it

After a couple of months making pens I feel that it is time to show a few samples. I would be grateful for some feedback.

Regards


Neil.

Not buying what you are selling. A couple months huh? Pffft!!! Nice work!

 

[Bugware]

OK, you got me. Its been about 4 months! I started at the end of Jan' and have made 22 pens to date.

Still pretty happy with the results.

Regards


Neil.

 

[Bugware]

Looking good from up here too, where about in the UK are you Neil?

Hi Mark

Yorkshire. We have chatted before back in February i think.

Regards


Neil.

 

[randyrls]

Very nice set of pens... Equal to anything I have seen.

 

[Russianwolf]

you are definitely off to a great start. The only thing I see that MAY need work is the fit on those non-posting ends, they look a touch proud of the hardware.

 

[Bugware]

you are definitely off to a great start. The only thing I see that MAY need work is the fit on those non-posting ends, they look a touch proud of the hardware.

Thanks for the tip, I'll take it down to the bushing next time.


Neil.

 

[broitblat]

Sorry, you don't get any points for bravery with those pens. No courage is needed to show work that good.

-Barry

 

[bitshird]

A couple of months heh?? Not too many folks have the intestinal fortitude to do a Piano pen or a closed end fountain in their first few months of turning. You sir are either a VERY talented turner or a BRASH teller of prevarications.
Either way them is some fine lookin pens,

 

[DKF]

Off to a great start....and great photos, as well. Nice work all around!

 

[PenTurnerfromMaine]

OK, now I'm depressed. Only a couple of months???? UGH.

Really nice work, keep it up!

 

[texasfootball21]

Couple of months? Either that's an exaggeration or you are just very talented!

Either way, great job! Its taken me much longer to get pens close to that good.

Keep them coming!

 

[chriselle]

First of all, Great pens!..Second, very good pictures. Third, I'm only somewhat surprised at the excellent quality you are achieving after only 2~4 months.

Penturning ain't what it was when I (or, many of us) first started. There's no denying that getting to this level in a matter of months requires talent but it's also a testament to the vast and ever evolving resources readily available on the IAP and other such sites.

Reminds me of the Jeff Foxworthy joke about his kid getting new computer for her birthday...when all he got was ball on a rubber band and a paddle...

And yes!! My first 20 pens were out and out... "stinkers"!!

 

[Bugware]

Great feedback

Thanks for the great feedback. Feeling really chuffed, it was worth the hours of my wife nagging me every time I go to see the other woman (lathe).

I need some help with a couple of things. Let me know if I am in the wrong forum for this and I will post it somewhere else...

1. To drill the blank I am using a small drill press and a small vice. Sometimes the blank splits during drilling. The bottom half of the piano pen split completely in half. Would a proper pen vice cure this?

2. The barrel trimmer is not very good for harder materials like Buffallo Horn. Is there better way to level the end?


Neil.

 

[ldb2000]

Drilling on the lathe will cure both those problems . All you need is a Mt2 drill chuck for the tail stock and either a 4 jaw chuck or a collet chuck for the headstock .
It's best to round your blanks between centers before you drill them , it makes it much easier to center the round blank in the chuck and for the collet chuck it will need to fit the biggest size collet you have (3/4" for the er32 collets) .
Once they are drilled and tubed put them back in the chuck and use a skew to clean up the ends of the blank , perfect every time .

 

[CSue]

Fantastic work, Neil! Absolutely nothing in common with my "first 22" pens. Thats a very good thing.

In the photo of the 6 together, what material is the 3rd from left made from?

 

[el_d]

Very impressive....... for a show off!:wink:

Great job, wish I had your skills....

 

[Jim15]

Great looking pens.

 

[Bugware]

Fantastic work, Neil! Absolutely nothing in common with my "first 22" pens. Thats a very good thing.

In the photo of the 6 together, what material is the 3rd from left made from?

It was made from Deer Antler. Taken straight through the centre of a large section, and so it left a rought open grained surface. Not what i expected at all. I thought it would give a shiney finish. I intend to make a pencil to match but no idea whether the colours will come out the same. There is a lot of green which again was not expected. I will use up the rest of the antler too see what I get.


Neil.

 

[GouletPens]

Wow, you Brits sure know how to make some pens. They look great, keep it up!

 

[VisExp]

Nice work! Even a closed end pen in the mix