Filibella enhancement

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
See more from plantman

plantman

Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2012
Messages
3,437
Location
Green Bay, Wi
This started out as a PSI Filibella antique copper pen kit. I changed the color of the background and crystals with blue alcohol dye/ink to make the copper design stand out better. The blanks are Birdseye Maple Burl tinted with the same blue alcohol dye/ ink plus a blender to soften the color. With the yellowish grain of the maple and the blue dye, the blanks look more green that blue on the photos. Sanded to 1200 grit and added 8 coats of thick CA. Re-sanded to 1200 and applied Nova #1 and #2 Polish. In my humble outlook this pen kit, without enhancement, is one of the most unflattering in the PSI collection. That is the reason I ordered this kit, to see if I could improve on it's looks. Hope this gives some of you out there ideas of what can be done with it. You can be the judge as to if it improved the look or not. Feel free to blast away !! Jim S
 

Attachments

  • DSCN0806 (800x189).jpg
    DSCN0806 (800x189).jpg
    103.4 KB · Views: 260
  • DSCN0807 (800x218).jpg
    DSCN0807 (800x218).jpg
    102.8 KB · Views: 222
  • DSCN0808 (270x800).jpg
    DSCN0808 (270x800).jpg
    110.6 KB · Views: 271
  • DSCN0809 (248x800).jpg
    DSCN0809 (248x800).jpg
    111 KB · Views: 229
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

vakmere

Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2014
Messages
594
Location
Philly
Definitely looks nicer than the original kit. The fit could be more even with the trim however the copper and blank match well.
 

Jack Parker

Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2014
Messages
556
Location
Las Vegas, NV
Jim, if I may ask, what adhesive did you wind up with for the crystals? Epoxy, E6000 or something similar, or the adhesive that Swarovski sells in their Create Your Style line?

Jack
 

plantman

Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2012
Messages
3,437
Location
Green Bay, Wi
Jim, if I may ask, what adhesive did you wind up with for the crystals? Epoxy, E6000 or something similar, or the adhesive that Swarovski sells in their Create Your Style line?

Jack

Jack; The crystals are the clear ones that came with the kit, I just used alcohol ink to dye them blue. When I add crystals to a pen I use thick CA to hold them in place. Jim S
 

Jack Parker

Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2014
Messages
556
Location
Las Vegas, NV
Jim, if I may ask, what adhesive did you wind up with for the crystals? Epoxy, E6000 or something similar, or the adhesive that Swarovski sells in their Create Your Style line?

Jack

Jack; The crystals are the clear ones that came with the kit, I just used alcohol ink to dye them blue. When I add crystals to a pen I use thick CA to hold them in place. Jim S

Thanks Jim, I have a customer that wants a gold Skeleton Key "blinged" up and am having trouble getting these things to stay in place. I'll give thick CA a try. Thank you Sir.
 

plantman

Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2012
Messages
3,437
Location
Green Bay, Wi
Jim, if I may ask, what adhesive did you wind up with for the crystals? Epoxy, E6000 or something similar, or the adhesive that Swarovski sells in their Create Your Style line?

Jack

Jack; The crystals are the clear ones that came with the kit, I just used alcohol ink to dye them blue. When I add crystals to a pen I use thick CA to hold them in place. Jim S

Thanks Jim, I have a customer that wants a gold Skeleton Key "blinged" up and am having trouble getting these things to stay in place. I'll give thick CA a try. Thank you Sir.

Jack; Here are a few photos of a skeleton key pen that I have blinged up. On this one I added blue crystals and alcohol ink. Hope this helps. Jim S
 

Attachments

  • DSCF0114 (495x800).jpg
    DSCF0114 (495x800).jpg
    244 KB · Views: 117
  • DSCF0116 (576x800).jpg
    DSCF0116 (576x800).jpg
    308 KB · Views: 111
  • DSCF0117 (800x290).jpg
    DSCF0117 (800x290).jpg
    201.1 KB · Views: 119
Last edited:

Jack Parker

Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2014
Messages
556
Location
Las Vegas, NV
Thank you Jim, I remember seeing and liking it when you posted it initially. Thought then that it was really nice looking. The client wanted "rhinestones" and I think she liked the shiny gold, so I think I am going to fit 8 small crystals in the finial, the one in the center of the key, and a couple on the nib section. She wants the same treatment on an AP Victorian Rollerball. It's going to be a little tough finding places to put them on that pen without having to mill some flat spots. Wish me luck, I think I'm going to need it.
 
Top Bottom