First Baron, First BOW

[bonefish]

I know there are some mistakes in it, but I like it, not because I made it, but because I really like the Baron Design. The finish is CA. This is my first attempt at a CA finish, and I see from the picture that I need a lot more practice.

Yesterday, while I was waiting in the car for my wife, I had my camera and and the pen with me. I lay the pen on my knee and took the picture.

Comments, both good and bad.

Bonefish

 

[gerryr]

I think it looks pretty good, although I admit that I am not a big fan of B2B turning. The finish looks like it wasn't completely smoothed out and and sanded with Micro Mesh, it looks a bit rough, or maybe that's from shooting it in the car. Micro Mesh is an absolutely must for a good CA finish. That said, my first several attempts at a CA finish were not even close to this good.

 

[JimGo]

To expand on Gerry's coments a little, you can see the "finish rings" in the pen; small rings that run around the barrel that are a byproduct of the sanding process. Try turning the lathe off and sanding along the length of the barrel between sanding grits. That will help knock down more of those rings. Some here even sand with the lathe turned off, and only sand along the length of the barrel.

The CA also appears to be a little cloudy on the ends of the main barrel, and shiny near the middle. You'll find that this happens with oily woods like Olive, Cocobolo, Lignum Vitae, etc. The oils seem to keep the CA from curing properly into a nice, shiny finish. Some here have recommended wiping oily wood blanks with DNA before starting the CA finishing process to give more consistent results, as the DNA appears to wipe off some/most of the oil. Others here disagree very strongly on this advice.

That being said, it's still a very pretty pen. Looks like you nailed the fit, which is pretty difficult to do.

Keep up the good work!

 

[Rifleman1776]

Bonefish, do take the earlier comments as constructive criticizm. Follow the advice and your work will improve. Finishing is (for me) the hardest part of pen making. I, too, wondered about putting CA over an oily wood like olive. If you are keeping this pen for yourself, watch the long-term effects and report back. As for turning straight a/k/a bushing to bushing or B2B, that is a matter of taste. My personal Baron is antler and fairly fat, some don't like it. Others really do. The Baron is a great kit and adaptable to a variety of tastes, depending on how your turn it.

 

[huntersilver]

Nice looking pen, for me I try to stay away from the CA finish due
to cost, but mostly the fumes. Good job, as you continue it will
get better.

 

[Mudder]

Jimgo gave some very good advise.

Oily woods are tuff to get a good CA finish on.

 

[bonefish]

When I made this pen, I didn't know that it was oily. As far as durability, the cloudy places on the front barrel were not there when I completed the pen. I had been carrying the pen for three or four days when the picture was taken, and the CA has worn off.

I'm not completely positive, but I believe those circular scratches are also in the finish. I finished sanded the wood with 2000 grit wet or dry, used dry, and 800 grit before that.

Rifleman, I don't mind criticism a bit. I have been making pens, off and on, for about ten years, and I have never yet made one without a defect. If you will look closely, this pen is not turned B2B. There is a slight bulge in the cap and lower end.

Not much of one, and less than I intended, but it's there.

When I first started turning the blank, I took too deep of a cut and the blank splintered for about an inch, all the way to the tube.

Not wanting to scrap such a pretty piece of wood, not to mention valuable, I was able to find the splinters on the floor, and CA glue the blank back togather.

I'm not sure which barrel was repaired. I looked at it just now, and couldn't find the repair.

Going back to the circular scratches, when I examined it a few minutes ago, the CA had worn off the scrachey looking parts also, and the scratches were definately in the finish.

Thanks to all of you for taking the time to examine the pen, and for your comments. I knew there were mistakes in it, but I didn't see the ones mentioned. There are more. Look closely.

Bonefish

P.S. I wanted to put the winking smiley face at the end of the last sentance. How do you do that?

 

[JimGo]

I'm glad you took the comments in the spirit in which they were intended - constructive criticism. I'm a little concerned about the fact that the CA wore off after only a few days. Both of my Cocobolo "daily driver" pens have CA on them (Cocobolo is also a very oily wood), and that I can tell, the CA hasn't worn off after at least several weeks of use, if not a few months (in the case of my Jr. Gent). Can you describe your finishing process in more detail?

As for the smiley, simply click on the icon on the right-hand side of the Quick Reply box (the thing where you write your reply) and the smilie will be added for you. Alternatively, for the winking one, type in square brackets.

BTW, I know it ain't cheap, but consider investing in MicroMesh. Even Rifleman has converted, and after you've been here a while, you'll understand how big a deal that is! []

 

[challagan]

Well bonefish, I have to tell you that you are braver than I. At least you tried CA. I have just avoided it. The pen loooks nice and I like the shape. Maybe try Enduro, in my opinion it really doesn't have a learning curve as I did fine out of the gate withe it, however I don't know how it reacts with this oily of a wood myself. Get the Micromesh, you need that even with the Enduro and should be part of your sanding regiment prior to any finish and it is a must with CA and Enduro when finishing. The stuff lasts forever!

Corey

 

[johncrane]

Bonefish great repair job. ca is good for repair work .its a good picture just taken sitting in the car did you use the flash ,for all the time and effort we put into making a pen they are all good;

 

[Johnathan]

Nice pen. Not only is Micro Mesh a must but I would also have to say you must use a buffing wheel to really have a finish glow.

 

[bonefish]

JimGo:

You asked about my finish method. I'm almost ashamed to tell you.

The CA is in a blister pack of six tubes that I paid a dollar for at a dollar store, so it naturally is not high quality stuff. I bought it to practice with.

To start with, after finish sanding, I applied CA to the blank and sanded with 400 grit paper. This was to seal the grain. After drying, I sanded again, down to 2000 grit paper.

I didn't have any BLO, but I did have a can of Minwax Antique finish. I applied a coat of that, using a small amount on a paper towel and the lathe running.

Next, I applied CA the way it has been described on this site. I put on about 8 coats. Sometimes, the coats would be uneven, and I would sand it smooth with 800 and 2000 grit paper, then apply again. I kept doing this over and over until I got a smooth, even final coat, then quit.

Next, I polished with Hut Plastic polish.

Honestly, when I finished, the finish was really good, almost as good as some of the CA finishes I have seen on the site, and I was satisfied with it. I think the CA didn't stick to the wood to begin with, and it came off instead of wearing off.

Up until now, my carrying pen has ben a Cigar, but I like the Baron style so well, I am going to carry it now, bad finish and all. I might refinish, using another method, but since I will be the only one who knows about it, I might just leave it as it is.

Thanks for all the encouragement. There are some really nice people on this site.

I was reluctant to join, because about a year ago, I was registered on another forum, not about pen making. There were some really nasty, profane and hateful people on that site, and I didn't want to get mixed up with that again.

I am happy to say that this site is a vast improvement over the other forum. I am thankful that you have made me feel welcome, and allowed me to participate.

Bonefish [][]

 

[JimGo]

Glad you chose to join! We get dragged down in the mud every so often, but it's usually a great place to visit. I've made some great friends here!

You said "after finish sanding", but didn't describe that process - that's actually a VERY important part of the finish.

A few quick tips:
1) again, get some MicroMesh - you'll be glad you did. One of our members has a pack of all 9 grits available from his online store for about $12. Unfortunately, I can't remember who it is (I think it's Tangboy, but I'm not 100% certain), but it's one of the best prices you'll find.
2) again, make sure you sand along the length of the blank, even with the MicroMesh.
3) get some good CA. Monty has some in a rolling group buy, and it won't cost you much more than the blister pack you bought when you take the volume of CA into account. Someone else here pointed out that the odorless CA does a great job with CA finishes; I've been playing with it a little, and I like it too. It's more expensive than the other CA's (by a lot, too), but it does a nice job.
4) "real" BLO will probably make a significant improvement over the Minwax Antique finish.
5) apply a sanding sealer (e.g., a coat or three of thin CA) early on in the finish sanding process, rather than waiting 'till after your finish sanding is done. The "sanding slurry" process that Fangar describes well in his write-up is a great way to seal the grain. Doing this early on will save you some time, and you'll get better results.
6) if you want a REALLY shiny finish, get some of the diamond polish listed in the classifieds, and use that at the very end after you've applied the several CA coats. Then top that with a wax (I use TSW) and buff.

Hope this helps! I'm anxious to see your next pens!

 

[ed4copies]

Bonefish,

Your photography is really disgusting!! I've tried for months and get a crappy picture, you put the darn pen on your knee and get a fine photo!!

BAHHHHHHHhhhhhh. Humbug!

As a guy that doesn't do CA finishes (except on corn cobs and denim), I think the pen is highly acceptable. Not ready for an art show, but more "salable" than many I see at craft shows!

Keep on improving! Most of all, enjoy your hobby!

 

[bonefish]

My finish sanding begins with 220 grit Silicon Carbide, used dry. Then I go to 400 grit, then 800, then 2000.

Next, I apply CA and before it dries, sand with the 400 to create the slurry. After the slurry dries, I use the 400 again to remove any uneven spots. Then back to the 800 and 2000 grit. I actually finish sand twice. One thing I didn't think about was sanding lengthwise.

My wife liked the Baron design and she wanted one made from blue AA. That is the one pictured, and the third roller ball I have made for her. Would you believe she still hasn't paid for any of them?

The center band is slightly proud of the body, but otherwise, the joints are smooth.

The sanding was the same as for the BOW, except I didn't use CA. After the 2000 grit, I used the Hut Plastic polish.

Those tiny white dots are actually embedded in the AA. They appeared during the first sanding, and I didn't have enough material left to keep trying to get them out, if they would come out. That is the reason the center band is proud. I sanded too much trying to remove the spots.

This was my second Baron, and I neglected to put the thingy in the cap, as was discussed on another thread. On my first one, I assembled it correctly.

Someone asked about the flash. My camera has about 50 manual settings, and one Auto. I leave it on Auto because that is the only setting I can figure out. I don't remember whether it flashed or not.

The AA pen was scanned.

Keep the comments coming. Maybe we can all learn something new. I do plan to order some MM. I thought 2000 grit would do just as well, but aparrently not.

Bonefish