First corn cob

[Woodnknots]

Here's my first corn cob pen. I've seen so many of them done, I finally broke down and tried it. The only tool that touched it was my skew. I was too afraid to use anything else. The fit is okay, and the finish is decent. It's pretty hard to get them really smooth. Lots of CA, then sanding MM to 12000, and then CA/BLO, several coats, more MM to 12000, then a coat or two of carnauba.
Critiques are welcome. I know the pictures suck, I'm working on that problem as we speak. Thanks for looking.
Dave

 

[ctEaglesc]

Good Job for a first.
I wouldn't have attempted a cigar for my first one..After a while you get a "feel" for the size of the kit and the cob.
You now know what to watch out for.
A suggestion on the picture though.
With the black fittings a lighter cloth would help the pen show up better.
It aint nothing to sneeze at.
[]
You working on the second?

 

[jwoodwright]

Nice job Dave. I too used a Cigar Kit for my 1st Cob Pen. I still have a ways to go until I'm happy with cobs...

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[its_virgil]

I've made quite a few of these using various kits and have found the cigar kit to be the best to use for making pens from corn cobs. The size is just the fit for corncobs. I think the slimline is just too skinny for corncobs, especially at the nib and finial end. I've a few failure also, all on slimlines and all at the nib end or finial end. Never a failure with the cigar kit. Keep up the good work. A fun pen to make and they sell well for me.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

 

[Woodnknots]

Originally posted by cteaglesc
<br />Good Job for a first.
With the black fittings a lighter cloth would help the pen show up better.
It aint nothing to sneeze at.
[]
You working on the second?

It's actually a chrome kit, I thought that the black cloth would bring it out. couldn't have been more wrong. As for working on a second, I don't have any more cob right this minute. John Szarek gave me this one, I stabilized it first in some Nelsonite, then drilled it, stabilized it again for a few minutes. Then I soaked it for about a week in an acetone/plexiglass solution. It stabilized the core pretty well. I will eventually try another one, though. It's pretty neat when it's done.

 

[Woodnknots]

Originally posted by its_virgil
<br /> A fun pen to make and they sell well for me.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

Just out of curiosity, what price tag do you put on your cob cigars?

 

[its_virgil]

$45 using the titanium gold, black titanium, titanium or platinum kits only. $40 for chrome or black chrome. Titanium gold is the only gold I use when available. There is a picture in my yahoo album at the address on my signature.

Originally posted by daveturns05
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Originally posted by its_virgil
<br /> A fun pen to make and they sell well for me.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

Just out of curiosity, what price tag do you put on your cob cigars?

 

[rtjw]

Great looking pen. Gotta love those corn cobs. Sell like hot cakes for me.

 

[ctEaglesc]

My remark about choosing a cigar for a first corn cob had to do with the pattern of the kernals "running out"
I have found that the size of the "pith core" in the center dictates what style of "kit" that is best suited for the cob I am working on.
The cobs I have for the most part seem to be the same size of a slim line tube. When I run across larger ones I set them aside for larger pens.My method isn't fool proof but it works most of the time.
Looking forward to the second one.

 

[its_virgil]

My findings have been that using the cigar kit with the 10mm bit is that the pith on the inside is totally drilled out and the tube is glued into a more substantial cob material. I have not had corn cob failure on a cigar kit...that wasn't my fault. Catches have nothing to do with the kit being used, but totally with the idiot on the end of the skew[].

 

[jcarrell]

since others have shown their's, i thought i'd show my 1st corncob pen, made it a few weeks ago

torne pluma...jeff c, in foat wuth
www.bubbasville.com
www.texaswoodshop.com

 

[Doghouse]

Looks good. It looked very solid when you pulled it out of the "mix". It is a good way to learn how to use the skew.

 

[low_48]

daveturns05, I've been wanting to send you this idea for a few days now. When I turn the red cobs with very little color, I like to stain before filling with CA and putting on the CA finish. The top pen is medium brown walnut, the lower is medium red mahogany. Both are Behlen Master Solar-Lux non-grain raising stain. I soak the cob and let it sit for about 1 minute. I wipe off the excess and turn the lathe on 500 rpm and put a paper towel on the cab and dry and burnish the cob. Sometimes I grab a hand full of curls and hold to the cob as it turns. This also drys and burnishes it a little more. After about 5 minutes I sand with 320 grit paper to take off the color on the hard spots. The top pen is sanded a little harder than the bottom one. I think this gives it a little more natural look. I wipe off the dust and put on the CA if filling is needed, then the CA finish. These pens had the same exact color as yours before the stain. If you want more color with no stain, try to get white cobs, they have a better red color on the inside. Go figure!
Rich

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[arjudy]

I have got to try one of those sometime. What kind of cobs do you use? Field corn or sweet corn?

 

[low_48]

Field corn. The center diameter is the critical factor. Get some skinny cobs with a center dia. as close to 7 mm as possible.

Rich