First El Grande

[Jim in Oakville]

Hi All,

I turned my first El Grande last night. It's one of the new kits Lee Valley is now carrying and since I'll be teaching a pen class in the Burlington store in June I figured I best start making some of the new kits.

This was also my first time using an 8 MM mandrel. I use a universal 7 mm with adjustable length all the time that I love, this one was not the same and was not with out issues, it took awhile to get it to spin flat.

The bushings are not the same as the CSUSA bushings, finished black. I found them to be harder to see for some reason (my aging eyes and light) as I turned.

The kit went together very easily, much like a Ligero.

I am not sold on the 8 MM mandrel, I really missed the adjustable length...maybe it's just me and feeling like I don't really want to have to change my ways.

The blank is a stabilized spalted box elder burl from BB

 

[JimGo]

That looks nice! I like the curve to the lower barrel. I did one with the upper barrel curved, and it didn't look right. The shapes you've used look much better.

 

[alamocdc]

Nice looking pen, Jim. I'm not thrilled with my "b" mandrel either. Had some truing problems with it. I have the PSI adjustable and once I set it to the "one barrel at a time" length, I get near perfect results. I recently bought a Beall check and a gagillion (18 actually) collets for it so I'm going to try to get one of my collets to fit the "b" mandrel and turn one at a time like I do with my adjustable.

 

[gerryr]

Very nice looking El Grande. The shape is really well done. I think this may be the first El Grande I've seen that wasn't B2B. I like this one.

 

[wayneis]

Jim, nice looking pen, the Legero was actually patterned after the El Grande. I really like the El Grande's, I've made a bunck of them. If you haven't already give the El Grande Streamline a try, the cap tappers so it gives a nice line to the pen. Just read the directions good because on this kit you do not glue the tubes in the cap blank before turning. You can save quite a bit if you buy this kit from either Berea or BB.

Billy the 5/16" collet is what you need for the B mandrel rod, it may feel a little lage when you put the rod in but it tighten down good. The nice thing about the collet chuck is that you don't have to turn just one barrel at a time.

Wayne

 

[alamocdc]

Thanks, Wayne, but the mandrel is already too short for most of the "b" kits I turn (Perfect Fit, for example, I barely have enough threads for the knurl nut) and I'll have to shorten it further using a collet. But I don't mind one at a time. I'll sacrifice the short added time for a better fit.

 

[jdavis]

beautiful grain in wood

 

[Jim15]

Great pen and the wood is superb.

jim

 

[EdwinSSIV]

That wood is beautiful goes great with the pen kit!

 

[dubdrvrkev]

Very nice Jim. I like the E/G kits but they are hard to do anything not B2B, you did a good job with the shape in this one.

 

[Jim in Oakville]

Thanks every one for your kind comments and critiques..

[][][]