ed4copies
Local Chapter Manager
Only the second one I have turned, but the last one sold before I got a pic, so here goes.
Flag pen Gents
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Only the second one I have turned, but the last one sold before I got a pic, so here goes.
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Rifleman1776
Member
I salute you. Wish you sold those blanks.
Flag pen blanks can be purchased from http://www.kallenshaanwoods.com/Store.asp?m=Kallenshaan1&n=14&k=4652&s=Stars+and+Stripes+Inlay+Kit . The price is $45 and Ken stocks them for the Jr. Gentleman, Gentleman and Baron kits.
pastorbill1952
Member
Attention to colors!!!! Great looking pen and work.
Fleabit
Member
Looks grand!
MDWine
Member
Very striking! That really gets your attention!
rtjw
Member
Very nice.
Ed, I have looked at that a couple of time and have always thought of doing one... how tricky is it to do... I realize you need to glue to stars and stripes in place... did you use CA or something else.. and did you have any problems turning it when they were in place...
Thanks... pen looks great...
Thanks... pen looks great...
darbytee
Member
Like Griz, I've thought quite a bit about this one too. Great job on it.
ed4copies
Local Chapter Manager
Griz,
Only here would I tell the truth-the first pen of this type I turned completely with my 60 grit gouge (a term I learned here)!
This is the second one, I got braver!!
First, the kit comes with GREAT instructions-water down some yellow glue and use that to affix stars and stripes. I only do one stripe per night and clamp it for 24 hours before doing the next. The glue actually makes the inserts (stars and stripes) fit. Again, the instructions say don't try to dry fit-it won't work. In the strains of an old song, "you gotta have faith my friend..."
When the blank is finished, the stars, particularly, seem like a bunch of edges waiting to catch. So, this time, I really sharpened a skew (with which I am most comfortable) and set to work SLOWLY. Lathe turning fast, but taking off a _____ hair at a time. (read very small hair)
As the work progressed, it became like turning any other wood. In short, I would NOT recommend it as an early turning project but certainly half the people here CAN do it. (The other half can too-just stick with the 60 grit gouge.)
Importantly, the kit is $45 so my fear factor was high! But, the first one I made (my other half bought-I didn't know what it cost), sold the first time I let it out in public. It (Gents pen) sold for $135 (I think she would have paid over $200, but the price was marked inside the box). She went ape when she found out there were really 50 stars and 13 stripes.
Griz, you should try at least ONE. You will have a great time making it. I have a Jr. Gent glued up also, but if you decide to try it first, make sure the trifocals are working-THEM IS SMALL STARS!!!!
Only here would I tell the truth-the first pen of this type I turned completely with my 60 grit gouge (a term I learned here)!
This is the second one, I got braver!!
First, the kit comes with GREAT instructions-water down some yellow glue and use that to affix stars and stripes. I only do one stripe per night and clamp it for 24 hours before doing the next. The glue actually makes the inserts (stars and stripes) fit. Again, the instructions say don't try to dry fit-it won't work. In the strains of an old song, "you gotta have faith my friend..."
When the blank is finished, the stars, particularly, seem like a bunch of edges waiting to catch. So, this time, I really sharpened a skew (with which I am most comfortable) and set to work SLOWLY. Lathe turning fast, but taking off a _____ hair at a time. (read very small hair)
As the work progressed, it became like turning any other wood. In short, I would NOT recommend it as an early turning project but certainly half the people here CAN do it. (The other half can too-just stick with the 60 grit gouge.)
Importantly, the kit is $45 so my fear factor was high! But, the first one I made (my other half bought-I didn't know what it cost), sold the first time I let it out in public. It (Gents pen) sold for $135 (I think she would have paid over $200, but the price was marked inside the box). She went ape when she found out there were really 50 stars and 13 stripes.
Griz, you should try at least ONE. You will have a great time making it. I have a Jr. Gent glued up also, but if you decide to try it first, make sure the trifocals are working-THEM IS SMALL STARS!!!!
swm6500
Member
Those kits make some great pens.
<h3>TRIFOCALS... WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' TRIFOCALS.
WE NEED BINOCULARS...[
][][]</h3>
WE NEED BINOCULARS...[
][][]</h3>
ed4copies
Local Chapter Manager
<b>Didn't mean to offend!</b>
I'm a year older than you, next year you'll understand!
I'm a year older than you, next year you'll understand!
Offend, you didn't offend... to do that work I would need binoculars... LOL
ed4copies
Local Chapter Manager
Think about it-couldn't you use some small stars in your life??? (That is, besides your daughter)?
jdavis
Member
Super nice pen.
Oh I am definately going to have to do one... I have a chance at getting into The League of Maryland Craftsmen shop in Annapolis MD and I think that pen would be just the entry ticket, along with some axis deer and some real high grade woods... best part is that it is not a consignment situation, they purchase outright for resale... Lots of state politicians and military brass go there...
ed4copies
Local Chapter Manager
Do em proud, Griz!!
PenPauli
Member
Great pen and thanks for the explanation. I also have wanted to do the same pen but I'm a big chicken. I don't know how I would react after I screw up the pen... I guess I'll need to find a little more patience first.
rtgleck
Member
wow... That is a great looking pen. As Other's have said though, I'd be nervous to try that.
WoodChucker
Member
Ed, great looking pen, thanks for sharing!
PenWorks
Member
Fine looking pen Ed, good job & patience to make that pen
This is a time consuming sucker to make! This is a Baron.
<br />
Remember that you need the kit from Ken Nelsen AND a pen kit!
Remember that you need the kit from Ken Nelsen AND a pen kit!
JimGo
Member
Lou, looks like it is very worthwile! When I get a little (or a lot) better, I'd like to give one a try!
laserturner
Member
Hi,
Just thought I'd mention that Richard Kleinhenz (moderator of yahoo penturners group) has just completed a fairly in-depth article for Woodturner's Design magazine (Aug. issue) on putting together the Stars and Stripes pen kit. I'm sure it will put to rest any fears or concerns about successfully making the kit. Also, I do supply partial kits in case someone has a problem with either barrel and just needs half a kit. Fortunately, I haven't sold too many of those.
To Ed and Lou, Nice job on the pens. Thanks to all for you past compliments on the pen kits.
Just thought I'd mention that Richard Kleinhenz (moderator of yahoo penturners group) has just completed a fairly in-depth article for Woodturner's Design magazine (Aug. issue) on putting together the Stars and Stripes pen kit. I'm sure it will put to rest any fears or concerns about successfully making the kit. Also, I do supply partial kits in case someone has a problem with either barrel and just needs half a kit. Fortunately, I haven't sold too many of those.
To Ed and Lou, Nice job on the pens. Thanks to all for you past compliments on the pen kits.
its_virgil
Member
Ken,
Go ahead and say it, Ken, I had to replace the stripes section 3 times before success. It was my fault though. I thought l had a better way to glue the parts than what Ken gave in his instructions. Follow Ken's instructions and it is not that difficult, and it makes a beautiful pen. I'm not sure but you may see some of my work in Rich's article....no, not a finished pen, but one of my screw ups for not following the instructions.
Are you coming to Provo? If so, will you be bringing some kits?
Do a good turn daily!
Don
Go ahead and say it, Ken, I had to replace the stripes section 3 times before success. It was my fault though. I thought l had a better way to glue the parts than what Ken gave in his instructions. Follow Ken's instructions and it is not that difficult, and it makes a beautiful pen. I'm not sure but you may see some of my work in Rich's article....no, not a finished pen, but one of my screw ups for not following the instructions.
Are you coming to Provo? If so, will you be bringing some kits?
Do a good turn daily!
Don
melogic
Member
So if I wanted to do a Statesman I could order the Gentlemens kit? I think these would be great! What kind of price do most of you put on them, $150, $175? Great looking pens , by the way, Lou and Ed!
its_virgil
Member
Turning the pen is no harder than turning a regular blank, except it is a $45 one instead of $5 and my mind played psychological tricks on me.. It will turn just fine if Ken's instructions are followed to glue in the pieces. The stars are easy, but the stripes were my downfall, until I yielded to Ken's lead.
do a good turn daily!
Don
do a good turn daily!
Don
ed4copies
Local Chapter Manager
If you do a statesman, you have $80ish in it! Admittedly, it still takes the same amount of time to turn as any other pen, but it takes a week (half hour a night) to assemble. In my mind, that makes it a $200+ pen. Small market. Gents pen can stay in the $150-180 category-larger market.
NO GUTS, NO GLORY-but I chickened out and made a gents. Last one, as I said, sold the first time it was exposed to humanity-gents pen-$135 (the blank was given to me by my better half who did not tell me the cost, just said it was a $100+ pen).
In short, the kit is great, the pen is cool, the market for the pen is limited (NOT NON-EXISTANT, JUST LIMITED).
NO GUTS, NO GLORY-but I chickened out and made a gents. Last one, as I said, sold the first time it was exposed to humanity-gents pen-$135 (the blank was given to me by my better half who did not tell me the cost, just said it was a $100+ pen).
In short, the kit is great, the pen is cool, the market for the pen is limited (NOT NON-EXISTANT, JUST LIMITED).
Had to do it... just called Ken and ordered 2 kits for the Baron.. figure on doing them in Sterling Silver.. if your going to do this kit you have to do the high grade platings I figure... $45 for blank + $11 for Baron puts me $56 into the kit.. this is definately going to be a $150 pen when finished...
DO NOT EXPECT to see pics for quite some time.. [][] .. At this price I am going to really take my time on this kit.
Also Ken is sending me a star section that is no good for sale for an experimental treatment that I thought of.. will see how that goes also..
DO NOT EXPECT to see pics for quite some time.. [
][] .. At this price I am going to really take my time on this kit.Also Ken is sending me a star section that is no good for sale for an experimental treatment that I thought of.. will see how that goes also..
laserturner
Member
The Stateman works the same as the Gent as far as the inlay kit is concerned.
Hi Don, I think one of you barrels did make it into the article!
I'll definitely have some inlay kits and other stuff at Provo. I've got a table for the rendezvous again this year. See you there.
Hi Don, I think one of you barrels did make it into the article!
I'll definitely have some inlay kits and other stuff at Provo. I've got a table for the rendezvous again this year. See you there.
JimGo
Member
Tom, by "quite some time", does that mean we won't see them 'till Monday, rather than this coming Friday? [] Can't wait to see what you do with the extra section!
] Can't wait to see what you do with the extra section!Wise A**... have to get them into my grubby little finger first... then examine them closely, decide exactly how the H*** I am going to go about it... wait a bit longer to get my courage up...
Try out the experiment on the scrap top...
Wait a bit longer still until I get my courage up...
Decide if the moon and stars are aligned properly
Consult a fortune teller and tarot card reader
Ask my pastor to start a long prayer vigil
Sacrifice a fatted calf
Read my tea leaves
Pray to the four winds
Find a local Druid to read the earth signs
Get a lot of sleep
and finally abstain from coffee for a week to keep my hands steady...
I might be ready after that to contemplate tackling this kit... [][][]
Try out the experiment on the scrap top...
Wait a bit longer still until I get my courage up...
Decide if the moon and stars are aligned properly
Consult a fortune teller and tarot card reader
Ask my pastor to start a long prayer vigil
Sacrifice a fatted calf
Read my tea leaves
Pray to the four winds
Find a local Druid to read the earth signs
Get a lot of sleep
and finally abstain from coffee for a week to keep my hands steady...
I might be ready after that to contemplate tackling this kit... [
][][]jvsank
Member
great looking pen
nilsatcraft
Member
I've always wanted to do one of those, too. I've seen Ken making them at his home in Las Vegas but I haven't ever purchased one. Great work by Ken, as well as those who have turned them.
mick
Member
Well my hats in the ring...just ordered a kit. Wish me luck![^]
Randy_
Member
I've had one laying on my bench for a month or more. Took me a little while to find some proper clamps and now am working up my courage. What's the old saying.....in for a dime, in for a dollar??? Figured if I was spending 45 bucks on the shell, why skimp on the works so I've got a nice Statesman Jr.... Rhodium with 22k gold...fountain pen to go along with Ken's kit!!
Yeah.....it is going to be an expensive pen with a relatively small market. If it doesn't sell, there would be only two options. Give it to someone as a gift or just keep it for my own personal use.(Did I mention that I love fountain pens?) Anyone care to speculate on which option I might select???[][]
Yeah.....it is going to be an expensive pen with a relatively small market. If it doesn't sell, there would be only two options. Give it to someone as a gift or just keep it for my own personal use.(Did I mention that I love fountain pens?) Anyone care to speculate on which option I might select???[
][]JimGo
Member
Randy, Thank you SO much! That will make a GREAT present for me! I'll E-mail you my home address. []
Can't wait to see it when it's done. Good luck!
]Can't wait to see it when it's done. Good luck!
Randy_
Member
Jim: I put that pen in the mail today(USPS Express). Tomorrow, I suggest you run right out and stand by the mailbox as it would be a shame if an unauthorized person took the pen out of the mailbox!!
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rtgleck
Member
Hey Randy... Seeing as how I share your namesake, and even live closer, can you send the next one (as you'll be more experienced and such) to me... Just up the road a ways in Colorado. [][]
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