Full size "Circles in a Forest"

[VisExp]

This is the first time I've put the Circles in a Forest design in a full size pen. Previously I've always put it in a single blank pen like the Sierra. The main wood is Coastal Red Milkwood from the South African group buy I ran a while back. The segments are black dyed wood veneer.

Unfortunately the pen developed a small crack which I only noticed while looking at the photo's. Also I think I was a bit brain dead putting it in a postable pen. With the design it looks a bit stupid when posted.

I'll probably disassemble the pen, turn the blanks off and salvage the tubes so I can head back to the drawing board.

Your comments/critiques are appreciated. Thanks for looking.

 

[Darley]

Agree with your comment, just cut your blank same size of the tubes glue them back in the milddle and at each end of the blank with a sacrifice piece of any wood before your cutting, do smaller circles , you will have then circles in the middle as well as posted, just an idea


**sacrifice piece in the middle ( only ) should be the thickness of your blade

 

[Ligget]

Awesome!

 

[hewunch]

It still looks really good though

 

[workinforwood]

I would not salvage the tubes, just send it to me, I'll sell it. So what if it's posted on the back and is in reverse format..that's not so bad a look as I can imagine it either. It will sell, and for good money. If you are not satisfied, knock a couple bucks off your price. It's a great looking pen.

 

[papaturner]

Awesome work......Beautiful pen.

 

[wood-of-1kind]

Regardless how you post it, that is a great looking pen. As Jeff pointed out, this pen will sell.

 

[CaptG]

Turn the wood off to salvage the tubes??? ARE YOU NUTS? That pen is awesome.

 

[TribalRR]

I agree with the others, it's a great looking pen regardless of how it posts.

 

[igran7]

Beautiful pen Keith, I really love your work! Please do not turn it down to salvage the tubes. If you absolutely can't live with it, take it apart and set the blanks aside for awhile. You can buy new tubes for .50 cents and redo the pen with the new tubes. Just dont run that beautiful blank.

 

[toolcrazy]

Beautiful pen, nice work. And I agree with everyone else.

 

[rando81]

I like it too , it has a spiderweb look to it

 

[hilltopper46]

A wonderful pen, as it is.

 

[bitshird]

Keith what a bummer, I see the crack in the second picture, I agree with the others, it is a killer pen I'd be hard pressed to not try and save it.

 

[JayDevin]

KEEP IT as it is a KEEPER!!
and its Pretty too!!

 

[SamThePenMan]

Very nice, even with the crack. How ever I could see the problem selling a pen with a crack in it. If it does sell then cracks further or breaks all together, someone may think less of the quality of your pens. I do agree that it should be kept though, if nothing else it could just be used as a display. I wonder if it would be possible to use some really thin CA and CAREFULLY apply it to the crack then use something to squeeze the gap in the crack together, though I guess it may still mess up the finish.

 

[dgscott]

Keep it, by all means -- it looks great. I also really like that retro pen.
Doug

 

[gwilki]

Keith: I'll add my vote to not turning it back down to the tubes. You could always fill the crack with sawdust and CA, then sand it back down. To destroy it would be a real shame.

 

[ldb2000]

Sorry Keith , I'm with everyone else on this one . My one attempt at snakewood cracked after about a month in the case , I used some 600 grit sandpaper and created some dust and filled the crack , it filled it in perfectly and you need a 20x magnifying glass to see where it was cracked . Almost 8 months later it still looks great , no more cracks . I think it's worth a shot , it's to beautiful a pen to scrap it .

 

[angelofdeath]

i think it still looks very cool...

 

[Nick]

After all that beautiful craftsmanship and hard work, Keep it as is it is awsome!!

 

[desertyellow]

It looks like a winner!

 

[VisExp]

Thanks for all the positive comments guys. The jury is still out as to the fate of this blank :biggrin:
I can't help but think that I could make another blank in less time than it takes me to try repair this one. In the meantime I think I'll take Joe's advice. Disassemble and set the blank on the shelf for a while.

Thanks again!

Beautiful pen Keith, I really love your work! Please do not turn it down to salvage the tubes. If you absolutely can't live with it, take it apart and set the blanks aside for awhile. You can buy new tubes for .50 cents and redo the pen with the new tubes. Just dont run that beautiful blank.

 

[dkarcher]

I agree. Fix the crack. Save the Pen.

 

[flyingmelon]

Toss the whole thing in the trash.....

but first tell me where you live so that I can scrounge it up.

 

[TellicoTurning]

I like it... since I don't post pens when I use them, that thought would not have occurred to me, but can see your point. Agree with Joe, don't destroy a great piece of work.