Jr Gents and Jr Statesman

[Husky]

Over the past couple of weekends, had the time to turn these. Comments/criticisms are welcomed.

One baron Blackwood with soda can segmenting Blk Tn finish Enduro
finish.

Jr Gent II's
1 WPP green acryllic blank Rhodium finish
1 cocobolo with sapwood (Thanks Darrick)
1 segmented with wenge, holly(hard to keep clean), and
jatoba (finish is Enduro--I liek this for finishing)
1 brown acryllic swirl
2 Panaches. one with bloodwood/A. blackwood and one acryllic(carribean swirl)

Jr Statesman in Bethelem Olivewood (Hut PPP finish)

Photography is a quick throw together, so I know there is lots of room for improvement there!

Stan

 

[Husky]

Ok, Lets try the photos with the names changed and see if they load.[]

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[JimGo]

Over all, very nice, so please keep that in mind as you read my few critiques.

The fit looks pretty good on the first three (the Jr. Gents) - can't really see the finish on the Cocobolo that well, but the other 2 look good.

I'm not a big fan of the segmented Panache - I think the silver at the top/bottom is enough on that one, and the trim bands just don't add anything. In fact, the kind of overpower the ends. If they were thinner, I think it might work better. I also don't care for the way flare at the joints on the lower barrel. I'm guessing these are from the different densities in the woods as you sanded, and weren't intentional. The fit on the lower barrel where it joins the base also looks a little off; did you use a barrel trimmer? I know it's tough on that particular joint because of the size. The finish on this looks fairly bland, too. That may have been what you wanted, but it's not as shiny as the segmented pen in the next photo, and thought I'd mention it for what it's worth.

I'm also not a big fan of the blue Panache - the shapes of the upper and lower barrels don't quite match. The joint at the base also has (or appears to me to have) the same issue as the segmented one.

The segmented Jr. Gent - GREAT job on the segmentations. I have yet to venture into that realm. The fit on the lower barrel near the end cap seems a bit off, at least in the pic, but that's a notoriously difficult place to photograph from this angle. There are also finish rings in this one. You can see them especially well along the holly in both lower barrels. If you stop the lathe between grits and sand along the length of the blank, you'll help reduce/eliminate these.

The black wood - the soda can is difficult to see, but from what I can tell it looks pretty cool. I'd bet that the aluminum looks pretty close to the black Ti color when surrounded by blackwood. There appear to be finish rings on this one, too.

The Olivewood - love the shape of that one, and the fit looks good. Finish looks a little dull - a coat of Ren. Wax or TSW over that will help it shine some more, unless you were going for a more matte finish.

Please remember 1) these are MY opinions only; 2) my opinions are worth exactly what you've paid for them; 3) I still think they're all nice pens; and 4) to read my signature carefully.

 

[kkwall]

Very nice selection of pens.[8D]

If I had any comments to make, the segmentation on the panache is a little chunky for my liking, but that is personal taste.

There does appear to be finish marks on the wenge, holly and jatoba segmented pen, and blackwood one, but I really like the segmentaion design on both.[]

Nice work.[8D]

 

[Husky]

Yes there are finish lines on the two Enduro pens. Brushing Enduro has been a challenge to get it to level out so no lines are seen. I am trying spraying with an air brush this weekend, so hopefully that will resolve it.
The end caps on the Panaches do appear to have gaps in the picture, but in actuality they do not. Using a barrel trimmer , which is 3/5" diameter , is problematic with a large diameter (7/9" barrel. I've had to trim with the barrel trimmer, remount on the mandrel, and then use a parting tool to complete the cut. This is one instance where a trimmer mounted on a disk sander would have definite advantages.
The finish on the Olivewood (and Panache) is intentionally a flat finish. I tend to like flat finished on most woods, it gives a nicer feel of the "wood" in the pen. Too much gloss and it looks like a plastic or acryllic, at least to me.
Thanks for the comments.