My first pen
- Thread starter sturner
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tjseagrove
Member
It's a simple Designer Twist with Bocote and white pine. Figured I'd start with the less pricey stuff to get a feel for it and tweak all my gear. Very fun pen to make and my daughter will love it.
Looks like a link to the folder on your computer. Would "Like" it if I could see it as everyone's first pen is the best and highest priced!!
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qquake
Member
Very nice looking pen! Certainly much better than my first...
Thank you. I had a week between setting up my little shop area in the garage and receiving my first order of pen making supplies. During that time I took some 2x4 scraps I had been saving and cut them down to size and practiced. Not totally satisfied with friction polish. Over the next few days I'll do some experimenting with CA and polyurethane. I've done quite a bit of reading on finishes and am wondering why nobody uses spray on poly. Seems like it would be fairly simple to tape off the bushings and lay a drop cloth over the lathe and hand turn the spindle while spraying. Put on a few quick coats with drying in between and then sand. I'm not the smartest on this stuff but I do love it.
tjseagrove
Member
Just tell everyone that it is a $10,000 pen. Why?? It is my first and that is the minimum I will take to part with it!!!! Gets a good conversation going with people.
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JimB
Member
Very nice first pen. There are many finishes you can use and an infinite number of ways to apply them both on and off the lathe. Some will do finishes off the lathe so they can use the lathe while the finish cures. I do a CA finish on the lathe but I also do a poly finish (wop) off the lathe.
qquake
Member
I've used spray lacquer on a lot of wood pens. I spray the bodies before I assemble the pens. It looks good, but I don't know how well it holds up. I don't sell my pens, and I don't use them a lot. I still haven't mastered the CA finish. Lately I've been using Watco Danish oil, and I like the hand rubbed look. The Executive pen below has a Danish oil finish. The Vertex click pens have spray lacquer.
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Nice work, both are beautiful. The oil looks more natural but the lacquer looks more brilliant and durable, IMO. I hate to give a pen as a gift and six months later see the person and learn that the finish wore off quickly and the pen is now dull. I just finished turning two experimental pieces of waste blank. CA'd one of them and spray clear enameled the other, both off the lathe. Was going to use poly but my can is so old it wouldn't spray, smh. I'll do three coats of each and then wet sand to 2000. If they turn out any good i'll post a pic. Your pens are beautiful.
Nice pen, Stafford. It looks much nicer than my first one - don't let you daughter lose it.
Even though my first one is not a great pen, it's still one of my favorites just because it was my "first" and I had never turned anything before that. I was thrilled that I was actually able to make a working pen on my first try.
Have fun & let's see more of your work.
Edgar
Even though my first one is not a great pen, it's still one of my favorites just because it was my "first" and I had never turned anything before that. I was thrilled that I was actually able to make a working pen on my first try.
Have fun & let's see more of your work.
Edgar