New Twist on Inlay

[RPM]

Here's a new twist on the inlay idea I posted a while back.

Hope you can get the idea from the picture. In retrospect I think the inlay would have looked better just above the center band. The pen is a longwood in bloodwood with figured maple inlay. As the pen is turned the maple figure lights up and flashes as it goes by. Hard to explain.

Richard

 

[melogic]

Very nice job Richard. I think I like it below the center band. It kinda seperates the bottom piece from the top piece a little more. Very nice job!

 

[JimGo]

Richard, that looks REALLY cool! Nicely done!

 

[Glenn McCullough]

Richard,
Very well done. I like it as is. If anything a mirror image or a duplicate image above IMHO.
Glenn

 

[driften]

I would like it better if the front and back looked like the bottom picture.

 

[Fleabit]

Very nice job! Looks almost like a smiley face on the one pic.

 

[WoodChucker]

It looks good, nice work!

 

[atvrules1]

Very nice job Richard. I think that with the longwood style the inlay is most striking where it is at. I think that if you moved it to the upper section it would actually unbalance the look of the pen. The way you have it now it shows off the wood in the long section, and the inlay in the short section. IMHO i think it is more effective as is. Either way, excellent idea and very nicely done. Wish I could turn as well.

 

[rtjw]

Great looking pens. The inlay job is nice.

 

[DCBluesman]

Nice pen, Richard. I agree with placing the inlay higher. There's a lot of focus on the lower third of the barrel with this alignment. I think placing this higher on the pen would yield a more pleasing aesthetic balance to the eye.

 

[pastorbill1952]

Good looking pen. I agree that the inlay may be more eye pleasing above the CB.

 

[swm6500]

Nice looking pen Richard. I think it would look good in either position.

 

[jvsank]

nice pen I like below the center band

 

[Daniel]

Although a subtle difference I agree that the inlay is best right where it is. nice control here I can imagine every speck of sawdust trying to throw off the exact placement of these lines. well done. very close to a basket weave or twisted rope effect. that would come out even more if the inlays actually ran through each other. reminds me of a tatoo a friend of mine has. three lines intertwining in that one. you may need to start actually catagorizing you patterns as to there style []

 

[simplepens]

Fantastic pen. I think the inlay would look as good above as it does below the CB.

 

[53Jim]

I have never made a longwwood pen, or done inlays like you have done here, so I have no right to comment. But I'm wondering if you could make another pen and put the inlay above the CB and post pictures of both, side by side.

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

Neat!

 

[jdavis]

I like it.

 

[esheffield]

Very cool! I'll have to try a longwood for myself. I'm ashamed to admit it, but one of my favorite pens I have now is a freebie I got from a British car parts place thrown in with an order. It's a similar style and I was looking at it just last night and wondering if there was a kit like that.

Also, what kind (size? carbide? brand?) of blade do you use to cut the inlays? My wife wants me to try one similar to another one posted on here with a cross inlay, but I don't think the blades I have right now would work very well.

 

[ctEaglesc]

RPM I like it enough to try a similar one.
BTW If it was you who made the original post for this trick thanks.
I varied the method but came up with some neat redults.
One posted in my album.

 

[wicook]

I agree that placing the inlay above the CB would be an aesthetic improvement. I, too, find that the inlay currently draws too much attention to the short tube.

 

[RPM]

Thanks Eagle, and you are more than welcome. That is one thing I have really enjoyed about this forum since finding it is the willingness of everyone to share ideas and I'm glad that I've contributed something to this vast pool of talent. As you have obviously figured out, there is alot of potential in this application and it is limited only by your imagination. Thats why I put the concept out before I ever made a pen using it myself.

esheffield, as for the saw blade to use, I use a Frued 60 tooth narrow kerf teflon coated flat tooth blade to cut the slots. Its important to use a flat tooth blade rather than an alternating bevel for obvious reasons. I use only carbide blades for hardwoods. I use a Forrester Woodworker II blade to cut the inlay. That blade gives me a mirror finish cut. Its not really necessary to change out the blade, but I'm an anal furniture maker that makes pens to provide "instant gratification". I use titebond for the glue up.

Thanks,
Richard