plantman
Member
This is a pen I made yesterday, after the thread from wood butcher on writing a tutorial about the subject. I contacted Bill to see if he was going to follow up on his method and put it on the site. I explained the two methods I used to make the ash look real, and that I could possably explain them in a simple thread, if that was all most people were interestd in. And I didn't want to preempt his effort. He said go for it !! The works of the pen are PSI Magnitic Vertex Rollerball, but any pen kit will do, even a Slimline. Although a realy didn't need them, I used the tubes to give the pen more strength. I countersunk the coupler and magnets into the Quilted Sapele blanks. I turned down the faceted end of the coupler so it would fit into a round hole. The nib and the roller ball were the only other parts from the kit I used. By carefully measuring and drilling, I didn't need the spring. The ash on the end was added after I finished the rest of the pen with thick CA, and is a segment of Blackwood added and shaped on the disk sander. You don't want it to be perfectly round. To make the ash look real, I used a rotary tool with a very small ball cutter to roughen up the surface. Next, I painted the end of the pen with a white craft paint. Before the paint dries completely, take a rag and wipe off the high spots until you are satisfied with the results. Excuse the not so pefect fit, I forgot to round over one of the blanks. I have also done this effect on a mini pen formed into a chared branch made out of polymar clay, that I will also post. If this is enough to get you going I will call it a day. If you want a tutorial on how to make this type of pen, let me know. It,s a double closed end pen without a clip, but could be made in a lot of different ways with different kits. Jim S
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Jan; That hole you were talking about got me to thinking. I know I had seen that somewhere before. I searched through the library tonight and found it. I think it will make turning this pen and any other closed end pen much easier for some beginning pen turners. It's a tutorial by Mick ( michr, He lives in the Wilderness someplace, and has no last name, so I can't give him full credit ) on how to turn " closed end pens on a regular pen mandrel ". I usualy leave a little extra on the end of my blank and drill a little pilot hole to put my live center in and turn between centers or with a 4 jaw chuck on the square end. Who knew !!! Jim S
