Success with Beads

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Draken

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Due to the wonderful videos put up by our very own Yoyospin, I've been able to complete a pen with beads that is worthy of showing! The beads were done with a skew.

The flash played a bit with the pen, making the blue look transparent but it doesn't look that way under normal light. Comments, critiques welcome. Had a bit of trouble getting the parting tool grooves polished. Used sandpaper on a toothpick, but that didn't quite get into the deeper corners.

2006925184911_0055CigarSatinNicklePRBeadsCropScale.jpg


Cheers,
Draken
 
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Kaspar

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Ahead of the curve. Waaay ahead.
Very nice!

Originally posted by Draken
<br />Due to the wonderful videos put up by our very own Yoyospin,

I ask myself: Where are these videos?

I answer myself: In the library. After one discovers that Yoyospin is Ed Davidson, this becomes obvious.

The other question is, how did he sand those for finishing? Or did he at all?
 

Skye

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Lookin good. For those hard to reach depressions, try a toothpic dipped in thin CA. May work, never tried it.

May I suggest sanding from end to end a little more? It looks like the flash caught some sanding lines on the upper half of the pen. I know, I point them out in about every other pen, but they're my pet peeve.
 

Draken

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Thanks for the comments everyone. There are a few sanding rings in the band near the top, didn't see those before assembly. I really need to add some additional lighting so I can catch things like this, as I went over it with a fine tooth comb before assembly. I spent more time sanding with the "grain" on this one, than I have any other pen to date. I'm also going to try getting some square toothpicks, they may get into the parting tool grooves better than the round ones.

Cheers,
Draken
 

DCBluesman

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The "beads" look like v-cuts still. A little rounding with some sandpaper will turn them into beads. You also need to work on getting the the same width and height. Nothing takes the place of practice. The preceding notwithstanding, that's an attractive pen.
 

emackrell

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Cool pen Draken! That looks really great -- the shape, the blank AND the beads. Did you make the blank yourself?

As far as sanding the beads, I've tried just slipping the edge of the piece of sandpaper into the groove while the lathe is running, but it is at best a partial solution. I've also seen some sanding-cords advertised here and there but they've been in the 120-180 range, no fine grained ones. So I haven't tried those yet. Lemme know if you find a good answer!

cheers Eileen [8D]
 

Skye

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Originally posted by Draken
I went over it with a fine tooth comb before assembly.

That's yer problem right thar. Combs are no good for sanding. [;)]

If you run into the problem sanding the beads again, try the thin CA idea. You may also be able to get some thin string, drip a little CA over it, then 'floss' the beads with it. The CA will make the rough tooled surface look polished.
 

Draken

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Sanding the beads wasn't the problem, it was sanding the flat spots in the bottom of the larger grooves made with the parting tool, on the top of the pen near the clip. The beads are nicely polished all around. The parting tool was chattering on me, but no problems in that regard with the skew.

For those that asked, yes I did make the blanks myself, glad everyone likes them. [:D]

Cheers,
Draken
 
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