2nd Pen

[stevenhuff]

This is the 2nd pen I have made. It is a gold titanium Gatsby with bocote wood. I had numerous equipment issues making this pen to include blowing out 3 blanks before I got the 4th one turned. I was almost to the point of giving up. The good news is that I was able to sell it the same night.

I would appreciate everyone's thoughts, comments and suggestions so I can make adjustments before the next attempt.

Thanks
Steve

 

[MrFrost]

Beautiful pen! I have learned to walk away when the frustration starts, as that defeats the purpose for why I'm out in the garage turning to begin with. It's my happy place. But we all have those days!!! Yours ended well, usually my bad days don't end with a finished pen!


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[More4dan]

Very nice 2nd pen and sold! Can't ask for much better.

Did you take some pictures of your blowouts? Some here may be able to help better understand how they happened to keep them from happening in the future. My blowouts have result from two issues. Mostly from not doing a good job of gluing in the brass tube. They usually occur on the opposite end of the blank from the end I insert the tube. Most of the glue gets wiped out while inserting. I now add glue to this side of the blank first and then add glue to the tube and insert from the opposite side. I get very few blowouts now while turning. Also, I rough up the tube with 120 grit sandpaper prior to gluing.

Spaulted wood even stabilized can also be an issue. After making a few light passes, I coated with thin CA and let harden, then turn some and recoat.

Blowouts while drilling can also happen, the best is to drill before cutting the blank to length. Just drill a bit longer than the tube, then cut the blank to length. Works every time.

Danny

 

[stevenhuff]

Danny,

I didn't take pictures of the blowouts, didn't think about it. I think it was a result of the drilling process. I have a small bench top drill press and I couldn't drill all the way through without stopping and moving the press down and starting again. It resulted in some wobble and the hole was oblong. I think the blank blew out where it was thinner. I did rough the tube before I applied the glue.

Very nice 2nd pen and sold! Can't ask for much better.

Did you take some pictures of your blowouts? Some here may be able to help better understand how they happened to keep them from happening in the future. My blowouts have result from two issues. Mostly from not doing a good job of gluing in the brass tube. They usually occur on the opposite end of the blank from the end I insert the tube. Most of the glue gets wiped out while inserting. I now add glue to this side of the blank first and then add glue to the tube and insert from the opposite side. I get very few blowouts now while turning. Also, I rough up the tube with 120 grit sandpaper prior to gluing.

Spaulted wood even stabilized can also be an issue. After making a few light passes, I coated with thin CA and let harden, then turn some and recoat.

Blowouts while drilling can also happen, the best is to drill before cutting the blank to length. Just drill a bit longer than the tube, then cut the blank to length. Works every time.

Danny

 

[bobjackson]

Nice pen. Great job.

 

[More4dan]

Danny,

I didn't take pictures of the blowouts, didn't think about it. I think it was a result of the drilling process. I have a small bench top drill press and I couldn't drill all the way through without stopping and moving the press down and starting again. It resulted in some wobble and the hole was oblong. I think the blank blew out where it was thinner. I did rough the tube before I applied the glue.

Epoxy is a bit better for filling gaps if your hole gets a bit oversized than CA. It also gives you more time to make sure the glue is along the entire tube length. Just let it sit up overnight before turning.

Keep the pics coming.

 

[MTViper]

VMy blowouts have result from two issues. Mostly from not doing a good job of gluing in the brass tube. They usually occur on the opposite end of the blank from the end I insert the tube. Most of the glue gets wiped out while inserting. I now add glue to this side of the blank first and then add glue to the tube and insert from the opposite side. Danny

When I was buying supplies to turn my first pen, my turning instructor at Woodcraft said to put glue on the tube, insert into one end a ways, turning it slowly to spread the glue then pull the tube out and insert it on the other end, turning it to spread the glue. This gets glue on both ends. For a single tube pen, it doesn't matter which end you start with, but for a 2 tube pen, I always insert it first into the end away from the center then push it all the way in from the center on both ends. This makes grain matching easier because you usually remove less wood when you're squaring the blanks.

 

[jttheclockman]

Can't help with the drilling. Either switch to drilling on the lathe or get a better drill press or work out the details on using what you have.

Will make a suggestion in the shape of those kits. Look at the front section and the cap end and see how they have a slight curve. Now visualize your blank completing that slight curvature. It is subtle but it makes a world of difference. This is one case where straight Bushing to Bushing does not work well.

This pen was just on the front page but check the center portion and you will see a very slight bulge all the way through the blank that follows the lines of the kit. This is what seperates the good from the better.

As I said a little subtle but will make a world of difference if you can master it.

 

[stevenhuff]

Thanks everyone for your input. I have started drilling the blanks on the lathe and has made a world of difference. The additional cost was well worth not having the aggravation of the drill press.