Berea El Grande Elite

[Old Griz]

OK, I am going to take the plunge and make my first El Grande Elite.. considering I got 8 kits for $5/ea when the guy in Maine went out of business...
I just got some outrageous Chechen Burl from Dario and thought it really needed a big pen to show it off... should be interesting since there are some voids and inclusions in the burl (as you would expect), but the colors look fantastic... so obviously I am going to use my scary sharp skews and a very light touch...

I was looking at the tubes mounted next to the bushings and from what I see there is not a whole lot of wood left when this pen is made...
Do those of you who make this pen shape the top and bottom perfectly straight or do you add a little meat to the middle and taper it to the ends. I really don't want to screw up this wood..

Also does anyone have a decent set of instructions on assembly.. the kits did not come with assembly instructions...
GEEZ... I feel like a total newbie again.. []

 

[JimGo]

Tom, is that the same as the El Grande? If so, I have a few kits at home and can see if I got instructions with them.

 

[lkorn]

Tom,
Doesn't Berea have the instructions?

 

[ed4copies]

Ok, looks like you're not getting a quick answer.

I have it labelled El Grande Streamline. If this is the one, it has 3 tubes, larger end uses two different diameters.

If this is the one you want, Griz, there was an article in one of the mags I get that went into depth on ideas.

Let me know if you want it, I have it in the shop (I am at my office now, but can send you info this weekend if I know in advance it will help.)

 

[arehrlich]

Tom,

I believe that the El Grande Elite is the same as the regular El Grande except for the finish... platinum or sterling.

The wood gets to be pretty thin over the tubes, probably thinner than many of the other pens I've turned - not that I've turned that many. Since it is a fairly large pen, I've never shaped it out. I stayed with the contours of the bushings and didn't have much trouble. In other words I haven't ruined one yet... but I'm anxiously waiting for my time to come.[]

If you can't get the instructions from Berea, let me know and I can scan them and fax them to you - or send you a pdf file.

Enjoy, the El Grande is a great pen.

Alan

 

[Dario]

Tom,

Good to know that you liked them. Looking forward seeing the finished pen!

 

[Old Griz]

Yes, this is the same pen as the El Grande, but in Platinum plating ... Berea does not have pen directions on their website... another thing they need to fix [!][]
The El Grande Slimline is the smaller version (think Gentleman vs. Jr Gentleman)... thanks anyway Ed..
If you could send me a scanned pdf file I would appreciate it Alan.. send to tom@myfavoritepen.com .. Thanks everyone... See I don't know everything... [:0][][]

 

[ed4copies]

But, more important, you know where to go to look for an answer! Maybe not the right answer, but can't have everything.

 

[Rudy Vey]

Tom,
I think the EG Elite is the same as the EG, but with a different centerband. You are right there is not too much wood thickness left after the pen is turned. The pen looks best if you keep the barrels straight. Have not seen too much good looking ones of the standard pens (Gents, Baron, El Grandes etc.)when they are shaped and fat or rounded looking, just my opinion. You can access some instructions for the El grande from the Woodcraft website they sell the pen, but in the 7mm mandrel variation (bushing hole is for "A" mandrel and not for "B", but dimensions are the same). The El Grande Streamlined is pretty much the same size as the El Grande, just with a tapered cap, I make quite a few of them and like them, they look a bit more elegant the the standard version. Rich had a good review of it in one of the wood turning magazines.

 

[arehrlich]

Tom,

PDF sent. You should receive it shortly.

Alan

 

[Old Griz]

Thanks Alan, I got it... now all I need to do is make it... LOL

 

[Daniel]

The El Grande and EG ELite use the same bushings adn bits. but Tom already knows that. I would suspect the instructions to be the same as well. and yes the wood gets Very Very thin. don't sand throught it. $5.00 each was a good deal.

 

[rtgleck]

Figure I'll throw my 2 cents in...... Good luck on the Pens Griz Sounds like you got a great deal on the materials to make a great set of Pens.

 

[atvrules1]

Hey Tom, sounds like you are going to have too much trouble with these pens, better package those kits up and fire them off to me, I'll let you know how they turn out. [][]
Seriously I think we all anxiously await the pics of the finished product.

 

[scubaman]

Don't give a bulge, Tom. There's enough wood, really! I think the pen does not look good with a bulge, though I have made some on special request. This is a lightweight pen, keep it light! The wood thickness is probably not less than a slimline, and you're probably made one of these before I imagine ;-) Also, the square cap finial with a bulging body just doesn't make it.

 

[Fangar]

Griz,

I like the El Grande kit. I make mine flat without a buldge. Nice and light. Here is a scan of one in some Quarter sawn zebra that I made up.

Now get to work!
[]

James

 

[rtjw]

How big is the pen. If it is bigger than the gentlemen, I would be scared of it.

 

[Rudy Vey]

Originally posted by rtjw
<br />How big is the pen. If it is bigger than the gentlemen, I would be scared of it.

No need for being scared - it is smaller, much lighter and in my opinion more balanced that the large Gentleman pens.

 

[Fangar]

Hey Griz,

I just checked out your My Favorite Pen link. You have some beautiful pens there. Have you noted that the intro page is out of scale? Could be that you sized it for a 1024 x resolution. On my 800 x box, it does not fit within the window. Just a heads up. The site once inside views fine. Just thought I would let you know.

Cheers,

James

 

[Old Griz]

My site is set up for 1024 resolution.. that has become the industry standard... if your monitor is set to 800dpi resolution than you may have to scan side to side a bit.. but I kept the photos set around 600 dpi..
My LCD monitor is set at 1280 resolution...

 

[driften]

Originally posted by Old Griz
<br />My site is set up for 1024 resolution.. that has become the industry standard... if your monitor is set to 800dpi resolution than you may have to scan side to side a bit.. but I kept the photos set around 600 dpi..
My LCD monitor is set at 1280 resolution...

1024x768 is not an industry standard for web sites. You should not go over 800x600 with out checking that it at least works at the screen size. At least the size to design to is no longer 640x480. You also need to remember that people with larger screens sometimes have side bars and other things using up screen space.

 

[melogic]

Griz,
Don't forget to take a snap shot of that beauty when she's done. The pen I mean....[:0]

 

[Old Griz]

Was going to do it today, but the "new and improved" HoneyDO list was released last night... [xx(]

 

[melogic]

Don't forget...it is HER day![}]

 

[Old Griz]

I have no problem with it being HER day... my problem is that it never seems to be MY day...[}]

 

[simplepens]

My world is shattered. I thought Griz new it all. Now I will have to take down my "Griz the Pen God" shrine. I need therapy.

 

[Old Griz]

<h2>WISE GUYS... I AM SURROUNDED BY WISE GUYS</h2>[][][]

 

[Daniel]

Griz, you ever been on a road where you see it rise over the next hill, and the next, and the next even. well that's the picture I get in my mind when I see the list of things I need to get done.
Just this weekend I have. Repaired my wifes washing machine. patched and textured a wall where I put in a larger door. removed shelves from my old shop so I can rebuild them for our little garden shed, put in a vent for my wifes dryer.Planted two rose bushes, dug 60 feet of drain trench and built about 10 feet of keystone wall. and still had time to pour some acrylics. and go to a rock and gem show. Never did get near anything I planned to do. like hang trim set bricks or texture walls,and paint for my mother or get to my shop to make a pen that is already sold. building my shop is somewhere over that third hill.