I can not believe I ruined this pen...

[Firefyter-emt]

Guys help me save a pen I screwed up today. I posted a little bit ago that cocobolo closed end El-Toro FP I made. Well today I ruined the cap! A blow out, something wild?? No, I made the freaking bushings wrong!! I had my post it notes up and must of made the OD of the bushings to match the body not the cap. Well figures I get down within "measuring room" of the bushings and I go to check the hardware and I am already way undersized!! No saving it at all.

Now the lower half is even pressed and has a CA finish on it so I don't want to trash it, but being a FP it has to have a cap. I am thinking that just maybe an acrylic blank might just look ok. Does anyone have a half blank that would look good with cocobolo? I am thinking black, but I do not have any... Any other materials that might look "perfect" with this pen? The grain is just too wild to try to match up more and have it look right. I would really like to save this and I can not believe I did this today!

 

[KenV]

Bummer -- but this is also a design opportunity to use that nice body - It was nice cocobolo as I remember, but not spectacular.

Complement or contrast - I am thinking contrast - Think antler, think ivory, think Holly, --

Complement - blackwood, blood wood, or even another piece of cocobolo with a different grain pattern (bias cut or cross cut) to compliment the colors in the body.

 

[bnoles]

Lee,

I truly believe disassembly and start fresh would be your best option. I think you will spend more time and frustration trying to save it and never find real peace with it.

I always hate when things like that happen... a real heart breaker and you have my sympathy.

 

[wudnhed]

I have some really black.....duh.......ebony wood if your interested.

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Thanks Becca.. I might try a custom centerband and if that does not work I will just scrap it and start again. I have to make sure I toss those bushings too!

 

[JimGo]

How much are you off? Can you build up the finish to compensate?

 

[BRobbins629]

Cast it in clear resin and turn it to the right diameter. Will just look like a great CA finish.

 

[Firefyter-emt]

No way to cast it, but it would be a good fix. The cap is off by 1.5mm so way too much to "fill" by finish alone. [!]

Anyone want to resin cast the cap for me?? []

 

[Roy99664]

I've never done the resin fix before, but looking at the snake skin blanks the resin may magnify the grain enough to look mismatched. Good or bad I couldn't say, but something to consider.

Good luck, hope you figure it out.

 

[stevers]

Tough break Lee. It's happened to me before as well. And it was a "true stone" blank too. Made it work, for that much $$, I'll make it work. Look at item # 109 on my site. Can you find the repair?

 

[BRobbins629]

Originally posted by Firefyter-emt
<br />No way to cast it, but it would be a good fix. The cap is off by 1.5mm so way too much to "fill" by finish alone. [!]

Anyone want to resin cast the cap for me?? []

I'm willing to give it a try just to see how the experiment works. Send me a pm.

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Thanks, PM sent!

 

[Rmartin]

Would it be possible to turn a small amount off and add a contrasting band.

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Tried that first, but to use the original CB (which I really like) I would be almost to the center of the cap.

 

[oldsmokey]

Can you disassemble the lower half, take it down 1.5 mm and then cast both half's with resin?

 

[TAld]

Would someone please tell me what it means to "send a PM" [?]. I looked in the glossary but can't find it.

 

[ericw95]

Tom - It means private message as in check your inbox (and junk mail folders if you don't see it)

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Originally posted by oldsmokey
<br />Can you disassemble the lower half, take it down 1.5 mm and then cast both half's with resin?

No, with the closed end and the fact that there is not a lot of material on the tube to start with on the lower half I would be thru the closed end in seconds. Not only that, I don't think there is 1.5mm of wood around the tube to start with![]