kits w/ more wood showing?

[KP]

Folks - I don't make that many pens, and usually when I do I'm looking to really showcase a piece of wood. I've gravitated to bigger pens, but most of the kits seem to have these large end caps and not as much wood showing as I'd like. I just tried my first El Grande and there really seems to be more plastic and metal visible than I'd like to see; I'd like it better if the long tapered black end cap was about half the size.

So, I'm looking for suggestions on the type of kit that people use when they really want to show off the blank material, or modifications of kits to do the same. One possibility I just found in the Berea catalog is the Streamline American (page 9), which eliminates that black end cap in favor of a longer wood portion. Any other similar designs that folks know of?

Thanks for all suggestions and tips -

Ken Platt
Granby, CT

 

[Bob A]

Ken, check out Fangar's pin chucks at the link below.

http://www.penturners.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13551

 

[RussFairfield]

Go to my photo album to see some samples of how I have modified the kits to show more wood and less metal and plastic. One of them is the ElGrande

 

[DWK5150]

What about a Regency pen. Not the easiest to do as you have to make your own bushings but they do show lots of wood. You usually have to use 2 blanks to make one pen. http://www.penturners.org/content/Regency_Pen.pdf

 

[Rifleman1776]

This is an opinion thing. I like the Baron because it shows a lot of wood especially if you make it a little 'fat'. Caution, doing that can make the Baron a bit top heavy, when posted, for the ladies. Don's Regency is extraordinary. IMHO, it is only for the experienced and VERY PATIENT maker who has a ready market of buyers willing to pay top dollar for a pen.

 

[Rudy Vey]

The Regency is the best pen to show of wood. You have to make not only the bushings, but also shimming barrels that fit on your mandrel and inside the three tubes of different diameters. And then you have to turn two finials: one for the main body and one for the cap. My first solid body pen was a Regency turned on a home made pin chuck. The pen is a lot of fun to make, but it takes quite more time than a standard pen. I use Corian for the bushings and the shimming barrels, but if you have a metal lathe you could make your own bushing in steel. Well, brass bushings could be turned on a wood lathe. I just think that corian is the fastest and easiest to make.

Closed end Regency

Here is another way of showing wood off: a modified El Grande, closed end both sides, without the clip as a desk pen.

 

[KP]

Thanks, folks. A couple followup questions - Who carries the Regency kits? That's a magnificent pen, Rudy. Regarding the pin chucks - I must be having a dense moment, but it's not clear to me how the chuck holds the blank on (after taking away the live center). It looks interesting, although I'd have to get some new kits (a plus, actually, I love getting new kits). I'd appreciate any enlightenment.

Ken

 

[scubaman]

Another way to show off wood is to just eliminate those finials you don't like. See e.g. http://www.penmakersguild.com/gallery.php?gallery=kleinhenzr&page=129 The current (Spring 2006) issue of Woodturning Design has an article on making this type of pen.

 

[Rudy Vey]

Originally posted by KP
<br />Thanks, folks. A couple followup questions - Who carries the Regency kits? That's a magnificent pen, Rudy. Regarding the pin chucks - I must be having a dense moment, but it's not clear to me how the chuck holds the blank on (after taking away the live center). It looks interesting, although I'd have to get some new kits (a plus, actually, I love getting new kits). I'd appreciate any enlightenment.

Ken

Woodchucker's in Canada carries them, I bought mine off ebay when someone wanted to get rid of them. The pin chuck is a pretty simple device to hold a tube. I know of two sources, one is Lamar Sherril (he makes them for $5 a piece including the pin, and he does fine work, I got four different from him and he also makes great tool rests)and the other one is Fanger here on IAP.
I put a picture of a pin chuck in here (picture is from Rich Kleinhenz = Scubaman)

A pin chuck works in that way that if the pin is exactly located in the middle of the flat area the tube just slips over it. If you then turn the tube (barrel, pen blank you name it)slightly the pin is moved out of it position and the tube is tightend on the chuck. It is really easy done than explained.