My first big order

[Scooley01]

A buddy of mine asked for 14 pens for his employees for Christmas gifts. I'm behind, but I plan to knock most of them out tomorrow and if there's anything left, Thursday I'll wrap up. I got them all cut, drilled, and glued the tubes today. I'd still be working, but knocking the corners off is noisy and it got late. I've never had complaints from the neighbors but I don't want to start now!

Anyways, here's the in progress photos. I was laying them out to decide which kit finish I'd put on them...they're all Designer NT from PSI but I have chrome, gold, satin, and gun metal, so I was planning out the matches.

 

[boxerman]

Looks like bunch nice pen blanks. Post some pics when finish. Did you paint the tubes & reverse paint the blanks?

 

[Scooley01]

No. I've never actually painted a tube, because I rarely turn translucent acrylics. It dawns on me that some of these may end up translucent, so I kind of wish I had painted them...too late now!

Final product pics will definitely be posted when I finish.

 

[Donovan's Corner]

Have you tried belt sanding the corner. I like the take 1/8 off. It is faster and less noisy.

www.donovanscorner.com

 

[Drstrangefart]

With some luck the translucent ones won't show off too much brass. In my experience, it USUALLY isn't very bad. Looks like you are gonna be BUSY. Have fun with it!

 

[MarkD]

You better get busy! :biggrin:
Be sure to post pictures of the finished pens.

 

[Roos85]

Thats awesome. Better get to working.

 

[crabcreekind]

You are gonna be so tired! i just did 12 cedars pens. Man did that get repetitive. These should be relatively quick to do, cuz you dont have to finish them. I hope you have fun! Looks great so far.

 

[Scooley01]

Well, I had planned on knocking most of them out this evening after work. I started by turning the corners off of half of them...that's the noisiest part of turning, so if I do that early, then I can finish turning them any time without bugging the neighbors. Anyways, I did half of them then got bored just turning cylinders, so I decided to actually start finishing them. A piece of acrylic thread/scrap/ribbon got caught on my mandrel and I (Stupidly) tried to grab it with my hand...caught my finger on a block spinning with unturned corners and hurt my finger pretty well.

Didn't call it quits though...gauze/bandaid/peroxide, and then I finished 3 just to prove I could

 

[Drstrangefart]

Well, I had planned on knocking most of them out this evening after work. I started by turning the corners off of half of them...that's the noisiest part of turning, so if I do that early, then I can finish turning them any time without bugging the neighbors. Anyways, I did half of them then got bored just turning cylinders, so I decided to actually start finishing them. A piece of acrylic thread/scrap/ribbon got caught on my mandrel and I (Stupidly) tried to grab it with my hand...caught my finger on a block spinning with unturned corners and hurt my finger pretty well.

Didn't call it quits though...gauze/bandaid/peroxide, and then I finished 3 just to prove I could

Keep it moving along, dude. Next time, a coat of CA on the cut will seal it up nicely.

 

[Scooley01]

Its not really a cut...i'll avoid being graphic, but its basically the tip of my finger almost gone.

 

[Drstrangefart]

Its not really a cut...i'll avoid being graphic, but its basically the tip of my finger almost gone.

Oh good lord! Hope it heals up well. I've lost entire thumbnails twice now, and I can say that it's difficult to function while it heals up enough to be useable again.

 

[eldee]

Have you tried belt sanding the corner. I like the take 1/8 off. It is faster and less noisy.

www.donovanscorner.com

I use the sander on occasion too. Quick, but mine is anything but quiet.

Steven, hope the job is going well. Watch those fingers.

 

[Scooley01]

I debated on going to the doctor, to be honest...but a ton of peroxide, a big bandage on it, and a finger cot over the whole deal is what I decided on.

 

[Edward Cypher]

Good luck, looks like a nice assortment of blanks. Hope the hand heals up!!!

 

[Scooley01]

Thanks! I'll be coming in right under the wire...he's giving them to the employees on Saturday, and I'll wrap up tomorrow. Unfortunately, I have work tonight, but I'm off tomorrow. I have 7/14 done...halfway!

 

[Drstrangefart]

Thanks! I'll be coming in right under the wire...he's giving them to the employees on Saturday, and I'll wrap up tomorrow. Unfortunately, I have work tonight, but I'm off tomorrow. I have 7/14 done...halfway!

Well, now you gotta post a pic of all of them completed! Your viewing audience is invested.

 

[crabcreekind]

If you want to get ribbons off the lathe while it is running. Just pinch it really fast and let go. do this over and over. if you do this your lathe wont have time to smack your hand on something

 

[tjseagrove]

Posting a pic of the finger too?? Well, maybe not...but do look forward to seeing the finished pens.

Tom

 

[Drstrangefart]

If you want to get ribbons off the lathe while it is running. Just pinch it really fast and let go. do this over and over. if you do this your lathe wont have time to smack your hand on something

I do that if both barrels are down to round. If one is square, no way. That's just me, though. My wife asked why I turned the lathe off to clear ribbons when the other barrel was still square and had those jagged corners on it. I showed her this thread.

 

[Scooley01]

Yep, it's definitely a lesson you only need to learn the hard way once...I won't touch the blanks with anything other than a tool while any part of it is still square from now on!

Anyways, here's the pics I promised. I meant to post them yesterday...

And here's a link to an album with all the individual pens' pictures. I didn't want to make this post ten miles long with all 14!

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v400/Scooley01/14 Pens/

 

[tjseagrove]

Nice pens...glad you got it all done.

Tom

 

[Drstrangefart]

Thanks for the follow-up! Great looking group!

 

[Scooley01]

I touched up the photos so they don't have that weird unbalanced white color cast to them...here they are, in the ten mile long post I originally didn't want to make

 

[navycop]

Nice looking pens. I wasn't a fan of the NT pens--until now...You make them look good.

 

[KBs Pensnmore]

Very nicely done. Just wait till you get an order for 105 of them, all with CA finish, then you'll know what repetition is!!!!!!
Kryn

 

[Scooley01]

Ugh I can't even imagine doing an order that big! I thought 14 was overkill!

And I love these kits! I don't know why, there's just something about them...they're as easy as slimlines but they're chunkier and they look more expensive than slims. It helps to leave them a little fatter, as straighter cuts don't really compliment the kit (IMO). But yeah, this is my "go-to" kit for pretty much everything lately.

 

[Sataro]

Nice looking pens!!!