Pen from a Stick

[Rick1708]

On a recent camping trip, my daughters and I picked up a stick and we'd like to make a pen from it. It was from a fallen tree that looked like it had been there for a while-dry with no bark, smoothed from the weather.

My question is this. Should I try to do anything before I start? The only thing that came to mind was to put it in the oven (low temp) to make sure it's dry, but I'm not sure if that would do anything.

I don't have a way to impregnate with resin and I assume any type of hardener on the surface will just get turned off.

I'm trying to post an image now.

Thanks!

 

[Rick1708]

Here's the image

 

[RAdams]

From your comment about turning anything topical off, I am thinking you want to cut this limb into blanks (or a blank) and turn it into an everyday kit pen correct? If that be the case, and it was me, i would just go to town on it. cut it, drill it, mount it and go.


On the other hand, that wood is kinda plain looking from this angle. is there some spalting or something going on inside?


Good luck! and let's see some pics when you guys git er done.

 

[Rick1708]

Thanks. It is a bit plain but does have some color variations. My kids picked it up and it's not really a "great blank" but more a "blank with a great story". I'll post a picture it when it's done.

 

[ed4copies]

When the kids are picking up sticks, encourage them to pick up ones that are the right size for writing. Then, you can drill the end, insert a 7mm tube and make a "stick pen". Doesn't retract, just a simple nib and cross refill. Use the pencil nib, which screws on and off. I have SEEN this, I have never DONE this, so check first to make sure all the components work or can be adapted to work with current kits.

 

[Rick1708]

Very cool idea. We go on a trip every year with a few family (7 kids). This would be a great "challenge" when we travel!

 

[Daniel]

I have been told that you do not want to turn wood from it's center. that is to say the center of the log being the center of the turning. At the same time I see people do it all the time even with really large pieces. I am not sure why but you might want to keep an eye out for strange things happening as you turn it. I have done it once and the wood I used tended to want to peel. that is the best way I can describe it. If it happens you will know what I am talking about it. I managed by just taking light cuts and started sanding earlier. That is just a nicer sounding way of saying I finished up with a 60 grit skew.
I actually like the blanks with a story better. I have a bunch of blanks that came from someones great grandfathers old barn, or the cherry tree in the back yard. all of these blanks came from my friends here at the IAP and all of them will eventually become part of my personal collection of pens. In a way each of them is sharing a part of themselves with me. No price can be placed on that.

 

[cnirenberg]

Cut off the frayed and craked ends and see what you have to work with. As long as it is dry, it shouldn't crack to bad. You will be able to tell what kit works by how much wood you have to work with. If it does crack, dremel it out and fill with somethig else that goes along with the story. CA the crap out of it, finish and voila.

 

[BLLEHMAN]

I made a pen from a section of my brother's Christmas tree this year. My brother and his wife had not been ablee to conceive and after 7 years they had the opportunity to adopt a baby girl, Naomi. I talked to my sister-in-law before Christmas and asked if they were going to have a "real" tree for Christmas. She hesitantly answered yes, presumably confused about why I was asking her this question. I told her to get her father to cut me a section of the tree after Christmas and mail it to me and I would try to make a pen out of it. I received a small section about 2 months later. I stripped off all of the bark and put it in the oven at 200 deg for about 3-4 hours. I cut it to size, drilled it, mounted it and made a pen. Its not the prettiest wood I have seen but it has a good story. I was able to give it to my brother so he will always have a piece of Naomi's First Christmas Tree!

 

[GouletPens]

Turnings are best made from tree trunks, not branches or limbs. You may turn it okay, but have it crack on you a few days later, even if dry, because of the fact it's from a limb....there are wierd stresses in the wood that can do strange things, especially when made as thin as the walls of a pen blank. I tried to do the same thing with some branches cut from my in-laws tree, but it cracked pretty bad and I couldn't salvage it.

 

[Rollerbob]

Got lots of kid stories around my house, that being said, so what if it cracks and unable to use, I gurantee that it will not matter to your kids. It's about how they found it and the story behind it!! We have an egg encased in concrete sitting on a shelf. Now what the heck do you do with an encased egg................you and your kids talk about the strory behind it!! Sounds to me like it is an important stick.........turn the darn thing and post some pictures!!:biggrin:

 

[cnirenberg]

Got lots of kid stories around my house, that being said, so what if it cracks and unable to use, I gurantee that it will not matter to your kids. It's about how they found it and the story behind it!! We have an egg encased in concrete sitting on a shelf. Now what the heck do you do with an encased egg................you and your kids talk about the strory behind it!! Sounds to me like it is an important stick.........turn the darn thing and post some pictures!!:biggrin:

Ok, I'll bite. What's the story behind the concrete encased egg?

 

[Fred]

If the egg is completely encased just how certain are you that the egg is in there? Maybe this story would make better sense if we all sat down and drank a great big bunch of really cold beer first?

The plot thickens ...

 

[titan2]

When the kids are picking up sticks, encourage them to pick up ones that are the right size for writing. Then, you can drill the end, insert a 7mm tube and make a "stick pen". Doesn't retract, just a simple nib and cross refill. Use the pencil nib, which screws on and off. I have SEEN this, I have never DONE this, so check first to make sure all the components work or can be adapted to work with current kits.

You can also use the pen part from a cheap BIC pen.....I forget what size drill bit, but, you can drill it and use the ink tube & nib from the BIC and make yourself a 'Stick' pen. Easy to do and easy to refill.

Have fun and let us see what you come up with!

Barney

 

[Rick1708]

It's drilled and the glue is drying...

Making an Artisan, only kit I had on hand besides a Rhodium Jr. Gent

 

[Rollerbob]

It's drilled and the glue is drying...

Making an Artisan, only kit I had on hand besides a Rhodium Jr. Gent

Good for you!!
I'll save the encased egg for another thread............please stand by!

 

[rjwolfe3]

Look up 12 cent pen on Youtube!

 

[wdcav1952]

I made a pen from a section of my brother's Christmas tree this year. My brother and his wife had not been ablee to conceive and after 7 years they had the opportunity to adopt a baby girl, Naomi. I talked to my sister-in-law before Christmas and asked if they were going to have a "real" tree for Christmas. She hesitantly answered yes, presumably confused about why I was asking her this question. I told her to get her father to cut me a section of the tree after Christmas and mail it to me and I would try to make a pen out of it. I received a small section about 2 months later. I stripped off all of the bark and put it in the oven at 200 deg for about 3-4 hours. I cut it to size, drilled it, mounted it and made a pen. Its not the prettiest wood I have seen but it has a good story. I was able to give it to my brother so he will always have a piece of Naomi's First Christmas Tree!

Ben, that is one of the best stories I have heard in a very long time. Thank you ever so much for sharing it with us.

 

[maxman400]

I have one of those pen's my mom picked up a piece of mesquite tree limb laying in a parking lot and told me let's see you make a pen out of that. I did and and now she won't let any one use it. the only thing I did to try to stabilize it was after I drilled it I ran thin CA down the inside of it. then I hand reamed it and glued in my tubes and turned it.

 

[aggromere]

my son was doing some work in my back yard a few months ago and found a limb that was on the ground and looked like it had been there for a long time. It appeared dry. I cut it into pen size and turned away. I had some cracking issues that I fixed with CA. I finished it with about 10 coats of CA and it turned out great. He loves the pen. I had some extra and made one for a friend of his as well.

 

[Rick1708]

I posted the results on the "Show Off Your Pen's" forum:

http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=48044