As promised, here are my first turnings... Acrylic pens.

[Greg O'Sherwood]

My last experience on a lathe was one day in shop class 25+ years ago.

The first (red) TowMater taught me on. After he left, I turned the next two in order. Please give me your HONEST critiques, no placating the new guy! I see where I didn't get down to the bushing on the last one very well...

Sorry for the poor pics, I am no photog.

Thanks,
Gregory of Sherwood Forest

 

[alphageek]

You want critque.... Here goes...
GREAT JOB! They look very good for your first ones.
Keep practicing, they'll get even better.

The biggest tip I can give you... All 3 would have been much better with painted tubes. I've only turned the middle color, but all three would look sharper if the tubes and/or insides of the blanks were painted white.

 

[Jim15]

Very nice, good job.

 

[TowMater]

The non-painted tubes was my bad, I glued them up and took them with me to Greg's for our little turning party.

 

[JimB]

Really nice job. My first pens were not that good.

 

[tim self]

Nice job Gunny. If those minor mistakes is as bad as it gets, then you're well on your way!

 

[alphageek]

The non-painted tubes was my bad, I glued them up and took them with me to Greg's for our little turning party.

Actually - I've gotten SPOILED recently... Not only was I able to get a shipment of the 'non-brass' tubes from CSUSA, woodcraft also has them now.. I'm going to have a GLUT of brass 7mm tubes, since I don't have to paint as many blanks with both nickel and the dark tubes available.

Just thought I'd share... In a pinch - if you don't have time to paint, the nickel tubes will likely look much better than brass on alot of acrylics.

 

[Ligget]

Fantastic penturning Gregory, other than not painting the tubes there is very little wrong with these pens, you should be proud of yourself!

 

[ed4copies]

STARTING with acrylics is gutsy!!!

Nice job!!!

Because the photo isn't the greatest, hard to tell what the finish looks like, but no obvious problems - FAR superior to MY early efforts!!!!!

 

[dntrost]

Yep you done good! Doing a slimline in acrylic is not easy as you get the material pretty thin... I think you did great job on all three!

 

[Daniel]

You get extra credit for starting with acrylics. I actually like the shape you are going for at the nib end. with practice you will get a set way of forming it and they will start looking like copies of each other. You will also loose that fear of the bushings. Paint the tubes acrylic is vicious. All together a fine start.
By the way of all the shapes in your nib end I like the bottom one the best. the line in the barrel matches the line of the nib.

 

[Greg O'Sherwood]

<snip> You will also loose that fear of the bushings. <snip>
By the way of all the shapes in your nib end I like the bottom one the best. the line in the barrel matches the line of the nib.

Daniel,
I don't have a fear of the bushings, I actually rode the bushings on the better pen before sliding onto the acrylic. I think i just forgot to do that on the other one. --- Wait- Is there a reason I SHOULD be afraid of the bushings????????

I like the angle of the 3rd also. I used more skew on it. I think that helps start me off the angle correctly.

Now- I need to buy a press (No interest in making my own). Which one???

Gregory of SpinningSoFastMyLeavesAreFallingOff Forest

 

[broitblat]

From what I can see, you must be a quick study, because they look pretty good.

Acrylics can be somewhat unforgiving if you don't have sharp tools or try to apply too much force, and they'll also show scratches if you don't sand/finish well and it looks like you avoided all the pitfalls while producing some nice looking (and nicely shaped) pens.

-Barry

 

[joeatact]

Yep for your first pens they are great. Keep turning and they will get better as you get better.

 

[MobilMan]

Now- I need to buy a press (No interest in making my own). Which one??? Woodcraft

 

[Greg O'Sherwood]

What do I paint the tubes with? Color?



Thanks for the suggestion on the press, MobilMan. Looks good.


Greg

 

[TowMater]

What, you don't like blue painters tape stuck in your tubes????

 

[Greg O'Sherwood]

What, you don't like blue painters tape stuck in your tubes????

:redface:
When I saw that, I initially thought that the rubber pad had also come off and was stuck in there. I started thinking that I was gonna have to disassemble the darn thing and put in a new mechanism. Glad I was wrong.

Yeah, I think a press and a dead center are my next purchases. I also ordered a drill vice from Paul in OKC. I think I'm #181 in line...

I'm going to Metro Hardwoods this afternoon to get more acrylic blanks too. What do I get to paint the tubes???

Gregory of IGottaTurnAgainSoon Forest

 

[ed4copies]

What paint you use is not a real big issue - I choose CHEAP. (68 cent acrylic paint at Hobby Lobby or spray cans at Big box)

However, CA will smear most paints, so use epoxy when you've painted. IF the blank is REAL translucent, tint the epoxy with the same color as the tube paint.

 

[Greg O'Sherwood]

Okay, but what color paint? White?

 

[Woodlvr]

Great job, just keep turning and posting.

 

[TowMater]

Hey Greg, Look around your shop for a bushing for the Elegant Beauty would you? I'm missing one!!

 

[Greg O'Sherwood]

'Mater,
I'll look tonight. It very well could be.

Greg

 

[areaman]

great job, must've been a great instructor too.

 

[Greg O'Sherwood]

great job, must've been a great instructor too.

Yeah, "Mater gives clear instructions without sounding like a drill sergeant (I was one, so I know the routine). His confidence kept me relaxed so I wasn't tense and jabbing at the blank.

 

[nava1uni]

Nice pens. Your work is clean and has nice lines. I use the pen press that is sold at Woodcraft. I really like it and it is easy to use.

 

[gljjr]

Instead of buying a press, get a pair of MT2 3/8" spurs. Put a 3/8" hole in a block of wood and mount it on the spurs. Put one in the headstock and one in the tail stock. Now all you have to do is move the tail stock up until you have a the width to use the threads on the tail stock to press the pen together. Works far better than the pen press IMHO as the tailstock gives you very precise control of how far you are pressing the parts together.

I actually use a faceplate on the headstock with an old bowl blank on it and the 3/8" threaded MT2 chuck with a small bowl blank. But the concept is the same. I can switch my lathe over in a matter of seconds. The best thing about my setup is that they both came with the lathe!

 

[skiprat]

re; painting. For me, if the blank has clear, white or light colours in it, then it gets white paint. If it is a dark colour like blue, red or green, then it gets black.
I use cheap acrylic crafters paint. I don't paint the tubes, just the inside of the blank. I use a cotton bud. It dries pretty quick, and I try the tube back in the painted hole before I reach for the glue.
There is nothing worse than a damned tube stuck halfway into the blank.
Or so I've been told:biggrin:

 

[Greg O'Sherwood]

Thanks skiprat!

I'll pick them up on the way home tomorrow. Q-tips as applicators?