Segmenting Pens

[avbill]

I want to try/learn to do segmented pens this year. So my question goes out to all of you what have successfully segmented their pens.

1. What design quality do you look for in the blanks? plain grain , Wild grain, or solid color verses a varied color in the blank?

2. Do you select your blanks because of a certain patterned design or color?

3. What in your experience looks good in segmented pen .. verses what is looks best in a segmented pen?

4. What type of artistry of color are bought about in the element of the design?

5. What has been your nightmare project involving segmented pens and how did you solve the problem?

6. Is contrast "that" important in segmented pens?

7. Any other comment you would like to make.


I have seen some beautiful segmented pens from this group. Will you share your successes and your failures in doing segmented pens. Thats right failures. WE can learn more from our failures than successes. I hope to learn from all you.

Thank you
Bill Daniels

 

[BDKS]

I don't have experience in this area yet. There are good tutorials on segmenting and knots in the library. http://www.penturners.org/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=45 I thought that might help.

 

[DFM]

I will try to answer your questions as to my experience:

1. What design quality do you look for in the blanks? plain grain , Wild grain, or solid color verses a varied color in the blank?

Plain grain and dense woods work great for me. I try to have all the woods in my work the same or similar density.

2. Do you select your blanks because of a certain patterned design or color?

Mostly, I select wood for segmenting that is stable, easily worked and accepts glue readily. Problems with glue adhering to a surface will ruin a segmented blank.

3. What in your experience looks good in segmented pen .. verses what is looks best in a segmented pen?

I like high contrasting colors, but complimenting colors work well together also. It all depends on your taste.

4. What type of artistry of color are bought about in the element of the design?

The sky is the limit. If you can imagine it, try it.

5. What has been your nightmare project involving segmented pens and how did you solve the problem?

Glue not sticking to the materials is the worst nightmare I have had. I had a blank explode during drilling because the CA did not adhere to my medium.

6. Is contrast "that" important in segmented pens?

It depends. If your materials are so similar, and you have no distinction between each piece, no one will be able to appreciate your work without close inspection. However, I have seen some pens that were created with an aluminum or brass band between the pieces that have been outstanding.

7. Any other comment you would like to make.

Make sure that you have fun and the same number of digits when you finish that you had when you began.

 

[darrylm]

with the segmented pens I'm trying to focus on the wild grain would be lost on the small pieces I'm using, so I'm trying to stick with solid colors.

I had a blank blow out on me after 4 hours of work had been put into it. that kinda sucked.

have you tried making any celtic knots? that's what got me started in segmentation.

 

[loglugger]

Make sure the parts you are glueing are flat.
Bob

 

[VisExp]

The attraction of segmented pens for me is it challenges me both creatively and technically. A nice design requires many hours of thought just to be able to visualize the finished pen. Then I have to think backwards to visualize the blank I need to build in order to achieve the finished product. Only then do I start thinking about the technical aspect of how to actually build the blank.

Having gone through all that, it is very satisfying to first build the blank and then to turn it into a pen. I get as much enjoyment from building the blank as I do from turning it. It is a journey not just a destination, and there is much to be enjoyed on the journey. Many solutions to arrive at, and many failed attempts to learn from.

I guess I didn't really answer your questions though

 

[ahoiberg]

sometimes learning the segment process is best done by cutting some wood, gluing it up and seeing what you like or don't about how you did it. you can start simple with some contrasting rings toward the nib or something and then work your way into a celtic knot, or use some aluminum can to highlight your segments... or do a cross pattern, the options are limitless and once you just start in on it, you'll find you can do a lot of neat stuff without getting overly complicated about things.

 

[JohnU]

Also... If you upper and lower pen blanks are the same pattern, make sure you drill dead center for the brass tubes or your lines wont match up after you turn it down. Remember its easier to glue large peices together and then cut and flip them or splice into them, than to glue a lot of small peices. I started out using epoxy between the seg peices but soon switched to CA glue because epoxy will allow parts to fall out when sanding because of the friction heat. Good luck!