My Next Segmenting Lesson - Snakewood, Maple and Brass

[mikebpeters]

Well, this was interesting - about 8 re-glues from various stages but some success in the end.

Having successfully attempted more simple segmented pens I decided it was time to up the ante and try something more along the lines of pens like the ones Mike makes.

Wow, but my hat is off to the folks that turn those out so nicely. This is hard!

So much to learn. Getting nice crisp clean joints between the metal and the wood, not having the 3 pieces of snakewood blow up (turned out to be a hairline fracture in the blank I was using that I didn't spot till my 3rd go), to temperature control while drilling and turning and ripping out the longitudinal piece of brass.

It has inspired me though to try segmenting with round pieces instead, so I have a walnut and oak blank gluing right now that I will try to turn tomorrow that I cut one inch plugs of oak, surrounded them with aluminum and glued them into one inch holes in the walnut so that the aluminum segment will be rounded in two axis - I have high hopes, and no nasty 90s to deal with

C&C welcome on both this and my newest idea.

 

[Janster]

Looks nice Mike. I too am aspiring towards more "Segmented" pens. Keep at it and you are definitley off and running and lookin' good getting there! Be well..............Jan

 

[mikespenturningz]

The thicker material makes it harder because it has more opportunity to collect heat and is just harder to turn. Also aluminum is easier than copper or brass. Did the failures happen on the lathe while turning? If that is the case sharp tools! If during drilling, sharp drills! DAMHIKT Also maybe I have been turning longer and just have better feel? I don't know but I would stick with aluminum and see how you make out with that.

I have made every mistake in the book that is for sure in fact I just put a brand new timber wolf 1/2" band saw blade on and immediately grabbed a piece of wood I had sitting there. It was wood that I have used for turning and didn't realize I had put a screw up through the end of it. Yes you guessed it I hit the very end of the screw guess what? That brand new blade is probably junk! Never even got to cut a piece of wood with it other than maybe 1/4" crosscut.

 

[jttheclockman]

What is the best part about this post is not the pen. Yes it is nice and great trial and error work. But it is the thought process as you did the pen and things started going wrong. You realized what went wrong and how you need to correct for the next time. Keep it up and keep challenging yourself. Keep telling yourself this is fun. this fun. this is fun

 

[mikespenturningz]

By the way Mike. That pen came out good. You should be proud. You made mistakes and learned from them as John T. said. The best thing we can get out of adversity is better at what we were doing. I like the way you combined the 45 degree cut with the straight cut at the opposite end and got it right in the middle. That is not an easy thing to do.

 

[mikebpeters]

Thanks for all the encouragement.

I did try epoxy to start and when I drilled the first (lower) section I used the bit by bit theory to fight heat, and when I unclamped the drill press vice, every joint had let go. Next time, only two let go but it was far enough along that the third reglue there at least had the tube in it to hold it all together and then CA saved my bacon.

The other failures were with the small strip of transverse brass that kept tearing out. There was just such a tiny piece that I had to be very careful.

I must have resharpened my skew 8 times as I worked that brass.

I can hardly wait to see how my round segmenting goes tomorrow.