The Kit Pen Contest

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mbroberg

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This post is being made on behalf of the Kit Contest Chairman, Cmiles1985

The purpose of this contest is to somewhat level the playing field so that both beginning and advanced turners can compete within the same space.

In addition to the Universal Bash Guidelines, the contest rules are as follows:

1. ONLY kits using 3/8" tubes, and ONLY natural material (e.g. wood, antler, etc.) may be used to craft your entry.

2. No laser work or cnc produced pens or parts are allowed.

3. The kit must be commercially available at the time of the BASH. No modifications are to be made to the kit.

4. A short description of the pen needs to be submitted with the pen.

5. The pen may not have been posted anywhere before the February 15th deadline.

6. Up to three pictures of the pen may be submitted. There will be an entry form to submit your pen. This is the entry form.

7. The contest will start on February First and entries will be due no later than Sunday the 15th at 11:59pm EST. Entry Forms will be available at the start of the bash. Pictures will be posted and a poll or polls will be taken to determine the winning 3 pens. Depending on the amount of submissions we may need to have more than 1 poll to select the winning pens.

Submissions:
8. All entries are due 11:59pm EST. Sunday February 15th
You must use the entry form that will be provided to submit your pen. Here is the entry form.
YOU MUST SUBMIT THE PEN UNDER YOUR USER NAME.

9. The first poll(s) will be posted on Feb. 18th, and voting will end on Feb. 21st. The final polls, if needed, will be posted and the voting results will become public at that time.

10. All entries will be posted at the same time following the contest's deadline. This will give all entries the same time "in the spotlight".

1st place ---TBA
2nd place---TBA
3rd place---TBA
 
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twinsen

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material

Can metal segments like aluminum, copper, etc. be used?
Also, what about tru-stone?
 
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Cmiles1985

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I'd rather we stick to only wood and antler/bone, etc. Truly natural materials. Trustone has some manmade elements to it. This contest is not about the blank choice, it's about the turner's abilities in fit and finish.
 

twinsen

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I'd rather we stick to only wood and antler/bone, etc. Truly natural materials. Trustone has some manmade elements to it. This contest is not about the blank choice, it's about the turner's abilities in fit and finish.

Alright, so the "etc." mean anything else that grows or occurs naturally that is not manufactured or refined by man made processes?
 

Cmiles1985

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I'd rather we stick to only wood and antler/bone, etc. Truly natural materials. Trustone has some manmade elements to it. This contest is not about the blank choice, it's about the turner's abilities in fit and finish.

Alright, so the "etc." mean anything else that grows or occurs naturally that is not manufactured or refined by man made processes?

Yes sir :)
 

Cmiles1985

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The deadline for this wonderful new contest to flex your fit and finish muscles is THIS SUNDAY!!!!

I never posted the prizes to push the incentive of competing, so here they are:

first Dougs Wood working #1 $140
second Constance Lazerline GC #8 $100
third Mark James #2 Bob $40 Alumilite #10 $36
 

Cmiles1985

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Most Sierra style pens are a 27/64" tube. I think the Gataby may use a 3/8", and the LeRoi V2 pens use a 3/8" tube. A cigar uses 10 mm tubes, so it's out.
 

twinsen

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I don't remember Cigar pens being 3/8. Most I have seen are 10mm.
3/8 = .375 inches = 9.525mm.
The below are all 3/8 tubes exclusively.
Mejestic Squire
Stratus
Celtic
Knights Armor
Vertex
Bolt Action
Art Deco
Gothica
Diva Charm
 
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Cwalker935

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Most Sierra style pens are a 27/64" tube. I think the Gataby may use a 3/8", and the LeRoi V2 pens use a 3/8" tube. A cigar uses 10 mm tubes, so it's out.

The Gatsby Grande uses a 3/8, the Gatsby uses 27/64. Despite the smaller tube, the Gatsby Grande is a bigger pen- it leaves more meat on the barrel.
 

ed4copies

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Once again, the difficulty is in defining a kit by the size of the hole.

3/8" does indeed equal .375" as shown above. The kits shown above use tubes that measure about .365"---thus they are "specced out" as a 3/8" hole.

The cigar uses a .385" OD tube. Definitely will NOT fit in a .375" hole.

When in doubt, measure the tube--if it is very near .365", you should be OK.
Interesting that this results in almost exclusively Penn State kits---I don't think that was intended, but "it is what it is" (I have always found that a very DEEP observation---tongue firmly in cheek!!)

Just an FYI,
Ed
 

Cmiles1985

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Once again, the difficulty is in defining a kit by the size of the hole.

3/8" does indeed equal .375" as shown above. The kits shown above use tubes that measure about .365"---thus they are "specced out" as a 3/8" hole.

The cigar uses a .385" OD tube. Definitely will NOT fit in a .375" hole.

When in doubt, measure the tube--if it is very near .365", you should be OK.
Interesting that this results in almost exclusively Penn State kits---I don't think that was intended, but "it is what it is" (I have always found that a very DEEP observation---tongue firmly in cheek!!)

Just an FYI,
Ed


I ran a poll before setting up this contest to see what most folks had on hand, and it was pretty much a tie between the sizes I had posted...barring 8 mm. The options I posted consisted of 7, 8, 10 mm, 3/8" and 27/64". In retrospect, I probably should not have chosen 3/8" tubes for the exact reason you've mentioned. 3/8" tubes includes a lot of the "gaudy" kits that PSI makes, and I was actually trying to avoid the kit being the focus! I was also trying to avoid the blank being the focus. The main intent on this contest was purely fit/finish. The basic ability to turn a nicely completed pen. Not the artistic ability to pick out a beautiful blank, or the wallet to pay for a glitzy kit.

Consider this a lesson learned on my part, but should this contest arise again next year, I'll be a little on the wiser side :eek:
 

twinsen

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Once again, the difficulty is in defining a kit by the size of the hole.

3/8" does indeed equal .375" as shown above. The kits shown above use tubes that measure about .365"---thus they are "specced out" as a 3/8" hole.

The cigar uses a .385" OD tube. Definitely will NOT fit in a .375" hole.

When in doubt, measure the tube--if it is very near .365", you should be OK.
Interesting that this results in almost exclusively Penn State kits---I don't think that was intended, but "it is what it is" (I have always found that a very DEEP observation---tongue firmly in cheek!!)

Just an FYI,
Ed


I ran a poll before setting up this contest to see what most folks had on hand, and it was pretty much a tie between the sizes I had posted...barring 8 mm. The options I posted consisted of 7, 8, 10 mm, 3/8" and 27/64". In retrospect, I probably should not have chosen 3/8" tubes for the exact reason you've mentioned. 3/8" tubes includes a lot of the "gaudy" kits that PSI makes, and I was actually trying to avoid the kit being the focus! I was also trying to avoid the blank being the focus. The main intent on this contest was purely fit/finish. The basic ability to turn a nicely completed pen. Not the artistic ability to pick out a beautiful blank, or the wallet to pay for a glitzy kit.

Consider this a lesson learned on my part, but should this contest arise again next year, I'll be a little on the wiser side :eek:

How are we going to stop voters from choosing the more artistic ones?
Here's some tongue in cheek.....

Suggestion:
The contest could be renamed "The Plain old Kit with Boring blank Contest".
Rules:
1 - must match gold slimline or slimline pro pen kit with plain old oak blank
2 - no interesting oak blanks (see lowes or home depot)
3 - any attempt to be unique or artistic = automatic disqualification
4 - must provide photo showing kit part thickness measurements and 6 finished blank measurements to the nearest .001''.
5 - measurements must be taken on each end of the both sections of the blank and in the center of each blank
6 - must provide certified opacity rating of CA finish.
7 - photos must have perfect white background.
8 - must send video of your pen in a wind tunnel

Judging will be based on how polished your CA finish is, the deviation in width from your finished blank & the pen kit parts, and the deviation between the end of your blanks and the center of your blanks (we're going for perfect cylindrical turning).

Prizes:
1st - Starrett Micrometer Set :cool:
2nd - Craftsman Dial indicator :)
3rd - Harbor freight ruler :confused:
Last place - public flogging :doctor:
 

Cmiles1985

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Indeed you are!

There have been quite a few amazing entries for this contest. I've just been shuffling photos around for now, so I haven't looked at ALL of them yet!
 
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