Care of Finished Pens

[Linster]

I'm new to pen turning and have made several for Christmas gifts. I want to include with each pen some instructions on "how to care for your pen."

I've been working with both woods and acrylics. The woods I'm assuming can just be polished up using any furniture polish/wax made for wood. If I'm wrong, please correct me.

For the acrylics, I have no clue what to tell the recipients on how to care for them and keep them nice and shiny. Can anyone help me out with this?

Thank you in advance for your time and expertise!
Linster [:I]

 

[woodwish]

Can't help with the acrylics, never used the stuff. For wood I always suggest paste wax by Johnson's or Minwax (just because it so available). Someone on this forum earlier suggested carnuba car wax beacuse it is tougher, but I had really bad luck with it. I never could get it to shine very evenly and it appears to actually take the 24k finish off of some cheap kits I had. Paste wax for wood is much better in my opinion. I actually use it on my personal pen that I use all day about once per month, but probably should use it more often for daily use items.

 

[Linster]

Car Wax SHOULD NOT be used on anything wood.[:0] I learned this from other woodworking endevours. Car waxes have a fine grit in them that's good for metal polishing but not for wood. Probably why you couldn't get a shine. You were actually scratching the surface.[]

Thanks for the paste wax confirmation. I use it myself on wood projects.

Anyone have suggestions for acrylics? Can wood waxes be used as well?

Linster

 

[Fred in NC]

Linster, for acrylics a soft damp cloth works wonders. Paste wax works well on acrylics too.

I recently started using TSW
http://www.heritagepens.com/services.html
I used it on the pen I carry all the time, over a year old, and it looks like new. Other members of this forum like it too.

 

[DCBluesman]

Lin...This is what I generally provide for woods. I've moved around the compoenets a bit over time, but I think it's all valid.

Do Not leave your pen in the car. The temperature extremes experienced in a car can damage or destroy your writing instrument.

Do Not use cleaning fluids or any abrasive substance (car wax) on any part of your new writing instrument. The fluids and/or abrasives will damage fine finish.

Do care for your writing instrument the way you would any fine wooden product. Product it with a light coat of good wax designed for wooden products. After proper drying buff with a soft, clean cloth.

Do use your pen. It is designed to be written with not placed in a drawer.

 

[Linster]

Fred, thanks for the "okay" [] in using paste wax on acrylics. I checked out the TSW stuff but that wouldn't be readily available to the public so as long as paste wax will work, I'll suggest that use.

Lou, your care instructions sound good. [] Mind if I use them for now until I can compose my own?

Linster

 

[DCBluesman]

Use em...anyone who wants to. I'm sure that parts of them were pilfered by me from many of our 800+ members.

 

[jkirkb94]

Thanks Lou, I think I will.[] I also use a counter top polish on my acrylics. Foumd this at Home Depot. Kirk[8D]

 

[Guest]

People are like fish, they like shiny pretty things and will probably use what's available if you tell them to use a furniture polish.
I recommend not using silicon based furniture polishes.
"Presidents Choice" did a great job of cleaning up a pen that I had made for a friend, keeps in is pocket and uses it everyday in a small engine repair buisness.

 

[Old Griz]

I include a small paper with all my pens telling the customer what wood it is made from, where the wood came from, what replacement to use and how to care for it... I always recommend Johnson's or an equivalent quality paste wax and include a note to never use automotive wax or any wax that includes silicone.. I am considering getting some small canisters like the TSW comes in and putting some paste wax in them to give with my high priced pens and sell to other customers..
I have found that unless the customer is a real pen collector, they have little knowledge of how to take care of a custom wooden pen... even when told to treat it like a good piece of furniture.

 

[Fred in NC]

I wonder if these will do:

http://www.sciplus.com/recommend.cfm?recommendid=8340&jump=category%2Ecfm%3Fsubsection%3D7%26category%3D79%26start%3D1