A mariner in your forum

[sanyalsoumitra]

Hello everybody,
Introducing myself, Soumitra Sanyal. I work on a merchant ship and connect to this forum
using ships low speed crew internet.
My introduction to this forum was by chance net surfing. Three months back knew nothing about
this great art-form namely pen-turning. I am grateful to the moderators for accepting me immediately
as a member.
Three months, I have read most of the articles here and have managed to understand the basics.
There are some limitations I face.
Onboard ship I use the larger metal lathe machine, ship itself is a vibrating platform.
Middle of the ocean I can not buy the kits, blanks and supplies. Cutting tools are not
exactly wood turning tools. I manage with improvisations.
Fortunately ship went to USA and I could buy 11 fountain pen kits and some basic supplies- but I did
not buy any blanks because due to ignorance I thought that they come included in the kit!! Ship has
lots of scrap packing woods[ which normally incinerate] and many types of metals.
So I have made the pens using these materials. There is a dark colour wood used for pilot ladder rungs and the
lighter shade soft wood from the packing crates.None of these are stabilised. I have used a old hammer handle too.
And some brass and copper rods for the blanks.
As this ship is engaged in long voyages, I could not buy any new kits. I developed a technic I call Cladding
Converstion- transforming old used pens to wood pens- mainly a sleeving job.
I am now trying to make the grip, coupler and end finials- of course I do not have metal plating facility available
a brasso polish is as far as I can go! aonther problem is ship normally do not keep metric fine thread taps and dies
so I have to make do with metric coarse thread. Nib and feeders are delicate laborious jobs- I would buy locally when I go
back to India.
I am trying to post photos of the pens I have made- some from the USA kits and some from my imagiantion. These lack the
fineese compared to your regular show items but my next set of pens will be much finer, now that I am begining to understand the grey areas.
I am ever very grateful to the contributors of this forum for ushering me into this wonderful world. I will continue to make pens rest of my life. This is one hobby that really soothes my mind.
So friends, some beginers pens for your viewing- I have not added any description as these are too basic for you all.
One look and you know it anyway. Kindly be generous with your comments.
Warm regards everybody.
Soumitra Sanyal
PS : @ Mods, kindly place my post in the appropriate section, I would follow up.

 

[Ed McDonnell]

Welcome - Sounds like quite the adventure you are having with pen making. I would very much like to see your pens, but there doesn't seem to be any pictures attached to your post. Maybe a wave knocked them out of your message as it was crossing the ocean? (hope my humor translates!!)

Looking forward to seeing your work at some point.

Ed

 

[Displaced Canadian]

Welcome from Washington state. Stainless steel is a good materiel to turn and it polishes well. Don't let the fact that you don't have kits stop you from making pens. As long as you can get a refill you can make a pen. Threading with coarse thread can be tough, If you had the chance to pick up a few finer ones it would help. Other than that, you have a lathe and time try new things and see what you can do.

 

[Edgar]

Welcome from Texas. I admire such ingenuity and resourcefulness and I would love to see some of your pens. Please post some photos when you can.

-- Ed

 

[ssajn]

Welcome from Wisconsin. Looking forward to seeing some pictures.

 

[Ligget]

Welcome aboard!

 

[cwolfs69]

welcome aboard. sounds like your adventure is a unique one. and we complain because we did not have time to swing by woodcraft today and will have to wait until tomorrow. again welcome aboard.

 

[PWL]

Welcome aboard

Paul

 

[turncrazy43]

welcome from Georgia, USA.
_______________________________________
Everyday I'm vertical is a great day

 

[rherrell]

Welcome!

 

[snyiper]

Welcome to the dark Vortex of pen turning where the only limitation is your imigination!!!!

 

[Glenn McCullough]

welcome from the mitten! sounds like the slow internet has kept the pictures from loading. you are making the best of what you've got to work with and look forward to seeing some photos.

 

[joefyffe]

Sanyal: I am impressed. As the others, I have seen no pics, but I am impressed with your "I'm gonna do it" attitude. Like Charlie said, some of us complain because we have to wait until tomorrow, or gas is $3.89 and it's fifteen miles to Woodcraft or shipping is $15.00 etc. Keep the spirit, my friend and we look forward to seeing great things coming from "ON SEAS"!

 

[stonepecker]

Welcome to the fun, from Minnesota. Can't wait to see what you make.

 

[penhead]

Your post caught my eye..mainly because i have no idea where Kolkata
is located...but reading your post was most impressive..adapt, overcome, and make great things..!!..and while turning pens is where just about every woodturner starts and it gives that instant gratification of having made something (and it's fun ... remember that if you run out of pen kits to make, pens are not the only thing that can be turned on a lathe..

 

[Mariner1]

Welcome from another merchant sailor. I currently work on a integrated tug / barge on Lake Michigan. I have worked on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans as well as the Mediterranean. I have worked on a submarine, tankers, freighters and a cruise ship. Did not see your introduction as I was on the boat back in April. I hope you enjoy making pens as much as I do, you can learn a lot from the people on this forum.

Karl

 

[healeydays]

Welcome from New Hampshire.

The nice thing that you have going for you is pick up pieces of material from your different ports of call and you will end up with an unusual collection of pens when you finish.

Look at this as the 21st century version of the old whalers and carving whale's teeth...

 

[Jim15]

Welcome Soumitra.

 

[johncrane]

Welcome to IAP Soumitra!

 

[Sataro]

Welcome from Corsicana, TX! Looking forward to seeing some of your pens.

 

[rholiday]

Welcome from South Carolina.

 

[seamus7227]

Welcome to the group from Wichita Falls, Tx!

 

[RichB]

Welcome from Michigan. Have Fun

 

[walshjp17]

Welcome, Soumitra, from North Carolina. As others have noted, as soon as you can get a good Internet connection to send the photos, we would love to see them. Perhaps an Internet cafe in a port of call or at home in Kolkata (Calcutta, I presume).

 

[BSea]

Welcome from Arkansas. I think you show amazing ingenuity to make do with what's available to you. I can't wait to see some of your pens.

 

[SDB777]

Welcome aboard!!!!



Scott B

 

[skiprat]

Hi Shipmate !! Wecome aboard the good ship SS IAP:biggrin:

 

[sanyalsoumitra]

Hi ,

thank you all for the encouragement. Hope the ppt file gets attached correctly.

warm regards
Soumitra Sanyal

 

[sanyalsoumitra]

Also attched some photos at random. Kindly give your comments.

 

[Alzey]

Very nice looking set of pens. Love the square one. It won't roll off your desk in high seas

Welcome to IAP from the mountains of Tennessee.

 

[RMayoIII]

Given the limitations of ship living, you've managed to turn out some very nice pens! I am impressed with them. Keep up the fine work!

 

[sanyalsoumitra]

Thank you all. I will send you more of my work later. Will sure like to have your advise on small topics as and when.

 

[sanyalsoumitra]

Of pens and kits

My last three months journey in the world of fountain pens started with my 12 year son asking
to buy him Lamy and Cross pens in Calcutta, India. I was surprized by his interest in fountain
pens as most of his generation write with Gel-pens and ball point pens.I did purchase a couple
of Lamy safary pens for him, costs about USD 36 in our local money. I personally did not know
the Lamy brand earlier.
But in my school days there used to be a myriad of local made fountain pens , all plastic body
exposed nib pens , mostly eyedropper filled. There were some from slightly expesive local makers
included hooded and partial hooded nibs and aerometric type or slide/screw type plunger fillers.
Then, there were these Chinese pens WingSung and Hero models. My father used to collect pens and
I have seen Pilot and some other Japanese pens, some Parker pens etc.
My son and his friends had no idea of these brands. I did a local market check and found none
of these brands are sold retail anymore.
Fountain pens are one hobby somebody can carry to adult life as I can feel by seeing my own school days
hobby making a comeback. A good habit to encourage.
In the internet I could find all the Chinese vintage models and many more new brands from china.
e-bay is the bset place for these pens, costing between two to forty USD for a pen. In last three
months I have purchased about 400 pens from here, I can now recognize most models by their fine
details.
The vintage Indian models from our times are rarely available in retail, ocassional listings were
found in ebay.in as vintage and collectibles. One US site called Pen revolution or similar does
sell many older Indian pens. I could not buy much from these as my paypal account is restricted
about paying sellers based in India and my bank has introduced some sms verification code which
I can get only next vacation.
With more internet search. I became introduced to wood pen turning and then the International
penturners forum who helped me learn about all the finer aspects. I became very interested in
making a few by myself. I was only limited by the absence of any dimensioned drawing, also did
not have many real pens with me to compare and mimmic.
Luck helped a bit as ship went to US and with help of some local gentleman I was able to buy some
11 fountain pen kits and some basic supplies. Studied the kits, an managed to get some basic idea
of dimensions and thread standards. Finished those pens anyway. And now want to make more.
Ship went to Holland and UK, time constraints ,and internet availabilty not in my favour- so no kits and
supplies. For Brazil, one famous USA supplier refunded my money citing at least 6 week required for international shipping. Ship went to Sepatiba in Brazil,people there have only seen "Caneta Nankin" ie fountain pen
in movies!! In the town only one paperillia could sell me a single unit of what looks like a chinese
made semihooded for USD 10. I get many of these design in ebay auctioned for 65 cents to 5 USD.
I do not buy many more pens from ebay now, my interest being concentrated on what I can make by myself.
Moreover, The ones above 25 USD are more of jewelery than pens, does not interest me technically.
Recently though I bought a wooden pen, redwood/black for 27.5 USD with a chinese Jinhao kit.This to introduce
my better half to the charm of wood pens.
E-mailed the seller to sell me chinese pen kits, but got replied in the neagtive by china pen sellers
association. Full pens yes, kits no.!!!
please note this is the only china made wood pen in ebay! Most china pens are plastic and acrylic, in
the modest range. So point to note is wooden pen making is begining to get marketed.
In India, surprizingly, hobby pen making and woodturning has not caught up, is this not a good idea to
start? My search is of course limited by my 50mb internet ration doled on board, but the trend does show.
Where are pen kits made and sold in retail, out side US/Canada/UK ? Perhaps some information are available
in Alibaba.com - but this site is blocked in the ships internet. Another similar site called indiamart.com
only has bulk ready made pens, but no mention of kits.
What intrigues me is that every possible item is manufactured in India/China and sold off to everywhere.
Are these kits sold in UK/US/Canada made locally? IMHO, that is very unlikely. I would expect these to
be bulk supplied from India/China and retailed by the retail websites.
Please could some forum members tell me more ?

 

[Sub Vet 10]

Improvise, adapt, overcome: the way of the mariner!

You can use CA glue to seal any of your raw woods. Except something like teak, which could be what the ladder rungs are made of. (same with any old deck timbers, railing etc)

 

[sanyalsoumitra]

I have found at least one China supplier so far, though I expect Chinese bulk prices should be lower :

ballpoint pens supplier provides ballpoint pens product with cheap price from item 16662849.

Let us have some views.

Regards to all.

 

[bobjackson]

Welcome from Ohio.

 

[Haynie]

Hello