Finally did a few pens.

[dubdrvrkev]

I figured I should turn some pens before you guys kicked me out of the clubhouse.
First is Curly ash (from Dario) for my MIL. She picked wood and kit.

Second is a customer pen in black walnut with satin pearl kit. This wood was used in a crate and it looked very nice as a board but a lot of the figure turned away. Maybe it will work better in a bigger pen.

To CB or not to CB that is my question...?
This is a green dyed curly poplar (from BB), I made the CB from 2024 aluminum and am not sure if I should use it or not.
With CB

Without CB

Thanks for looking. Comments welcome.

 

[rtjw]

great looking pens

 

[rtparso]

Great pens! I like the CB in this case.

 

[vick]

Looks real good especially the green (did I say that). I like the center band but not sure it goes with the silver pearl kit. Where did you get your aluminum?

 

[dubdrvrkev]

Thanks guys.
Mike, I had a little sitting around, I have a little sheet brass too, if you are interested come on over, I have some to spare. I wasn't sure about the green blank either, that's why I chose it to experiment on. But now that its done I kinda like it.

 

[Jim Boyd]

I like the center band also.

 

[lkorn]

I recommend losing the CB on this pen. It doesn't match either the plating on the kit OR the lines of the pen. Obviously, my opinion FWIW.

 

[Travlr7]

They are all nice pens. I'm another one that likes the bands.

The curly Ash is my favorite. If YMIL decides she doesn't want it, I'll take it off your hands and give it a good home.

Bruce[]

 

[mrcook4570]

I like the green with a CB, just not the shiny aluminum one. Perhaps if it were brushed to more closely match the kit.

 

[dubdrvrkev]

I suppose I could sand blast it and it would have a similar look to the kit. Or I could disassemble and use a chrome kit, which if I had one on hand I'd have used in the first place. This was just a trial run at making a CB on a SL.

 

[wdcav1952]

I gotta go with Larry on this one. I prefer the green pen without the CB. Either way it is really nice, I just like it better without.

 

[woodscavenger]

Hit the CB with some automotive sandpaper and give it a satin appearance. I'm not sure which grit but one of them should work. I love the green and satin but the top of the pen tapers too much for me. Either slim down the center or use a bead or cove section at the top to allow a larger diameter under the finial.

 

[dubdrvrkev]

Well the taper was a "design oppertunity". That end was originally the nib end and I tried some burnlines but they wouldn't darken, I guess because of being stabilized [?] but they just cut in and had a few spots of black and the rest almost white. So I had to turn it all away, thus the taper, which I tried to hide under the clip. Of course without a clip it may look better, who knows, that is why I considered this an experimental pen.

 

[PenWorks]

Glad to see you back at work Kevin,
your membership is now renewed for another month []

 

[dubdrvrkev]

Thanks Anthony. []
Happy to say that I brought two of the pens to work today and won't be comming home with either of them. I guess the CB works for that customer.

 

[Scott]

Hi Kevin,

Nice pens! I like the top one, the one for your MIL. I like the centerband for the green pen. It really finishes off the shape of the pen. You could always powder coat the centerband - I would lean towards blood red, but then that's me! [] But where you're making your own centerbands out of aluminum, you can do all kinds of textures, such as knurling, with powdercoat on top. Have fun!

Scott.