New design

[08K.80]

I am working on a new pen design. Been messing with it all week in my spare time and have had a few issues. I think I might have overcome the issues and I am trying to get it drilled. Taking it slow so it doesn't end up a pile of scrap pieces scattered all around.

If it all works out, I will post a picture of the cap.
If it doesn't work out, I will be picking up the pieces while drying my eyes.:redface:

 

[plantman]

Good girl Kelly !!! Can't wait to see it. Jim S

 

[08K.80]

I was able to get the cap section drilled and will attempt to turn it down today.
I still need to drill out the body section so I can turn it down.

**Please keep your fingers crossed.**

 

[mikespenturningz]

Why does drilling always have to be so difficult for segmenters? It seems like you finally get that perfect blank made just to have to reglue after or during drilling. It is the most tense part of the process for me. Cannot wait to see your new pen Kelly.

 

[Marc]

It seems to me, that when you are doing a new design or unusual pen or wood, that every potential point of failure gets magnified. My concentration kicks up a notch or two, the anxiety level rises, muscles get tight and rigid. All of this obviously magnifies the potential for problems. I become a bigger point of failure than all the normal crossroads. Sigh.

Then, when the finished, polished project has made it's final spin and the assembly is complete, the pen almost jumps up off the pen press and shouts hurrah!!

It was all worth it.

Here is wishing that great success for you Kelly on this interesting sounding pen.

 

[08K.80]

I am still recovering from the failure. I had it down close to the final size and a piece snapped off and ruined the blank and the tube.
This is very new to me and I have to take the disappointments along with the pens that turn out nice. I had over sixteen hours in the blank up to the piece flying off. I guess I learned one way not to make a blank.

I am starting over and modifying the design slightly to remove an element.
I will let you know how this one goes.

 

[Wood Butcher]

Since misery loves company; I have been pen making for over 25 years and today, Saturday, I was doing a demonstration at the local Rockler store with half dozen pen makers watching and a blank I had spent an entire day building up (cutting, segmenting and laminating), drilling and gluing the tube into it and it blew to pieces as I turned it at a high speed, it was dramatic. It wasn't a new happening, it wasn't even that unusual for me but it was no less embarrassing and frustrating. It happens to all of us. What's left to do is....learn. Why did it blow up and what might I have done to prevent it from happening? In my case I had prepared two very similar blanks so I mounted the second on the lathe and this time I turned a small amount, soaked it with thin CA glue, turned some more and soaked with CA more and repeated until it was finished. The results garnered oohs and aahs and came out nicely done. Just be sure you learn from the "failures" because your successes won't teach you as much. Keep at it.
WB

 

[mikespenturningz]

I usually don't lose any by the time I get them to the turning? Maybe that is just some fun that I am going to get later on. One of the things that I do and I think it really helps me is keep my tools very very very sharp. I could have put more very's in there but three gets the point across. I will hone my skew maybe three or four times while I am turning one of the really intricate blanks. It allows me to turn them and put the least amount of stress on the blank. If your skew is really sharp it just cuts clean the fibers of the wood and does not just break them. This means that as you cut you don't have to put a lot of pressure or exert more stress on the piece than is necessary. I hope this helps..

 

[08K.80]

Mike... I think my tools are sharp but, I don't have anything to compare them to. It was mentioned to me to get a diamond hone to sharpen with and that's what I try to use.

I'm still working on the first design, I hope it doesn't take another sixteen hours to have the opportunity to detroy it again. I'm also working on another, more simple design. I just got it all glued together and I will try to turn it tomorrow, if I can fit it in. I will give a hint... it's a single tube kit and no aluminum on this one. Simple.:wink:

 

[plantman]

Kelly; I was turning a segmented blank Saturday. Took me three days to cut, glue, drill, and start turning. It had 80+ pieces of 4 different exotic woods plus almost 100 pieces of brass. I was almost finished but needed one more cut to bring it to the size I wanted. I made the mistake of taking one heavy cut instead of two light ones. Well you know the rest of the story !! Actualy I was amazed that I even got the blank to that point without to many reglues. That was a beautiful blank !! As they say, we live and, hopefuly, learn from our mistakes. Jim S