Playing hookie!! I don't feel guilty!

[woodscavenger]

I played hookie today. Helped out with the kids and got some penturning time. This collage represents last night and today. This was a lot of fun. I did many things I have never done before.

The pens are:
1. Teachers pen in bloodwood, yellowheart and bocote per request.
2. Buckeye slimline....not sure if I like it
3. Spalted maple cigar in black chrome.
4. Bocote in black chrome.
5. Ligero RB. Cranberry acrylic. Unfortunately the walls are so thin it takes away nearly all of the speckled effect.
6. Ligero FP in banksia. My first Ligero after finally getting a drill bit. The nib is not as smooth as the Gentlemans but I only fiddled with it for a couple of words. I like this wood! I want more!
7. Birds-eye/curly maple slimline satin nickel set per request. The wood came from a clock her husband made years ago. He threw it away, she brought it to me for the gift set. I now realize that turning bushing-bushing is actually harder than addind a little curve and flair.

Thanks for looking! Comments, critiques and jokes are welcome.

Here is a better look at the Ligero FP.

 

[jvsank]

Very nice job on all the pens.

 

[DCBluesman]

Excellent work. Funny thing is, after the bocote I like the buckeye burl best.

 

[JimGo]

The Ligeros came out especially good, although fit-wise, they all look good. I like the texturing look to the Banksia, it almost looks like leather! The buckey's shape is interesting; the sharp angle you use actually reduces the negative impact of the wasp-waisted look to my eye, so I like it better than most (including several of my own!). For some reason, that spalted maple cigar looks huge!

Congrats on the shop time, too!

 

[leehljp]

I like all of them but especially the design on the teachers pen and the wood grain on the Ligero. It does look like leather. I agree with Jim on the buckeys shape reducing the wasp waist look. I am sure that shape will be copied. []

 

[WoodChucker]

Nice looking bunch of pens! You should play hooky more often. []

 

[opfoto]

Nice group. Esp since you played hookie.

 

[Czarcastic]

Wow, you were busy!
You mean you had time to help out with the kids and still turn all those great looking pens?!?!
That's a month of turning for me []

Great job on all of them. The Spalted Maple Cigar w/Black Chrome is my personal favorite.

 

[woodscavenger]

I have five kids. I run my own sweat shop. One of them drills, one glues (she still has her fingers stuck to the bench[]), one trims, and my oldest boy roughs them out with a gouge. That leaves me to do the finish work. I pay them all very fair wages....they get to eat.[]

Actually before I took my large HF lathe back I had that and my Jet Midi. I would set my boy on the midi and he would rough out a few blanks while I did the finishing cuts. Now he is on a real pen making fetish. I gave him two kits for his birthday. He turned 8 and he did the entire turning except a few light skew cuts I did. He sanded, added some burn lines, and then I did the CA/BLO finish. Now he is adamant that he wants a Baron RB kit so he has been doing chores to pay for the kit. I think he is hooked. Maybe he will end up like the kid that was featured in the recent Woodturning magazine.

 

[MDWine]

Excellent bunch of pens... I like that Ligero wood too.. very nice!

 

[Czarcastic]

Sounds like the boy is hooked! Congratulations.

I can tell you first-hand that there is little more satisfying than spending time in the shop with your kids. Its something they will remember for the rest of their lives, and probably tell your GRANDHLIDREN - years from now - about the times spent in the workshop with Grandpa! []
Just wait until he brings his hand-made pens and pencils into school... or makes one for his teacher. Talk about "Brownie points!"

Can't wait to see some of his work. He's obviously got a great teacher.

 

[JimGo]

Wow Shane, you aren't kidding...sweet set up. I'll have to re-think my plan of only having 2 kids! []

 

[mike_l]

Originally posted by woodscavenger
<br />
2. Buckeye slimline....not sure if I like it

I like the slimline. [] Great job on all the pens.

Mike L

 

[Glenn McCullough]

Nice job on all the pens. Seems a waste to lose all that buckeye to dust, but the pen looks really good. My preferences in the following order:
Banksia ligero,Maple cigar,buckeye slim,bocote cigar,maple slim set,acrylic ligero and teachers pen( the bocote doesnt work for me, the rest is fine).

 

[Justin_F]

Ive got three kids - I like this concept! (I have to feed them anyway.....)
Anyway theres a pic of my 8 year old turning her first pen on the Casual conversation area.[]

 

[woodscavenger]

I would have used ebony for the black ink end but I couldn't find a cutoff I thought I had.