Tunisia inspired clicker

[skiprat]

I was working in Tunisia ( North Africa ) last week and two things stood out......
The first was, like most African countries, is the use of very bright colours they use to decorate just about everything. The other thing that really amazed me was the incredible amount of Olive trees. The groves stretch for hundreds and hundreds of miles across the arid landscape. I took three flights and a 6 1/2 hr train journey while there. The groves just dissapear over the horizon. Anyway, I bought an olivewood board ( think it was for cheese ) and this is what I came up with. The scallops are edged with brass. I changed the direction from the middle. I'm pretty pleased how it turned out and SWMBO loves it:biggrin:

 

[workinforwood]

I really like it too Steve. The colors are really nice and bright just like an African or even a native american would produce. I am however a little PO'd that I wasn't invited on the trip!

 

[smitty]

Beautiful. Your talent amazes me.

 

[scotirish]

Beautiful! That took some work to do all that, but it was well worth it.

 

[soccer2010]

Another great work of art. I really like the bright colors.

 

[hilltopper46]

Everything everybody else said, plus, where do you find the time? It would take me 3 weeks to begin to replicate even a very feeble effort to duplicate what you have done here. WOW!!

 

[fiferb]

Stunning! I love the scallops and that they switch directions. Very innovative.

 

[philb]

Another excellent pen!

Trying to work out the how you did the scallops, must of take a fair amount of gluing and a lot of little pieces of PR. But then a good way to use up the offcuts from the end of the blanks!

PHIL

 

[leehljp]

That is a pretty neat idea! And great looking pen too!

 

[johncrane]

Yep that's a cool colored very nice pen skip!:biggrin:

 

[bitshird]

Skip, that is a way cool pen, I really like the bright colors, as usual your work is fantastic.

 

[Jim15]

Awesome pen.

 

[hewunch]

Very nice. Great effect, now you want to tell us how you did it?

 

[Buzzzz4]

Very cool. I just had a request for these colors on a pen except with just red, yellow and green for a panafrican flare. Thanks for the ideas and inspiration.

 

[skiprat]

Thanks for the nice comments:biggrin:

Very nice. Great effect, now you want to tell us how you did it?

Hans, it was actually easier than you might think. The only tricky part was changing the direction.

I used a compound table over the lathe bed. I mounted a router on the table so that the cutter would pass over the blank. The router was mounted at 45deg with a wide straight bit ( I just needed the 90 deg corner and pure point bits are too exspensive )
There are 19 scallops. 10 is the middle red one. From one end I just cut the first groove and glued in the piece of pr. Next just index the blank 1/12th rev. Advance the table for the next cut and so on until the first 9 were done. The brass was pre- glued to each piece before they were set in.
Then I carefully advanced the index on the lathe to cut the 19th groove and likewise advanced the compound table to suit. It was a simple case of working backwards until I ended up back in the middle to do the 10th cut.
Only the 10th one has brass on both edges. I did draw it out first and work out how much to index and move the table so that the pattern would fit in the blank.:biggrin: Easy huh??:biggrin:

 

[wood-of-1kind]

Fantastic and colourful looking pen. One question, now that you "destroyed" your olive cutting board: How do you cut the "cheese":wink:

 

[Papa Bear]

Now that's a pretty dang "Skippy" pen.Exceptional use of tools and talent!!! Very cool!

 

[broitblat]

Pretty cool and (to my limited experience) pretty true to its origins.

-Barry

 

[VisExp]

That is really nice Steven. I love the colors. I've not been to North Africa, is there more use of vibrant color there than in South(ern) Africa?

 

[PR_Princess]

Beautiful Steven!! Just as you had described. Olive really does seem to lead itself well in combining with PR....at least in your capable hands!!! :biggrin::tongue:

I think that you and Keith should get together on a SA design.... Now that wouldn't that be cool?:wink:

 

[arjudy]

Another great one.

 

[Rollerbob]

I think that you and Keith should get together on a SA design.... Now that wouldn't that be cool?:wink:[/quote]

Yea, what Dawn is trying to say!:wink::biggrin:

 

[mbroberg]

WOW. Another winner. I can't add much more to what already has been said. Absolutely beautiful!

 

[ldb2000]

Great job Skip . That is an awesome segmenting ..... or would that be an inlay job ? , either way it's awesome .

 

[Ligget]

Steve you done it again, gorgeous looking pen and the scallops are perfect, the brass outline really sets it off! :star::biggrin:

 

[Dalecamino]

Too cool Steven . TOO cool .

 

[hewunch]

Steven you lost me at "I used a..."
You guys with your routers attached to your lathes amaze me. One of these days.

 

[skiprat]

That is really nice Steven. I love the colors. I've not been to North Africa, is there more use of vibrant color there than in South(ern) Africa?

Keith, I don't think they are quiet as vibrant as the Ndebele tribe of the southern countries and I didn't see multi coloured houses. They don't seem to have a distinct style of their own. It's a strange mix of Arabic - French - African. I've no idea what they call it.

Dawn, I can't do a pen with Keith Cos he's a 'When-we' :tongue: Not South African:biggrin:

 

[wolftat]

Great looking pen Skip, but I think I'll stick to glueing pieces together for a couple of days.

 

[cnirenberg]

Steve,
I love it. That is a fantastic looking pen.