What to do?

[Jon-wx5nco]

Yesterday, I was making some slimline pens and I had 2 "explode" on me. Here is my question, what do you do with the other barrel? I have one in Cherry and one in Mahogany. I was thinking about going ahead and making a pen out of those, but would that look dumb?

Jon

 

[rjwolfe3]

I think it would look just fine.

 

[Larry in Harrow]

Probably look just fine. BTW, I like your signature. I've been known to inlay my initials into pens using morse.

LCR

 

[warreng8170]

I make keyrings out of those.

 

[MDEdwards]

Mandrel spacers? Antler goes nice with those too.

 

[Jon-wx5nco]

ooooh, Antler... there is a nice idea

 

[nava1uni]

I use them to make other things. Sometimes I glue the exploded parts back together, sometimes if the damage is not too great I fill in the space with color or crushed stones.

 

[BigguyZ]

I'm not a fan of mixing barrels. Someone once mentioned the analogy of different suit pants for a suit jacket. It'll look off. Then then again, you can turn that into something else. Maybe the top for a bullet pen? Or use it as part of a segmented pen? But solid top/ solid bottom in different woods is distracting to me, IMHO. MAybe solid bottom, segmented top with the bottom wood species and antoher complimentary wood?

 

[Mac]

What you have done is opened up an (art opportunity.) The sky is the limit.
And if you are trying to build inventory ,you need something different to catch attention.
And if nothing comes to mine right now put aside for later.
I usaully put my( AO s) in with the cutoffs from pen blanks, and when I get round to-it ,I do something with them.

 

[gvanweerd]

I too just puts them aside. and wait untill my little brain comes up with somthing.

 

[jkeithrussell]

I would either turn them down to use for barrel trimming sleeves or turn the wood off and save the tubes. Not a fan of mix and match pens.

 

[HSTurning]

I make keyrings out of those.

+1
i do the same

 

[Smitty37]

extra barrels

I either make key rings or if the barrels are dark wood I make another barrell out of curly Maple or some contrasting lighter wood. The contrast makes some really nice looking pens...I've even started doing that with pens that there was no accident.

 

[ldb2000]

You could turn down two new half blanks and just finish the pens . Save the other half of the blank for segmenting or the next oops moment