Prettiest blank/pen contest from the Christmas offer blanks

[robutacion]

Hi peoples.

Is not often that I have 40+ IAP members with 10 similar/identical blanks to play with and as suggested by another member, it is a great opportunity to do something about it and in this case, a contest for the prettiest pen created with one of the blanks I offered recently and before you guys start to use them for something else, was time for me to announce this contest.

The idea is very simple, you pick one of the 10 blanks I sent you, with it, you create/turn any type of pen, single, double barrel, in kit format or not, give it whatever the finish you want, the ONLY CONDITION is, no segmentation or resin parts, you can stabilise the blank with clear CJ if you wish...!

There will be 3 prizes for grabs, 1th (AU$150.00), 2th (AU$100.00) and 3th (AU$50.00) in the form of vouchers as usual.

The vote "format" is yet to be decided but I will probably nominate a small group of members (non-participants).

Contest starts on the 1 January 2018, all entries need to be in by the 31 January 2018 so a full month to get it done.

Due to the number of possible participants, only 1 picture will be accepted per participant, that pic needs to be posted in this thread during the month of January 2018 so, make sure you take a good close-up pic of your pen.

I can't think of anything else at the moment so, if I missed something, I will update this thread.

ATTENTION PLEASE:

If you have received one of my Christmas Gift surprise boxes and you would like to have a go at the prizes offered, YOU DO NOT REQUIRE TO POST HERE THAT YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE OR NOT, simply get your pen turned, photographed and post it here.

All the 42 "gift" recipients are automatically entitled to participate in this contest, for everyone else, don't distress, I will have other contests where my blanks will be the "star"...!:biggrin::wink:

If you have any questions please send me a PM to keep this thread from being "bogged-up", thank you...!

Good luck...!

Cheers
George

 

[edicehouse]

The way my luck has been since the start of the new year, I am hoping to be able to walk into the shop by the end of the month....

 

[alankulwicki7]

Am I really the first entrant in this competition?

Anyway, my pen is a Liberty Rollerball with a Poplar blank (#10 from the timbers list (at least I believe it's #10. I will check the cutoff when I get home from work tomorrow morning ). The blank had a couple of small dark spots when I first started turning it. The dark spots got more pronounce as I turned and they ended up having a few hollow spots in them. Filled them with sawdust and CA. The pen also has a CA finish.

Thanks for the great blanks, George!

Enjoy!

 

[robutacion]

Thanks Doug,

Yes, you are indeed the first person to get a pen posted on here so congrats on that. The blank is the #10B - Poplar burl, the small holes in the burl eyes are normal and can be filled with a variety of products some such as coffee grain, precious stone crashed and many others, your sawdust and ca turned out nice and dark brown and that is good, everything on that pen looks pretty good, in my view.

Cheers
George

 

[Karl_99]

Australian Mulberry - Cigar Pen


View in Gallery

This cigar pen was made with Australian Mulberry. I love the character in this piece.
It is finished with a CA/ BLO finish.

 

[robutacion]

View in Gallery

This cigar pen was made with Australian Mulberry. I love the character in this piece.
It is finished with a CA/ BLO finish.

Beautiful pen Karl, well done...!:biggrin:

Just a reminder that the Mulberry blanks I sent everybody are from a species of Mulberry that doesn't produce fruit, it is known locally as "Wild Mulberry"

Cheers
George

 

[Noot17]

Thanks again for the opportunity, George!

The blank I'm submitting is number 18 - Spalted golden wattle. I used a Compson Rollerball kit and finished with a matte CA (sand blank to 400 grit, then 4 smooth coats of thin CA, no sanding)

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[mrgator]

The blank I'm submitting is Brown Mallee Root Burl. I've paired it with a Broadwell Nouveau Sceptre, and used a CA finish.

Thank you again for the blanks, George!

Erik

 

[robutacion]

Thanks again for the opportunity, George!

The blank I'm submitting is number 18 - Spalted golden wattle. I used a Compson Rollerball kit and finished with a matte CA (sand blank to 400 grit, then 4 smooth coats of thin CA, no sanding)

Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app

G'day,

The Golden Wattle has so many variations but I never get tired to see it's beauty regardless how the wood is used, in this case, pen blanks made with that wood are always a winner to me so I hope others see it the same way.

I appreciate your efforts in making that pen, simple but very well put together congrats...!

Cheers
George

 

[robutacion]

The blank I'm submitting is Brown Mallee Root Burl. I've paired it with a Broadwell Nouveau Sceptre, and used a CA finish.

Thank you again for the blanks, George!

Erik

Hi Erik,

Great choice of kit for that blank/wood, beautifully done, congrats...!:biggrin:

Thank you for participating...!

Cheers
George

 

[Scissortail Pens]

Norfolk Pine

This is a Norfolk Pine on a TiGold and Black Caballero. This probably one of my most favorite woods that I've got from George. I ordered some a while back from him and the colors and chatoyance are just exceptional. My photography skills certainly don't do it justice. I was pleasantly surprised when there was one in the Christmas box.

Thank you, George

 

[StumpyThumb]

Thanks for another great contest, George! Here's my contribution. Number 63 from the list, earleaf Acadia paired with as simple Sierra kit in chrome. The fiancee liked the grain so much, she's already stolen it and taken it to work.

Eric

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[robutacion]

This is a Norfolk Pine on a TiGold and Black Caballero. This probably one of my most favorite woods that I've got from George. I ordered some a while back from him and the colors and chatoyance are just exceptional. My photography skills certainly don't do it justice. I was pleasantly surprised when there was one in the Christmas box.

Thank you, George

Wow, that turn out a beauty, the 1th prize winner is getting harder to decided by the day, and we still have many days left so hopefully, we are going to see a few more pens all done up...!:biggrin:

Thank you for participating and congrats on a job well done.

Cheers
George

 

[robutacion]

Thanks for another great contest, George! Here's my contribution. Number 63 from the list, earleaf Acadia paired with as simple Sierra kit in chrome. The fiancee liked the grain so much, she's already stolen it and taken it to work.

Eric

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

G'day Eric,

Great effort, that is another of my woods (Acacias) that can take a few different looks, if not the colours where some yellow or some darker brown may appear but also the grains openness.

Thank you for your participation and well done...!:biggrin:

Cheers
George

 

[Noot17]

Nice pens, everyone!

Just noting that 3 of the 5 entries so far are from people named Eric (or Erik). Crazy!


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[Rounder]

Pen Entry

Here is my entry to this contest. It is a Spalted Golden Wattle on a long boy kit from Exotic Blanks. I love these kits as you get to show a lot of wood. This is a CA finish with 5 coats of thin and 15 coats of medium CA. Sanded from 400 Abranet to 12000 micromesh. Then used Novus #2 polish and Renaissance wax. Beautiful wood George and I really appreciate your doing this Christmas gift.
Maybe I will make the top 42.:wink::biggrin:

 

[robutacion]

Hi Randy,

Stunning work, you certainly managed to capture all that beautiful grain that may have been hidden inside, great pen...!

Your participation was most appreciated...!:wink:

Cheers
George

 

[Argo13]

My entry is a Norfolk pine on a Chrome Zen kit. On the side of the blank it said " knot special" and it was special. Finish is pens plus with a top coat of Renaissance wax. It was hard to decide a on an angle to photograph it. I am very happy with it. Thanks again George for the gift and this contest.

Jason

 

[alankulwicki7]

My entry is a Norfolk pine on a Chrome Zen kit. On the side of the blank it said " knot special" and it was special. Finish is pens plus with a top coat of Renaissance wax. It was hard to decide a on an angle to photograph it. I am very happy with it. Thanks again George for the gift and this contest.

Jason

I chose that blank for the first pen I wanted to make. I wasn't happy with how it turned out so I made another one with blank #10 Poplar.

Nice work!

 

[Rounder]

Here is my entry to this contest. It is a Spalted Golden Wattle on a long boy kit from Exotic Blanks. I love these kits as you get to show a lot of wood. This is a CA finish with 5 coats of thin and 15 coats of medium CA. Sanded from 400 Abranet to 12000 micromesh. Then used Novus #2 polish and Renaissance wax. Beautiful wood George and I really appreciate your doing this Christmas gift.
Maybe I will make the top 42.:wink::biggrin:

Correction on the pen kit. It is a long clicker. Not a long boy.

 

[robutacion]

My entry is a Norfolk pine on a Chrome Zen kit. On the side of the blank it said " knot special" and it was special. Finish is pens plus with a top coat of Renaissance wax. It was hard to decide a on an angle to photograph it. I am very happy with it. Thanks again George for the gift and this contest.

Jason

No two blanks are the same and while I tried to give everybody a good example of what these blanks are, I know some may not turn out as good or at all, that is just the nature of the "beast".

As for you pen, very well executed, a great kit to showcase the blank, well done.

Thank you for participating.

Cheers
George

 

[Mike8850]

This is an Australian Mulberry blank on a Sedona. Finished with BLO and 5 coats of medium CA then polished with MM.

Thanks for running this contest.
Mike

 

[robutacion]

This is an Australian Mulberry blank on a Sedona. Finished with BLO and 5 coats of medium CA then polished with MM.
View attachment 171886
Thanks for running this contest.
Mike

Wow Mike, a stunning piece of wood and great execution, I particularly like the very precise grain alignment between both top and bottom barrel, well done...!

Your participation was most appreciated.

Cheers
George

 

[Ambidex]

Well here we go George! It wasn't my first attempt...I had a Norfolk blank that was making me drool almost all the way through turning..the last few thousandths opened a void that I couldn't fill or match close enough to make me happy so I have another carry:wink: This one turned out even better than I thought it would...every pass of the gouge opened up prettier and prettier grain..Majestic Olive(well named) on an Elegant sierra..as I've said before I am not a photographer and the picture does not do this beauty justice! It was very hard to decide which angle pic to send. Thank you for the opportunityhttp://www.penturners.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=171936&stc=1&d=1516741836

 

[robutacion]

Well here we go George! It wasn't my first attempt...I had a Norfolk blank that was making me drool almost all the way through turning..the last few thousandths opened a void that I couldn't fill or match close enough to make me happy so I have another carry:wink: This one turned out even better than I thought it would...every pass of the gouge opened up prettier and prettier grain..Majestic Olive(well named) on an Elegant sierra..as I've said before I am not a photographer and the picture does not do this beauty justice! It was very hard to decide which angle pic to send. Thank you for the opportunity

Well well, a Majestic Olive wood blank making a front stage appearance...!:biggrin:

Shame that the Norfolk blanks didn't make it, however, the replacement is stunning and a good example of what this wood can be, well done...!

Thank you for making the effort to participate.

Cheers
George

 

[Don Rabchenuk]

Poplar burl

 

[jennera]

Removed the GIF. Pen Goblin will post photos and a description of her pen tomorrow.

 

[robutacion]

Poplar burl
View attachment 171995

G'day mate,

Very nice looking pen, I always feel these to have some resemblance to the Huon Birdseye burl, bigger eyes but lots of "movement" in the wood itself, well done...!:biggrin:

Cheers
George

 

[robutacion]

Removed the bad GIF. Pen Goblin will post her photos tomorrow. I can't figure out how to delete the post.

Interesting display option, I wait for Pen Goblin to introduce the pen.

Cheers
George

 

[jennera]

Poplar burl
View attachment 171995

Very pretty blank!

Jennifer

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[jennera]

Removed the bad GIF. Pen Goblin will post her photos tomorrow. I can't figure out how to delete the post.

Interesting display option, I wait for Pen Goblin to introduce the pen.

Cheers
George

I think the blank she chose is best shown in an animated GIF or movie so you can follow the grain as it rotates. But I had to shrink it so much so it would load, the image became pixelated and you couldnt see the beauty of the wood. She is pleased with how it turned out.



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[Leo S. Long]

This is a Brown Mallee root Burl on a copper cigar with a CA finish. Its my new favorite pen!

Thanks again

 

[robutacion]

This is a Brown Mallee root Burl on a copper cigar with a CA finish. Its my new favorite pen!

Thanks again

Beautifull fit and finish, well done...!

Thank you for your participation.

Cheers
George

 

[Jim15]

Looks great.

 

[jennera]

George, here are the photos of the goblins pen. I will have her post later. She has limited time on the lathe until robotics season ends so any free time she gets she spends in the garage.

If I remeber correctly, this is from a norfolk pine with a knot.

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[greenacres2]

I finished this Satin Cigar dressed in Colonial Red Gum early in January--then there was the flu!! While not offering the bold grain or burl patterns, I was attracted by the simple elegance that the Colonial Red Gum offered to the hardware. My photography on the other hand--just does not do this pen justice!!
Thanks for everything George!!
earl

 

[Rounder]

Well I can see that my chances of making the top 42 are becoming less and less as more and more BEAUTIFUL pens are being posted. George certainly sent some "GEORGE-OUS" wood to everyone. Thanks again for your kindness George.

 

[robutacion]

George, here are the photos of the goblins pen. I will have her post later. She has limited time on the lathe until robotics season ends so any free time she gets she spends in the garage.

If I remeber correctly, this is from a norfolk pine with a knot.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

Yes, that is the Norfolk pine knot special blank, she really did a great job with it...!

I'm very sorry to point out that, I have allowed/requested that each participant would post a single pic the best you would think shows the pen the best, these rules are there for a reason and while I love to see lots of pics, I decided to ask for a single image, everybody else has been complying so, I had to make this remark with respect for all other participants, I'm sure you will understand what I mean...!:biggrin::wink:

Does Rebecca manage to sell some of her pens at school, or the kids have no money...?:biggrin:

Cheers
George

 

[robutacion]

Well I can see that my chances of making the top 42 are becoming less and less as more and more BEAUTIFUL pens are being posted. George certainly sent some "GEORGE-OUS" wood to everyone. Thanks again for your kindness George.

G'day Randy,

Well, I wasn't expecting the 42 members to participate in the "Prettiest Pen" from the lot I sent everybody, in fact, there were 10 identical blanks sets sent to each member and I wasn't expected any more than 25% of them to participate, I did also expect that some members will/would select the same blank to make his/her pen for this contest and that is just fine by me, they could all have decided to use the same exact blank type on this contest and I would be equally happy.

My goal was to provide as many IAP members with some of the blanks from my stables as Christmas gifts, some as new members that never worked with George's woods and also make them feel that they count on IAP and deserve all the help "we" can give them, there are many ways to do so, this is my modest way...!

Learning to "pay it forward" and understand what it means is a very simple lesson that will turn in time into great gestures and personal satisfaction.

Cheers
George

 

[jennera]

George, here are the photos of the goblins pen. I will have her post later. She has limited time on the lathe until robotics season ends so any free time she gets she spends in the garage.

If I remeber correctly, this is from a norfolk pine with a knot.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

Yes, that is the Norfolk pine knot special blank, she really did a great job with it...!

I'm very sorry to point out that, I have allowed/requested that each participant would post a single pic the best you would think shows the pen the best, these rules are there for a reason and while I love to see lots of pics, I decided to ask for a single image, everybody else has been complying so, I had to make this remark with respect for all other participants, I'm sure you will understand what I mean...![emoji3]:wink:

Does Rebecca manage to sell some of her pens at school, or the kids have no money...?[emoji3]

Cheers
George

Well, I grew impatient waiting for her to post a photo so blame it on a very proud Mom. She has received more than one prize from you over the past year so maybe someone new can be introduced to all the great blanks you have to offer! Rebecca (Pen Goblin) highly recommends the olivewood gems.

Yes, she has sold some pens to her friends but she has also been gifting them one on their birthdays. I can tell which friends she likes the most based on how much care she spends selecting a kit and blank for them. If they are really good friends, she will ask me to order something special. She is already planning something for two twin brothers who have birthdays in May!

She has been asked not to bring anymore gun or bullet pens to school. I guess they want to be cautious so she has pictures on her phone she shares if anyone asks to see one.

She has turned some really nice pens lately but I am not posting anything until she decides which ones will be entered into the BASH. Last year, I got in trouble for posting one I did not know she had planned to enter.

I am still hopeful the hairy banksia pod pen she recently finished will turn up. It did come out very nice but was stolen at school before I was able to take any photos. She was reasonably happy with it but did not want me to take photos until she had a chance to make a repair of some sort. I will get her to fill you in on that...it looked fine to me but she is being a little more critical of her work now that she has more experience.

Thank you again for all your contributions to the IAP and encouragement of a new pen turner!


Jennifer

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