Fireman’s Pen

[Kenny Durrant]

I've only made one other pen from this kit. I'm not a fan of the way the top seats to the barrel of the pen. I cast a logo for the blank and it never seems to seat at the same point to stay centered. Anyway that's not the point of the post. I remember reading on the IAP that someone used an old fire hose to make a blank so I thought I'd give it a shot. Especially since I don't care where the top decides to seat. The outside layer of the hose is pretty thick and I had to cut into the hose to get the blank flush with the bushings. Other than the lines twisting around the tube I'm please with the out come. I have a different approach that might take care of that issue on the next blank. Questions and comments welcome.

 

[jttheclockman]

I have made a couple of these to give to some fireman friends I have. I am not sure what you mean about not seating centered. What this is telling me though is you blank being bulbous is or has an OOR issue. If the blank is straight as I show in these two examples they fit well between components without issue or at least I have not found any and I have made 4, 2 of each of these. I have seen your blanks with the hose on FB a few times. This is just my opinion.

 

[Kenny Durrant]

Thanks John I'll check that out. The first pen wasn't straight but then it was as bubbled either. Now I'm thinking the top actually goes over the blank to seat against the coupler. Is that what your saying. If that's the case I'm not too sure this will work because of the thickness of the hose.

 

[Lucky2]

Kenny, with the actual fire hose being to large for the job, could you not cut a piece and unravel the threads to make a smaller blank. Yes, doing so could be a pita, but you could end up with a beautiful pen. Which would be made out of a fire hose.

Len

 

[Kenny Durrant]

Thanks for the reply Len. I'm not sure but if your saying unravel the threads to make it smaller as in the hose is too wide that's not the issue. I can cut the hose so it will wrap tightly around the tube. The issue is that once it's tightly wrapped around the tube it's thickness takes up more room than the bushings allow. There's almost no need to cast because you end up turning off all the resin plus some of the hose so it will fit the kit. I need to thin the hose some way without it coming apart to get it below the bushings so when turned to size there will be a layer of resin to protect the hose and be able to polish the blank.

 

[jttheclockman]

Thanks John I'll check that out. The first pen wasn't straight but then it was as bubbled either. Now I'm thinking the top actually goes over the blank to seat against the coupler. Is that what your saying. If that's the case I'm not too sure this will work because of the thickness of the hose.

The ends need to match the components measurements like we do with all kits using a caliper. If you can not take those ends down far enough then they will stick out on the edges and that does not look good in my opinion. Yes you can make the center bulbous if you like. If one side is sticking out more than an other than it is OOR and you need to address that.

 

[Lucky2]

Okay then Kenny, what if you saturated a piece of the hose, long enough for the blank needed. After if it is saturated and dried completely. Why couldn't you sand the backside of the denim, to make a thinner blank...

Len

 

[Kenny Durrant]

John it's not an OOR issue. After thinking about your first reply I'm thing the taper from the ends to the center bulge is too sharp and the top of the kit is hitting the blank before it's seating on the threaded piece that it screws onto. That's a good point Len as well. A friend of mine mentioned the same thing and the only reason I haven't tried that yet is I haven't come up with a way that doesn't sound like a PITA, as you mentioned before. I've thought of two sided tape to hold it down while sanding but then I'm concerned about the sticky residue on the hose. I have given up on that thought just looking for maybe an easier option first. The pen pictured doesn't look bad, IMO, and I cut into the hose on the ends and sealed it back up with C.A. I'm trying something different with my glue up and with the information provided here I'm thinking I have a way to make the other 5 pens needed. Thanks again for all the feed back.

 

[DrD]

Kenny, interesting pen; interesting work! Knowing you, I know you'll figure it out.