A pen of mistakes

[pete00]

Was down in the dumps and wanted to make something quick. 1st mistake
Couldn’t grab a piece of pine to play with, nope had to grab snakewood 2nd
Drilled to fast and hard and made it crack 3rd
Put ca on thinking it will hold together while turning.
Started to turn, found more cracks, more ca.
More turning more cracks more ca.

Rushed to get it turned, nicked bushing, dulled skew. #4
Didn’t sharpen skew, started scraping wood off, with deep pits. #5
Not about to give up yet, bound and determined to turn this thing.
Couldn’t decide what shape to make it, so did this and that, it ended up looking stupid #6
Still turning, more hair line cracks more ca.
Sanded through mm grits, then said well might as well add more ca to keep it together.

Put coat of ca on and to my surprise the gloss and shine were pretty good.
Then I said well lets back up a few grits of mm and re sand after 12000 grit it looked a little better. Just for kicks hit it with hut friction polish and poof gorgeous shine, nice and glossy and smooth as a baby’s skin.

The picture doesn’t show it but the finish really looks good. Not sure if I ended up turning a ca pen or wood pen. Not even sure I could do it again.

Of course putting it together the tip, top, middle didn’t fit right, scratched the metal finish taking it apart trying to fix all the mistakes. #6,7,8,9,10,11

I keep looking at this dumb pen of mistakes, kinda like it, don’t think im going to get rid of it.

 

[chigdon]

Basically that sounds like a regular day of turning to me! Just kidding, BUT I have had so many times like this and I don't have the good sense to know when to walk away either.

Hopefully all the past and future cracks have happened, filled with CA, etc. If it holds together you have a good pen and a good story to go with it.

 

[Dario]

Nice looking pen...and a story with it too!

LOL...I bought 2 snakewood blanks from BB...one have cracks when I removed the wax coating sad since it really looked very nice. Anyway until now, they are still in blank form. It started as a challenge to myself then I chickened out. I should probably have at least drilled them []. I'll probably have the same story to tell when I finally decide to turn my snakewood.

 

[TomServo]

When I start to hose a blank, I keep going until I've got something pen-like, or there's nothing left on the brass - it's the kit that's expensive, after all Great job turning that one, I think it looks good.. a great piece to use yourself. I like using my rejects, and when people complement how great it is, I tell em, nah, I use this one cause it's not good enough to sell. People eat it right up