Ahhh.... back to the lathe. Rosewood burl, Afzelia "X", Ironwood burl, buffalo horn..

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redfishsc

redfishsc

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Ok y'all, finally got a chance to do a few more and actually get pics of them.

All of the wood pens are finished with conversion varnish (semi-gloss) but the grain was left open to preserve the "real wood" look.

The last pen, the Zen made from river buffalo horn, is simply buffed up to white diamond.

And as always, my pics suck really bad. It's the camera's fault... sure it is!

First--- Afzelia "x" pattern, Stretch in Ti-gold.
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Rosewood burl, Stretch in Black ti.
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Desert Ironwood burl, Stretch in Black ti.
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Desert Ironwood "Rinehart" (I call it the Lugnut Fountain Pen).
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Chrome Zen in river buffalo horn (from CSUSA). This is a very popular combination for me, and I use one just like it myself.
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Oh, and if you ever make one of those Rinehart pens, make SURE that you pay close attention to the alignment of the facets (sides). If you look closely, you'll see where I didn't do that. They aren't in alignment, which isn't a big deal, but something that could have been done better when I put it together.
 
No problem with the alignment, looks like about a 9/16. Two open end wrenches and you can line them up in no time :-) (just kidding folks)

How does that river buffalo horn smell?
 
jskeen said:
No problem with the alignment, looks like about a 9/16. Two open end wrenches and you can line them up in no time :-) (just kidding folks)

How does that river buffalo horn smell?
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I definitely thought about the wrench thing. That's why I call it the "Lugnut" pen lol!! I'd actually do what you're talking about if I hadn't epoxied everything together. I epoxy all parts since it's just too easy for clips to pop loose and free-wheel.

And the buffalo horn does smell like burnt flesh, but it's not too bad. If you were in a basement or small garage/shed, it might be a bit much. My lathe is stored in a big warehouse at work, so it wasn't an issue at all.

rjwolfe3 said:
All very nice!

Never heard of that finish. Is it easier to use?
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It's almost as easy to use as lacquer but light years more durable. It's not as hard as CA finish (what is!?), but it's extremely chemically resistant (even against hand crud) and feels warm and slick.

It requires a 10% catalyst ($30/gallon) and the actual varnish is nearly $60/gallon (depending on brand). If you are a woodworker, use conversion varnish as your main finish, and have the facilities to spray a highly flammable finish, then this is easy as pie. 100X easier than CA finish and you can spray dozens of pens at the same time.

I sand my pens to around 400 grit and spray them, normally, with satin (went for a more semi-gloss this time though). I spray on 4-6 coats (3-5 minutes dry time in between to prevent runs). This always turns out a super-slick finish. Doesn't look as "encased" or thick as a polished CA finish does.

Of all the pens I've sprayed with this, only one has had an issue, and it was a pen from a batch that I had under-catalyzed.... and the pen gets used on a daily basis for the past 3 years by a friend of mine.
 
Saw those on FB. They look awesome. You had a chance to get me a box together yet? I have no doubt you are extremely busy.
 
Yeah I've been pretty busy. I had to fake my own death to get these pens made lol.

I DO have some sweet lumber set aside for ya though. Give me a few days to get it together. I picked up a few more large flat rate boxes at the PO last week for this. Once I see how much will fit in one I'll see how much you want.
 
So far I love the kit. Looks lovely, simple in design (and easy to turn). These are the first ones I've made.

I turned these closed-end, but generally most folks use the threaded end cap and turn it between bushings. I just never use the threaded end caps to post the cap on the pen.... and neither do my customers (the cap is just too heavy)........so I turn them closed-end pretty much always. I very, very rarely actually turn a FP that isn't closed end.

Fortunately they use the same brass tubes as the Jr Gent II, and I have a DIY closed-end mandrel specifically for the Jr Gent II.

You can get the FP or rollerball here, plus some other schnazzy kits.

https://www.laulauwood.net/catalog/3
 
jskeen said:
No problem with the alignment, looks like about a 9/16. Two open end wrenches and you can line them up in no time :-) (just kidding folks)

How does that river buffalo horn smell?
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Actually, if you don't use Loctite, the two wrench method works nicely:) Seems like it was 14 mm instead of 9/16 though. DAMHIKT:)
 
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Bellsy said:
Great looking pens, but that "Rinehart" is really starting to grow on me fast every time I see it.

Dave
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Thanks Dave. It is a nice pen esp. since it uses Baron parts.... but it is a good bit heavier and somewhat more clumsy. Goes as a nice match to the Cigar pen for a set b/c the faceted finial. It's just much more exaggerated in the Rinehart. I don't even call it that. I sell it as the "Lugnut" pen.
 
Beautiful pens !! I have not had the opportunity to work with those woods and horn. My favorite is the Rosewood Burl. Outstanding job!
 
redfishsc said:
It requires a 10% catalyst ($30/gallon) and the actual varnish is nearly $60/gallon (depending on brand). If you are a woodworker, use conversion varnish as your main finish, and have the facilities to spray a highly flammable finish, then this is easy as pie. 100X easier than CA finish and you can spray dozens of pens at the same time.
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Why can it only be sprayed? I've read that about catalyzed varnish before. What if you plan to sand it back a little and buff or hand rub it out? Would it matter if it were brushed or sprayed then?
 
babyblues said:
Why can it only be sprayed? I've read that about catalyzed varnish before. What if you plan to sand it back a little and buff or hand rub it out? Would it matter if it were brushed or sprayed then?
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Theoretically you could wipe it on like some do lacquer. You'd have to wear gloves, and you'd have to figure out how to mix up a 10:1 ratio in small amounts (1/4 teaspoon measuring spoons are all I know of unless you get some medicinal syringes without the needle, then you can catalyze 100ml of resin with 10ml of catalyst).

If you were wiping it on (lathe at 500ppm or less), you'd have to put on a LOT of coats, letting it dry 15-30 minutes between coats, and in the end, micromesh it to a high gloss. I have done this with "pre-catalyzed" lacquers (a step down in durability but still quite nice) and it looks good. Lot of work though.



Now, as for hand rubbing, it won't take that the way lacquer would.This stuff is a good bit harder than lacquer and, instead of taking a nice hand rub, it actually scuffs and scratches, and is much harder to get a hand-rubbed effect with.


That is, unless you buy "satin sheen" and spray it well.... then it looks just as nice or nicer than hand-rubbed. I've sprayed thousands of kitchen doors with this stuff and they all turn out looking like they've been sent through a very labor intensive hand rubbing process. Butt-smooth, soft glowy sheen, and beautiful grain pop.

In the end, it's soooooo much easier to sand your finished pen up to around 400 grit (don't go any higher, totally unnecessary with this product and you risk getting bad bonding). Make as many pens as you want--- 5, 10, 15. I've sprayed up to 30 at once. Literally, an hour or two to put a top-notch semi-gloss finish that will last for years, on 30 pens. Normally I do batches of 5-8.


A simple air brush and a small compressor work fine as well. Still... wear the organic respirator.
 
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