Dark Dividing Line

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Old Griz

Passed Away Oct 4, 2013
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I am just getting started in pen making and am hooked... my pens are
coming are real good except for one little aspect that is bothering
me.
When I take the pens off the mandrel I notice that there is a dark
line at the middle joint of both blanks... now this would not bother
me on some of the dark wood I am using, but on some of the lighter
woods it is annoying.. especially if I have decided not to use the
gold trim ring on a slimline.. it created a distinctive dividing line
on the pen...
My finishing technique is as follows... I sand to 400 grit.. then
apply 3 coats of CA with a light sanding with 2400 grit MM between
them... the final coat of CA is sanded to 12000 MM and then I use
Shellwax cream (2 -3 coats) over that... and wax with the HUT white
bar... the finish comes out like glass and real shiny... but the line
is really getting to me... My bushings are chrome plated, not black
oxide.
All suggestions and comments greatly appreciate.
 
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timdaleiden

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Originally posted by Old Griz
<br /> My bushings are chrome plated, not black
oxide.
All suggestions and comments greatly appreciate.

I never heard of Chrome plated bushings. I have bushings from several different places, and they are just steel. Anyway, that is most likely where these dark lines are coming from. When you are sanding, you are picking up little bits of metal dust, and it is then ending up in your finish.

The other thing that can cause darkening near junction points in light woods, is that the wood was burned during your squaring process. I added a slight cutting angle to my pen mill when I last sharpened it. This worked for me.

Hope this helps.
 

Old Griz

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DINK DONG... burning when the blanks are squared... I have noticed that... DUH!!! never thought about that... thanks..
 

Evan

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D'oh, I wish I had noticed this thread before. I had a problem with one recently, and searching for "dark"... found this thread. Thanks for having the same problem Tom! [:)]

Any other ideas to sharpen pen mills without a dremel set-up on a lathe?
 

timdaleiden

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Originally posted by Evan
<br />

Any other ideas to sharpen pen mills without a dremel set-up on a lathe?

I use a flat sharpening stone. I added a very slight cutting angle to my pen mill, and did it with the utmost care. I did the same number of sanding passes on each blade, and at the same angle. It seems easier to do when the cutting mill is removed from the pilot shaft.
 

Evan

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Hi Tim,

Thanks for the tip. I'll try adding a cutting edge manually. (I've only ever honed it using a leather strop on a board, so this will be something new).
 

pecartus

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This may sound a little Unorthodox, but I use a forstner bit to square my ends off. If the blank is 5/8" I use a 1/2" forstner, if the blank is 3/4", I use a 5/8" forstner. I also cut my blanks to leave a minimum of 1/8" of wood/acyrlic on both sides of the brass tube. Square the blank just above the tube showing and then use a belt sander to the tube. It comes out perfectly square each time with no burn on the blank. When I am finish turning the blank, I use fiber washers or birch wood dowels drilled to the mandrel size and turned to the bushing size. I replace the metal bushing with either a fiber washer or wood dowel bushing. I do a lot of translucent acrylic blanks and have found using this method, I don't have dark lines on the ends. I did discover something about a 2 weeks ago when working with carob wood. This wood is light pink in color and has a very plain grain pattern. I was going to use a paltinum comfort pen kit on it, but after turning it and putting the platinum parts against it before assembly, I didn't like the look, wood and platinum parts were a nice contrast, but was lacking a attention grabber. I then experimented and intentionaly burned the ends, the ends came out in a lavender color, and added a nice accent and now my wife has stolen it for her use and has sold two of them at her work. So sometimes, depending on the wood and pen kit plating, a burned look is benefical. Just my thoughts on the subject.
 

Evan

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Hi pecartus... thanks for the extra info.
interesting using a forstner bit to square your pen blanks.

Good tip on the bushings. I was going to make some out of acrylic/plastic.
 
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Tom, If I'm going to make a pen without the center band I just put the two blanks together on the mandrel. As soon as you turn them down to the size that removes the extra (to where the squaring is) tighten your end nut again and just turn them together. That way you don't have any residue from the bushing in the middle.
 
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