penicillin
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- Feb 27, 2019
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Allow me to share some of my pen making process and forms with you.
I use paper forms to track pens as I make them. At the start, I put a pen kit, a pen blank, and a partially completed form into a fold-top plastic sandwich bag. As each pen goes through the various stages, I update the form as I go, and the in-progress work stays in the fold-top bag with the updated form. Most of the time, I have multiple bags going at one time. In case anyone cares, I have 13 bags going right now.
When the pen is complete, I put the pen in an inexpensive square display tube to serve as a gift box. The tubes may not fit the largest pens, like Cuban/cigar pens. So far, all the pens I have made have fit. I like the tubes because they look nice and cost only 70 cents apiece. I usually tie a thin ribbon "bow" near the top of the tube. I put a small gift slip in the tube with the pen, facing out so that it can be read without opening the tube. The slip gives basic information about the pen - refill type, wood type, source of the wood, etc. Here are the display tubes that I use as gift boxes: https://www.rockler.com/pen-display-tubes
At the time the pen is gifted, I add the paper record from the fold-top bag to a spreadsheet. If something goes wrong later, I can look up the information about the pen. I reuse the fold-top bags for future pens.
I hope this helps someone. Feel free to share your pen making process and forms here. It would be nice to see what others do.
Attachments:
I am releasing them into the public domain. Feel free to copy, steal, edit, alter, modify, bend, tear, fold, or mutilate. Heck, you can even claim that you authored them yourself; even better if you post improvements!
* Pen Making Record Blank Form (.doc, .pdf) - I cut these into six individual forms, then put one in a fold top baggie with the pen kit and pen blank. This slip stays with the pen until it is gifted or used.
* Pen Gift Labels Example (.doc, .pdf) - I edit the slips on this form to match the latest pens, and then cut each one out to put in the square pen tube with the pen gift. I insert them facing out, so they can be read from outside.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The fancy, calligraphy-like font is called "Apple Chancery" and comes with Mac computer. It is similar to Zapf Chancery. If you don't see the fancy script in the .doc file, try the .pdf file to see what I have in mind.
* Pen Making Tracking Database Example - This is an example of the spreadsheet I use to track every pen I make, even the failures. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. The date is the date I gifted the pen or put it into use. I thought about adding start and finished dates, but could not think of a reason to need them.
I use paper forms to track pens as I make them. At the start, I put a pen kit, a pen blank, and a partially completed form into a fold-top plastic sandwich bag. As each pen goes through the various stages, I update the form as I go, and the in-progress work stays in the fold-top bag with the updated form. Most of the time, I have multiple bags going at one time. In case anyone cares, I have 13 bags going right now.
When the pen is complete, I put the pen in an inexpensive square display tube to serve as a gift box. The tubes may not fit the largest pens, like Cuban/cigar pens. So far, all the pens I have made have fit. I like the tubes because they look nice and cost only 70 cents apiece. I usually tie a thin ribbon "bow" near the top of the tube. I put a small gift slip in the tube with the pen, facing out so that it can be read without opening the tube. The slip gives basic information about the pen - refill type, wood type, source of the wood, etc. Here are the display tubes that I use as gift boxes: https://www.rockler.com/pen-display-tubes
At the time the pen is gifted, I add the paper record from the fold-top bag to a spreadsheet. If something goes wrong later, I can look up the information about the pen. I reuse the fold-top bags for future pens.
I hope this helps someone. Feel free to share your pen making process and forms here. It would be nice to see what others do.
Attachments:
I am releasing them into the public domain. Feel free to copy, steal, edit, alter, modify, bend, tear, fold, or mutilate. Heck, you can even claim that you authored them yourself; even better if you post improvements!
* Pen Making Record Blank Form (.doc, .pdf) - I cut these into six individual forms, then put one in a fold top baggie with the pen kit and pen blank. This slip stays with the pen until it is gifted or used.
* Pen Gift Labels Example (.doc, .pdf) - I edit the slips on this form to match the latest pens, and then cut each one out to put in the square pen tube with the pen gift. I insert them facing out, so they can be read from outside.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The fancy, calligraphy-like font is called "Apple Chancery" and comes with Mac computer. It is similar to Zapf Chancery. If you don't see the fancy script in the .doc file, try the .pdf file to see what I have in mind.
* Pen Making Tracking Database Example - This is an example of the spreadsheet I use to track every pen I make, even the failures. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. The date is the date I gifted the pen or put it into use. I thought about adding start and finished dates, but could not think of a reason to need them.
Last edited:
