Exotic Blanks Beautiful Pen WINNERS!

[Dalecamino]

Yaroslaw, if you want to make a kitless pen from wood, may I make a suggestion? OK, I will. You want guidance? You can make a kitless pen from wood, using the tutorials in the library. However, you will need VERY hard wood to cut threads on it with a tap and die. OR, you can use acrylics to make your fittings to glue to the wood. :wink: When you read the tutorials, imagine that material being some other material. I would bet you can do it.

 

[yaroslaw]

Chuck, thanks. I thought of it, but structural strength of wood seams not to be so good to hold threads or thin walls as plastics or metal. I've researched library and forum posts on that matter Some mention ebony for that purpose, Rich in his thread stated that this was stabilized amboyna, so stabilization can be other answer. This exact Rich's pen answers most of my questions, so as long as I upgrade my equipment (it's not about taps and dies, it's about new lathe) I will start experimenting, first with resin (I have a good stock of black ebonite, that I've got very cheap...

 

[RichF]

This exact Rich's pen answers most of my questions, so as long as I upgrade my equipment (it's not about taps and dies, it's about new lathe) I will start experimenting, first with resin (I have a good stock of black ebonite, that I've got very cheap...

Yaroslaw, I noticed that you feel like you need a new lathe for kitless work.

I don't know what you have for a lathe, but I will tell you that I made my pen on an 8 year old Jet 1014 lathe that I bought used, so . Sure a lot of things would/could be easier with a nice metal lathe, but you can do everything you need on a wood lathe with a collet chuck.

If you can afford the new equipment, then by all means go for it. I just want to highlight that you may be able to do it with what you already have.

 

[yaroslaw]

I know that I need a new lathe. The spindle has noticeable runout, which is very prominent if you insert dead center into it. I've made a dead center out of aluminium, position it always same place and trueing it out every change. That way I work "true" in TBC mode, but it's seams impossible to do any precise work fixing stuff in chucks. It looks like spindle is bent somehow. Also, tailstock gives hard time adjusting.

Anyway, I'll do something with that, just need to sell 100 more pens to change all equipment

Sorry for offtopic, it's great that such events are taking place, it gives a lot of enthusiasm and inspiration to see all this beautiful pens.
Congratulation for everyone, once more and thanks for suggestions!

 

[Glenn McCullough]

congratulations to all entries, but especially to the winners! well deserved.

 

[Dalepenkala]

Congrats to the winners!
All pens entered here were awesome pens!