First Teachers Pen First Baron/Navigator by Badger

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badger

badger

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2008
Messages
265
Location
Seattle, WA, USA.
I finally got some time in the garage on a lovely day.

A couple of firsts for me, and an attempt and fail at a new technique. I tried sealing with thin CA for the first time, and all really did was glop it around, I had to sand it back down and I can see areas where I missed entirely. Also, glued my fingers together, heh he. All around an interesting day.

I made a Teachers pen for a friend (who is teaching and working on her Phd).

teachers_pen_001.jpg

Woods is Walnut (recylced), Bamboo (sustainable), Chakte Kok (scrap wood).

The second is a prototype for a wedding pen set I am giving this summer. I got a Navigator kit at Woodcraft, and I'm going to try the stripe thing with TruStone on a platinum finish Baron for those. This was my attempt at visualizing the banding I wanted to do. I've learned two things. Firstly, I can't cut a right angle to save my life. Secondly, I LOVE this pen kit. I will be making many more in the future.

Navigator_MaplePurpleheart2.jpg

Navigator_MaplePurpleheart.jpg


Wood is Maple (landfill lumber), and Purpleheart. None of the bands are cut 90 degrees. My table saw is not the way to go here, I need to figure something else out, and fast.

I'm going to remove on of the bands on the lower barrel I decided after seeing this. I'm going with a big band on the pen cap, and a small thin band on the lower barrel near the end, and remove the one by the writing tip.

Badger
 
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Badger,

Those look great! I have made several segmented with bands like yours out of holly and bloodwood. Being in the ministry, it kinda fits my message. ;) AS to your comment of not being 90°, - the way that I finally decided upon took a little more time - about 20 to 30 minutes but everything was square.

1. I placed my center piece on the tube and glued it approximately in the center, and I made it a slight bit longer than necessary. Then I put the tube on the lathe and turned the ends of the middle piece, squaring them with a parting tool. This was the key to a square alignment to the tube.

2. I took this part off of the lathe and added the two end pieces to each end. I used 5 min epoxy and clamped it lightly with some hand clamps.

3. About 10 to 15 minutes later, I removed the clamp and used the barrel trimmer to square up the ends.

4. I put it back on the lathe an finished turning.


Restating the above in different words: I turn the blank in two stages - turn the center part 1st to square it up; then add the 2nd part (end pieces) and turn it.


I haven't posted picts of my bloodwood and holly but I do have an amboyna and ebony with a brass spacer:
http://www.penturners.org/oldalbums/leehljp/Best pen.jpg


Even though you say that you did not achieve your 90° goal, it is hard to tell by your picts. They look very good.;)
 
Originally posted by badger

I finally got some time in the garage on a lovely day.

learned two things. Firstly, I can't cut a right angle to save my life. Secondly, I LOVE this pen kit. I will be making many more in the future.
Badger
Click to expand...

I made a sled for my table saw. Works great and I can attach fixtures and jigs to the sled. Attach a "sub-fence" and use a framing square to make sure fence is perpendicular to the saw kerf. Accurate 90 degree cuts!

Your pens look great! I think we are too picky about our pens. I have made less than stellar pens that people still liked and wanted.

I glue up the blanks 1st and then drill. I know that Ron Frame drills first, and then does glue up.

Photos Here:
http://coleman-family.org/g2/main.php?g2_itemId=1796
 
Originally posted by PaulDoug

All I've gott'a say, I'm not a real segmented pen fan, but I sure like those. Nice job. Looks square to me.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I was going for a subtle approach on the segmenting to show off the TruStone I'll be using for the wedding pens. My first few designs on paper were much more complicated arrangements, but my wife talked me down a few notches, and now that I see it I think I'll drop one more ring. I think with Holly the two bands of tru-stone will "pop" quite a bit. I'm going to use a platinum finish on a Baron.

As for 90 degrees, it is off when viewed from the side, but the photo kind of hides that.

Close up shot:

Navigator_MaplePurpleheart3.jpg


badger
 
One other note as mentioned above: Sleds really do help in squaring things up. But there is a problem that arises after that - it has to be drilled totally vertical to the blank ends. Any deviation will cause it to be unsquare to the tube. For this reason, I went to drilling segmented blanks on the lathe where I could control both the entrance and exit points.
 
Great pen,
You are well on your way to making the pen you desire.
In the mean time thanks to all of the advice on the topic.
Looking forward to great things to come.

Tony
Las Vegas
 
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