First two of the new year ... Aspen burl, LeRoi long barrel

[duncsuss]

One of my best friends from college (so we're going back a *long* way ) asked me to make a couple of ballpoints and a fountain pen that he could gift to some of his closest co-workers (I suspect as thank-yous when he retires).

I had a few sticks of Aspen burl on the shelf that I'd cut from a burl cap years ago and had stabilized - he agreed they were going to look really pretty. So this is phase one - the barrels are prepped for the fountain pen but I won't get to turn them till the weekend.

Feels very good to have started the new year with these two. Sanded the barrels to 400 grit, then wiped on GluBoost (3 x medium, 3 x thin), and went straight to 3M Tri-mite papers (aka "Zona" papers), green through ivory. A little rub of Renaissance Wax as the final touch.

 

[d_bondi]

Very nice Duncan. I have never seen Aspen Burl before. I also like the LeRoi kit because the tube is longer and shows off more wood than the Sierra models.

 

[duncsuss]

Very nice Duncan. I have never seen Aspen Burl before. I also like the LeRoi kit because the tube is longer and shows off more wood than the Sierra models.

I got the Aspen burl because I had a commission to make a pen for the UK distributor of a company based in Colorado about ten years ago. Bought a burl cap on eBay, the seller swore that it was dry. He lied, it was nowhere near, plus it was an "onion skin" type of burl so the first slice I took off it started to delaminate. I ended up scrambling and found somebody who had a dry stick which I could use right away, it was pretty but honestly a bit bland. A friend sliced kilned and stabilized my burl cap for a share of the pieces, but since I'd fulfilled my commission it just went on my shelf and sat there for years until I got a call from my friend asking if I had "anything way out of the ordinary?"

The LeRoi Long Barrel: exactly, more wood to display. Plus I like that it uses 3/8 tubes instead of 27/64 tubes - not a huge difference, but it absolutely helps to have that little extra meat around the tube ends. Plus I like that the components push into both ends of the barrel - so there's no exposed wood end. More importantly to me, there's no exposed brass tube end, just looks a whole level more professional than the Mesa/Sierra where the barrel pulls off the nose cone leaving the open wound visible.

 

[1080Wayne]

Lovely , Duncan . Looks just the way I like aspen to look . Doesn`t have to be burl to give that appearance . Often find it in a crotch .

 

[Lew]

Beautiful results. Love the pen.

 

[duncsuss]

Beautiful results. Love the pen.

Thanks, Lew!

 

[egnald]

Beautiful pens. All of the Aspen I've worked with has been very light, almost Holly like. Those blanks are gorgeous. - Dave

 

[Hippie3180]

Beauties, nice to see so much of the beautiful blanks featured.

 

[rixstix]

Beautiful wood with really nice finish. Darn those unsightly 'pet-hairs' for which I never found a workaround.

 

[derekdd]

Never run across Aspen burl before. Beautiful wood.

I use the PSI Executive BP for the same reason, you have a longer piece of wood than with the Sierra.

 

[Sataro]

That wood is amazing! Great job on the pens!

 

[Hubert H]

WOW! Nice work.

 

[Penny Hill]

Great looking pens.

 

[Smokey S]

beautiful to say the least! And I do like the look of the barrel length. They are on my sit to buy…….Smokey

 

[sorcerertd]

Those are some beautiful blanks! I like those long body pens better than the usual Sierra, too. I want to show of my work, not the kit manufacturer's.

 

[TonyL]

It's hard to beat the natural grain of wood. Beautiful!