Frankendissapointed

[jmbaker79]

So being the kind gentleman that I tell people I am, I thought I would make a pen for a friend of mine. Had picked up a black enamel bolt action a while back so it could collect dust. Thought what a great opportunity to use it! Grabbed the tube from the bag..and well you know! Buckeye burl finished and polished up. Started opening up the contents of the bag....Wood turners finish!?! They look like someone spilled maple syrup on them, assembled them with ca glue (see photo), and put them back in the bag, sent it back to psi, and then through willy wonka magic, it ended up with me. After cleaning it up best I could, I switched over the bolt, which conveniently broke off? I will take credit for that! Figured now I cant send it back so...I shortened it up, dropped the whole back assembly except for the very end, and clip. It is now a permanantly open ball point, but hey! (Si Robertson style) it worked out pretty well I think! Had to get a little crazy with the springs! C&C Welcome, i guess He Likes it and I am sure he will use it till the wheels fall off!

 

[mikespenturningz]

I think that is a nice looking pen. You took adversity and turned it into something very nice.

 

[jmbaker79]

Thanks, you can tell from the photos? Just kidding, they are pretty out of focus! my camera died while this was in the booth, and then the pen went off with its owner, so i got what i got!

 

[skiprat]

Pity the refill doesn't retract, but I still think it's pretty cool!!

 

[jmbaker79]

Pity the refill doesn't retract, but I still think it's pretty cool!!

Oh I agree, not sure there is even room for it to retract, it is barely longer than a standard ballpoint refill....Maybe next time when I make one on purpose!

 

[Jjartwood]

I think it's a great pen! When a large percentage of people would have pitched the
failed pen you kept with it and made it work.
Most of my pens sit on the counter or in a drawer open anyway so that it wont close is not that big an issue in the long run.
Your friend likes it and you overcame a challenge,(and I hate this phrase) WIN-WIN
Nice work
Mark

 

[redneckmedic]

That's a sharp pen.... JACK!

 

[dozer]

Justin, nice save on making the pen still usable. I really like the look of the BEB on that kit it almost looks like camo.

 

[Hendu3270]

HEY!!

Probably gonna be a long story....sort of similar to what you found (slightly) but maybe will help someone else. I've turned many Vertex pens and several of them had what I thought to be finger prints that were imbedded into the chrome finish. I figured the guy that did the plating just screwed up. Sent a couple back and were replaced but still had a few that I had not. Then....my youngest sons glasses broke and I needed to use a small amount of CA glue on them. I placed the glue where I needed when he went to sleep that night and set them aside to dry. In the morning, we checked them and they were fixed just fine, however, there was now a large glue impression of my fingerprint on part of the lens. I made the repair without getting any glue on my fingers. Then I remembered seeing on an episode of Forensic Files, that super glue will adhere to finger prints and make them visible. After testing in a small side area of the lens to verify fingernail polish remover (my wifes!! not mine! ) would not adversely affect his lens, I used a q-tip with some remover and it slowly dissolved the CA impression and all was well. Then it popped into my head just how similar (in appearance and texture) the fingerprint impressions on the Vertex pens looked like that on the lens. So off I go and sure enough, the q-tip and fingernail polish remover took the fingerprints right off the pens with no affeect to the plating at all. Evidently they use super glue, or the likes, to assemble the clip component of Vertex pens. Maybe this will keep someone from sending a pen back that isn't really defective :wink:

Oh, and good job getting the pen done. It looks great!