Turnedwritepens
Member
Best wishes to you all.
I've been Pen Making for around seven years now, I believe. I absolutely love it, and can think of no better way to spend my spare time than to challenge myself to create more intricate pen blanks than ones I have made previously, thus expanding my abilities everytime I enter my workshop.
I'm 41 years young, am married to the most wonderful woman any Pen Maker could wish to meet and have three amazing children of whom I am justly proud of.
The only fly in my ointment is the fact that five years ago I was diagnosed with incurable bone cancer. This has, needless to say, required me to undergo some serious chemotherapy treatment that has left me unable to do any turning for extended periods of time.
Being unable to create pens has been very difficult, on a mental and emotional basis, for me to take. As such, whilst hospitalised for long periods I took to creating pens on paper; drawing shapes, making note of what woods may contrast nicely, what techniques may mix to give a nice overall pattern finish etc, and I found this helped raise my spirits enough to get me through.
Thankfully, for the past few months now I have been able to get back in my workshop to doing the physical aspect of Pen Making. Though not quite back in full throttle mode, I think I'm at least getting into third gear and revving up for that final gear change.
I'm definitely going to be needing plenty of advice from this site's members, as Pen Making has come on in leaps and bounds during my forced absences. I hope, however, that I am treated more kindly than I was on a previous site. Through taking a daily dose of morphine for pain, I posted a write up on how I had finished a pen using a technique and product I had never used before, which I stated, and I had certain seniour members imply I was full of ***ls**t for putting what I did. And when I attempted an explanation, I just received comments of similar ilk, instead of receiving any helpful comments regarding what technique I should have used (even though I did ask for help with this). It is one of the reasons I have chosen to join this site. The experience shook me and made me not wish to write any further posts on that other site in case I received similar treatment. I am usually not so timid, but chemotherapy can leave you quite brittle and feeling a lot more useless than you would normally.
Anyhow, enough of that before members start to hear violin music wafting over the airwaves. It's great to be accepted on here and I hope to make friends and acquaintances very soon. I'll try now to add a few pics of one of the latest pens I turned, but failing that I'll do so later when I can hopefully post a few pens together.
Seems like the uploads worked, so I'll give a brief write up.
The Jigsaw Pen Inlay Kit was coupled with a Gentleman's Classic Fountain Pen Kit, finished with 8 -10 coats of CA. The other pen was turned from Olive Wood with Australian Burr round insert inlays put in for fancy. I threw away the metal nib and centreband and top cap, and turned these from a contrasting hardwood instead. Finished again with 8 -10 coats of CA. Hope you like. All comments whether good or not so good will be appreciated.
Regards to all for now.
Stuart - Turnedwritepens
I've been Pen Making for around seven years now, I believe. I absolutely love it, and can think of no better way to spend my spare time than to challenge myself to create more intricate pen blanks than ones I have made previously, thus expanding my abilities everytime I enter my workshop.
I'm 41 years young, am married to the most wonderful woman any Pen Maker could wish to meet and have three amazing children of whom I am justly proud of.
The only fly in my ointment is the fact that five years ago I was diagnosed with incurable bone cancer. This has, needless to say, required me to undergo some serious chemotherapy treatment that has left me unable to do any turning for extended periods of time.
Being unable to create pens has been very difficult, on a mental and emotional basis, for me to take. As such, whilst hospitalised for long periods I took to creating pens on paper; drawing shapes, making note of what woods may contrast nicely, what techniques may mix to give a nice overall pattern finish etc, and I found this helped raise my spirits enough to get me through.
Thankfully, for the past few months now I have been able to get back in my workshop to doing the physical aspect of Pen Making. Though not quite back in full throttle mode, I think I'm at least getting into third gear and revving up for that final gear change.
I'm definitely going to be needing plenty of advice from this site's members, as Pen Making has come on in leaps and bounds during my forced absences. I hope, however, that I am treated more kindly than I was on a previous site. Through taking a daily dose of morphine for pain, I posted a write up on how I had finished a pen using a technique and product I had never used before, which I stated, and I had certain seniour members imply I was full of ***ls**t for putting what I did. And when I attempted an explanation, I just received comments of similar ilk, instead of receiving any helpful comments regarding what technique I should have used (even though I did ask for help with this). It is one of the reasons I have chosen to join this site. The experience shook me and made me not wish to write any further posts on that other site in case I received similar treatment. I am usually not so timid, but chemotherapy can leave you quite brittle and feeling a lot more useless than you would normally.
Anyhow, enough of that before members start to hear violin music wafting over the airwaves. It's great to be accepted on here and I hope to make friends and acquaintances very soon. I'll try now to add a few pics of one of the latest pens I turned, but failing that I'll do so later when I can hopefully post a few pens together.
Seems like the uploads worked, so I'll give a brief write up.
The Jigsaw Pen Inlay Kit was coupled with a Gentleman's Classic Fountain Pen Kit, finished with 8 -10 coats of CA. The other pen was turned from Olive Wood with Australian Burr round insert inlays put in for fancy. I threw away the metal nib and centreband and top cap, and turned these from a contrasting hardwood instead. Finished again with 8 -10 coats of CA. Hope you like. All comments whether good or not so good will be appreciated.
Regards to all for now.
Stuart - Turnedwritepens
