I might be getting the hang of this.....

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LK&T

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Dec 1, 2020
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Sedro Woolley, WA
A big thank you to all you folks who have given me advice the last few weeks. My learning curve went through the roof thanks to this great forum. I said on day one when I introduced myself that this forum felt like a winner. Glad I read it right. Now that's out of the way, here's some pics of the fruits of y'all's labor 😁 This is pen number 10 for me. It's a Christmas present for my wife, so keep in on the down low until Saturday. I'm posting this here instead of the "pen showing forum" because I want critiques! So, have at it! The biggest critique I have are the obvious swirl marks in the cap (blue field and stars). I saw them after the first sanding/polishing session, so I went through the process again. Same result. I have finally decided that I'm seeing the scratch marks from roughing up the brass tube in the blank. Disappointing. I have done several resin blanks and none of them have these swirl marks- they look totally clean except for a couple of slimline pens with translucent blanks where you can obviously see it's the tube showing. It's okay on those pens because the blanks are all "swirly" and the marks look like part of the patterning.

Again, thanks for all the help folks. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

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I had trouble figuring out if you had swirl marks or a diffuser in the overhead lights or those strip LED lights with a hundred LEDs per bulb. Diffusers and those 4ft bulbs with a hundred LEDs cause a reflection that is not totally smooth.

You did excellent just starting out. If you do have swirls, I would recommend doing away with the lowest sandpaper number that you are currently using and also step up a couple of grades from what you used on. When I use sandpaper, I start out with a minimum of 400 and move up. I use MM (MicroMesh) and some use other forms of sanding also. Car paint polish and sanding compound does well also. There are numerous ways to get a finish without swirls. It just takes a little time, practice and patience.

Micromesh: https://www.amazon.com/SANDING-SHEE...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

I am not recommending these products per se, but just offering what "can" be used in finishing to get swirls out:

There are other kinds and brands that will work too.
 
I believe I am seeing the tube through the blank so that blue is really transluscent. Need to reverse paint the blank before inserting the tube. You may also want to roll a piece of sandpaper around a pencil or dowel and sand inside the blank to help get scratches out from drilling. Nice pen and keep up the good work.
 
I can't tell you the number of times, those marks magically appear on my blanks right at the end. It urged me to get buffing wheels. I got the 3 wheel set on a morse taper (pennstate), and it really helps get those scratches out that only you and I see!
 
I. too, think you are seeing marks on the brass tube. Only solution on a translucent blank like that is to paint the inside of the blank before inserting the tube
 
Assuming your sanding of the brass tube was circumferential , that is what you are seeing through the translucent blank . If your sanding was longitudinal , you are seeing roughness from drilling . The markings that are most unusual are angled from the top of the cap down to the two stars , but I`m sure your wife won`t object to you having signed your gift with your thumbprint ! Merry Christmas
 
leehljp said:
I had trouble figuring out if you had swirl marks or a diffuser in the overhead lights or those strip LED lights with a hundred LEDs per bulb. Diffusers and those 4ft bulbs with a hundred LEDs cause a reflection that is not totally smooth.

You did excellent just starting out. If you do have swirls, I would recommend doing away with the lowest sandpaper number that you are currently using and also step up a couple of grades from what you used on. When I use sandpaper, I start out with a minimum of 400 and move up. I use MM (MicroMesh) and some use other forms of sanding also. Car paint polish and sanding compound does well also. There are numerous ways to get a finish without swirls. It just takes a little time, practice and patience.

Micromesh: https://www.amazon.com/SANDING-SHEE...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

I am not recommending these products per se, but just offering what "can" be used in finishing to get swirls out:

There are other kinds and brands that will work too.
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Hank, I'm using the MM 1500-12000 kit that's commonly available, then using 20/20 plastic polish. There's probably a mark or two on the outside of the blank, but mostly I'm seeing the brass tube's scratch marks. I'm gonna have to figure out painting the tubes, painting the inside of the blank or something to get the results I want. I've done seven resin blanks and the tube shows through all but one!
 
jttheclockman said:
I believe I am seeing the tube through the blank so that blue is really transluscent. Need to reverse paint the blank before inserting the tube. You may also want to roll a piece of sandpaper around a pencil or dowel and sand inside the blank to help get scratches out from drilling. Nice pen and keep up the good work.
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John, thanks for the compliment. I like the idea of sanding the inside of the blank to get rid of marks. What grit do you use? My concern would be making the hole oversized. Also, what do you use to paint the blank, and how? What color? I assume that sanding the tube is out if you're gonna paint the tube.
 
sbwertz said:
I. too, think you are seeing marks on the brass tube. Only solution on a translucent blank like that is to paint the inside of the blank before inserting the tube
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Sharon, thanks for the tip. Any advice, or point me to a resource detailing the ins and outs of painting the inside of the tube?
 
1080Wayne said:
Assuming your sanding of the brass tube was circumferential , that is what you are seeing through the translucent blank . If your sanding was longitudinal , you are seeing roughness from drilling . The markings that are most unusual are angled from the top of the cap down to the two stars , but I`m sure your wife won`t object to you having signed your gift with your thumbprint ! Merry Christmas
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Wayne, I sand the tubes on 150 grit in a fairly random pattern. The marks go everywhere. I learned that trick from an adhesives chemist that posts on a knife building forum. As for the other marks, they mysteriously disappeared when I cleaned the pen for gift wrapping.....
 
I agree with the observations of the translucent blanks. I tend to favor painting the inside of the blanks rather than the tubes to ensure nothing shows through. I also use a polishing system system on all acrylics. The result is zero scratches and a mirror finish.
 
LK&T said:
John, thanks for the compliment. I like the idea of sanding the inside of the blank to get rid of marks. What grit do you use? My concern would be making the hole oversized. Also, what do you use to paint the blank, and how? What color? I assume that sanding the tube is out if you're gonna paint the tube.
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I sand with 220 grit. You will not enlarge the hole. You are just sanding some of the drill marks. I paint with Testors paints. I will either use the small bottle model paints or at times spray paints. A small brush or q-tip works well for this. Some times it takes 2 coats. But you want to put on evenly. In this case blue is the color. The white is opaque enough it will not show through. I never paint the tubes. Always paint the blank. Sometimes I will tint the epoxy with a drop of same paint. Have to be careful the colors you choose because it can change the entire look of the blank.
 
LK&T said:
Sharon, thanks for the tip. Any advice, or point me to a resource detailing the ins and outs of painting the inside of the tube?
Click to expand...
I use spray lacquer and do a quick spray from each end of the blank. Shake it hard after spraying to shake out any excess. You don't want to get it too thick or the tube will scrape it off when you insert it.
 
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