Marble Pen

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
See more from needadistraction

Joined
Apr 11, 2019
Messages
16
Location
Wrentham, Ma.
No-it's Marble-not Marbeled!
I did this last year to celebrate my son becoming an Eagle Scout. The material is marble from scraps from his project and the tip and center band were sand cast by a buddy with bronze from cast off hardware from the lighting which he installed. I cleaned the bronze up retaining some of the sand texture on the band to reflect the textured finish of the lighting that he installed. Pen clip glazed and lacquered to match(-ish).
 

Attachments

  • EaglePen_edited-1.jpg
    EaglePen_edited-1.jpg
    264.9 KB · Views: 289
Last edited:
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

Vinglo

Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2019
Messages
15
Location
Blainville, Quebec, Canada
Very nice looking pen. I like the opposing texture of the rough surface nib/band and smooth surface of the body.
How did you turn the marble? I had someone ask me recently if marble could be turned. I figured yes but don't know the details.
 
Joined
Apr 11, 2019
Messages
16
Location
Wrentham, Ma.
Thank You.
I drilled out the 1 1/4" thk. stone first with standard 1/4" drill bit on a press using lots of water to lube/cool the bit. Mounted the blank on a sled on a wet saw using 1/4" steel rod thru the bore to adjust the bore to the center of the stone. Drilled out for the tubes. Once tubes were epoxied in and mounted on the lathe, the chunk was trued with an air grinder w. a carbide burr. Once trued, 80 grit sandpaper made easy work of shaping. I found that even pressing the mechanism into the barrel made the barrel expand just enough to break the marble.
 

SteveG

Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2009
Messages
2,985
Location
Eugene, Oregon 97404
Looks great! Most pen turners will sand down the hardware, then epoxy it to the barrels when working with delicate or brittle materials. Too bad to learn that you ended up with cracks on this very nice looking pen.
 
Joined
Apr 11, 2019
Messages
16
Location
Wrentham, Ma.
Looks great! Most pen turners will sand down the hardware, then epoxy it to the barrels when working with delicate or brittle materials. Too bad to learn that you ended up with cracks on this very nice looking pen.
Okay, Steve G. You don't know me and that's OK. (Most would say that you're better off that way.) I, however, am the poster boy for OCD. After some trial and error, I got the system down-no cracks on this one. It's lineage is filled with everything from major blowouts to fine spider cracks. Trick was wrapping shim brass around a drill bit and stretching the tube just a little for the mechanism then wrapping the stone tightly with mason's line to keep it under compression when installing mechanism. I drive myself (and those around me) crazy but there's nothing like the old "I love it when a plan comes together" feeling.
 

OZturner

Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2013
Messages
6,663
Location
Sydney. NSW. Australia
Outstandingly Unique Pen Stan,
Thank you for the details of your Journey with the Marble Blanks, especially your expanding the Tubes, and the "Whipping" or "Wrapping" the Blank with Cord, for added support during fitting.
Congratulations to you for the Pen, and also to your Son on Achieving His Eagle Scout.
Brian.
 
Top Bottom