Wow! Mark! Very cool! Care to share about the non - finish?
Sure. I have simply not settled into a good system yet, so I am still experimenting.
I do not market/see 99% of my stuff, so I go for what I like. I do favor wood that looks and feels like wood. Admittedly, this pen goes to the extreme, but to me it feels very nice.
I sanded with 320 dry grit, both with the lathe, then horizontally by hand. Then applied one coat of Mylands Sanding sealer, and dry sanded with 400 grit. This took most of the surface sealer off, which is what I wanted.
I then sanded with Abranet 400 and 600 wet with Walnut Oil. Wiping off between grits, and horizontal sanding. I then applied Danish Oil x4 over the next day. It is very smooth, still some open pores, and has a very slight matte sheen.
The shiny sections in the pictures are actually light reflection, as there is no real bright sections on the barrels.
The finish is not for everyone, but since it's mine
!
Thanks for asking.
Offer suggestions please!