My finest work yet!

[vick]

In my opinion this is my finest work yet, but I would like to hear your opinions. The pen is a snap cap that has been modified the wood is Walnut with Maple Burl accents. Critiques on design or craftmanship are welcome.

As a note the picture with the cap off was from my scanner which I thought turned out better than the pictures I normally take, I had to switch to the camera for the view with the cap on to get a good angle on the clip.

 

[alamocdc]

Very nice, Mike! I like!! [][^] I'm working on something similar in an FP right now. I just have one question for you. How did you cut the slit for the clip? Besides very carefully, of course. []

 

[pastorbill1952]

That is great. Someone was asking about a cigar pen (not kit) and that is as close as I've seen. Should go well at some Humidor shop.

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

Hey! This looks just like a cigar!

Well Done.

 

[Doghouse]

Looks like you should submit that to the PMG! That is a work of art, and extreme craftsmanship.

 

[Ron Mc]

Mike,
Great looking pen. I love the way the clip just seems to appear out of the wood.

 

[dubdrvrkev]

Very Nice. I'll agree with doghouse, it looks like you are going towards PMG territory. (If you're into that sort of thing [] )
I see that I need to keep a closer eye out for when you are in the shop so I can take a lesson or two. Of course that would mean I need to stop turning bowls and work on pens again.
Keep up the good work Mike!

 

[Rifleman1776]

The two classic woods, maple and walnut, beautifully married. You turned the wood into art and came up with a pen to boot. And the clip thing, howjadoit?

 

[Old Griz]

Mike,
Absolutley fantastic... you have raised the bar a bit higher for the rest of us..
That pen is definately PMG entry material..
I don't know how long it takes you to do one, but I think that you could consider going to a cigar bar or high priced cigar shop to see if they would want to handle sales of them..
Now for the questions... what kit did you use for this pen and please, please, please write a tutorial on how to do the hidden clip... preferable with pictures for those of us with limited brain cells...

 

[Dario]

What else can I say but WOW!!!

 

[ed4copies]

Congratulations, Mike!

You got a lot of brain cells moving!!

I can't figure out your clip-but it is beautiful work!

 

[vick]

Thanks for the kind words everyone. If I forgot anyones question let me know but here we go for the answeres.
Billy - The clip thing I first want to give credit to Russ Fairfield as far as I know he invented this method, and was kind enogh to share it with me. To cut the slot you need to leave a small drilled area above the tube. I than mark where I am going to cut the slot with a fine tooth coping saw. Once it is marked I take a metal pick (dental pick) and carefully pick out wood until their is a small hole. I then take a coping saw blade that was cut in the middle and shaped to a point and work it into cut the slot. The wood is pretty thin so it is actually easier than it sounds. I have to admit this is the best job that I have done so far in fitting the clip and hole together.

Frank - see above I also explained the process in an other thread
http://www.penturners.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7932&whichpage=1#80827
I would be happy to try to answer any questions about the process.

Tom - It is a Snap cap I like to use them for the mods since the band on the cap can be easily left out to give a more wood appearance. As far as a tutorial just to be honest I work full time and have a 3 year old and a 4 month old any turning time I get is usually at the expense of sleep (I was up till 1:30 working on this last night). Well I will give up the sleep for turning I can not quite bring my self to give it up for a tutorial, but I will try to answer any questions. Or if anyone wants to talk to me about it I have a flat rate on long distance and will be glad to try an arrange a phone call. Maybe if you ask Russ really nicely he will do one, I would feal a little weird writing a tutorial on some thing that Russ invented (as far as I know) anyways.

As far as it looking like a cigar I have one in the works where up on the cap I am inlaying a yellow (osage Orange)strip then drilling out a hole in the middle slightly larger than the strip then turning a dowel to the size of the hole then glueing that in {asci art picture[ =()= ] }. Then doing the same thing with blood wood in the same spot if it works out like I think it should look like a red cigar band with a yellow outline. Of course I have had the partially drilled blank sitting around for over a month so do not hold your breath. Also anyone with more time is welcome to steal.

 

[Jim in Oakville]

Wow, I love it!

 

[jvsank]

Great looking pen looks like a cigar

 

[Bob A]

Outstanding pen. Very nice indeed.

 

[JimGo]

OH MAN, THAT IS SWEET! Nice job!

 

[PenWorks]

Great looknig pen Mike, good design and execution! [8D]

 

[woodscavenger]

Nicely done. I have had my eye on Russ' design for a while but have yet to work up the energy to try it.

 

[swm6500]

Very nice pen Mike, I like the cigar look.

 

[ctEaglesc]

You beat me to it!
This is something I have been rolling aaround in mind for a few weeks now.
For the cigar"effect" I was going to do something a little different but the overall look is the same.
You did a beautiful job!

 

[ashaw]

Great Job. Great looking pen. WOW [:0]

 

[vick]

Originally posted by cteaglesc
<br />You beat me to it!
This is something I have been rolling aaround in mind for a few weeks now.
For the cigar"effect" I was going to do something a little different but the overall look is the same.
You did a beautiful job!

Eagle I do not think the shape is very original I have seen it used by several people before. Actually very little of this is original I just though it all went together well. I do not know if you read but in my first reply I outlined my plans for a true cigar pen (making a cigar band). The I will really be stepping into your territory.[}]

 

[ctEaglesc]

"I do not know if you read but in my first reply I outlined my plans for a true cigar pen (making a cigar band). The I will really be stepping into your territory."

NAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![]
I did read that and coming up with the realistic"duplicate" of an existing band that I thought I could do in wood that I had on hand is what was holding me up.I have been working on other ideas that I consider innovative and there's a long list of "what would happen ifs" also.
Again it is a great looking pen and superb craftsmanship!