Nothing special, but it is my 2nd pen.

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bsshog40

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I had a couple learning curves on my first pen. I like the way this one turned out but I am always open to criticism and tips. Lol I made this from Purpleheart as it was what my wife picked out. This has a shellac finish. Ok, hit me with it! Lol

done 1.jpg
 
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mark james

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Looking nice. I'll repeat, your profile is very nice.

Can't tell from the picture, but are the nib and finial matches with the blanks smooth and paired? If not, as suggested previously, depend on calipers to measure the components and blank vs bushings and blank. (I suspect you know this).

Very nice! Now do a modified slimline with the center band! :)
 

Ed McDonnell

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Looking pretty good for a second pen. Shellac won't be the most durable finish for a pen that is handled a lot. But it works for pens that are looked at more than they are used. Consider experimenting with alternative finishes on some of your future pens.

Ed
 

bsshog40

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Looking nice. I'll repeat, your profile is very nice.

Can't tell from the picture, but are the nib and finial matches with the blanks smooth and paired? If not, as suggested previously, depend on calipers to measure the components and blank vs bushings and blank. (I suspect you know this).

Very nice! Now do a modified slimline with the center band! :)
This time they are Mark. The picture with the black background is giving off shadows. I put a caliper to the parts at 8.58mm and took the blanks to 8.7mm. Wanted just a tad more meat but looks good in hand.
 

Noot17

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Looks good! My second pen was purple heart for my wife as well.

Super glue (CA) is a good finish option, too, because it gets shiny and is very durable. It takes a while to figure out the technique though.

Mark James used poly on a pen he made for me in a PITH one time, which I liked because it shows more of the texture of the wood. I still need to try it out for myself though...


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bsshog40

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Looks good! My second pen was purple heart for my wife as well.

Super glue (CA) is a good finish option, too, because it gets shiny and is very durable. It takes a while to figure out the technique though.

Mark James used poly on a pen he made for me in a PITH one time, which I liked because it shows more of the texture of the wood. I still need to try it out for myself though...


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That's cool! Yea I may try a ca finish one day but I really do prefer the nice wood finish. I use wipeon poly alot and may try it on a pen one day. The only downfall to poly is the cure times.
 

Brotherdale

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I really like the shape. Over all it looks very nice.
I also prefer a more woody feel so sometimes I will use very a dense wood like Texas Ebony and just sand polish and buff.
Most people especially people who sell use high gloss finish like CA and I do it on a lot of mine. But when I make a pen for myself I go natural. If I cant get enough shine with buffing I will use Pens Plus a friction finish.
 

JimB

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Very nice. I can see the improve,ents in the fit compared to your first pen.

I have used wipe on poly on several pens. I like it better than CA but it does take a long t8me to cure. I always waited 24 hours between coats.
 

bsshog40

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Very nice. I can see the improve,ents in the fit compared to your first pen.

I have used wipe on poly on several pens. I like it better than CA but it does take a long t8me to cure. I always waited 24 hours between coats.
Thanks Jim. Yea I've started another one. Stood here in the shop for 45 mins trying to decide on a finish with what I had. I did a couple christmas ornaments a couple weeks back and used Watco wipeon gloss poly and they turned out nice. This stuff takes 4 hrs to dry but thats not a problem for me. Will see how it works out for the pen. Wish me luck. Lol

Bobby
 

Woodchipper

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Very nice. Pen turning is a journey. I don't know if you ever "arrive" at the destination. I do CA for a finish. There are others. Look at the library for more information. Well worth the time.
 

Dehn0045

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looks nice. One trick to purpleheart is using heat to bring out the color. Too much heat will turn it black, and way too much heat will burn down your shop, so use some caution. There are also a lot of different opinions on using sunlight.

Here is the video that I learned this trick from (RJB has a lot of good beginner videos):
https://youtu.be/C41QDOT7LuY

Also, here is a good article about color changing of wood:
https://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/preventing-color-changes-in-exotic-woods/
 

bsshog40

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looks nice. One trick to purpleheart is using heat to bring out the color. Too much heat will turn it black, and way too much heat will burn down your shop, so use some caution. There are also a lot of different opinions on using sunlight.

Here is the video that I learned this trick from (RJB has a lot of good beginner videos):
https://youtu.be/C41QDOT7LuY

Also, here is a good article about color changing of wood:
https://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/preventing-color-changes-in-exotic-woods/
He sure got the purple out. Torching a piece of wood that thin is pretty tricky. I could see spots where he burned too much. I can torch but it would be iffy. Lol My wife actually likes the color it came out as it looks closer to pink, her favorite color of course. Lol Thanks for the links!
 

Dehn0045

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Definitely depends on the piece of wood you start with, I agree with her that the color is nice the way it is, I actually thought it was pink ivory at first. The PH that I have done turns to just a dull brown, so I needed to do something. It can kind of look almost fake, so isn't for everyone, just something to play with.
 
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