yaroslaw
Member
So, this is my modified pen that won 3rd Annual Russ Fairfield contest.
One of the reasons I've tried it, was that I've seen this kinda design ("challenge pen") in Don Ward's (its_virgil) book and liked the shape. And also thought that it's too complicated to make. So few days before deadline, I rejected some other slimline mods, that was "too simple to win", including one pen made specially for contest. I really liked padouk/ipe/copper combination, which I've tried on this pen: http://www.penturners.org/forum/f13/modified-7mm-mysterious-wood-105076/
So I went this road
Some hints about construction:
a) to partly hide finial and align 7mm and 8mm holes, I've drilled a bit with center drill (to reach 8mm opening), then a bit with 8mm (1.5 times of finial height), then whole part with 7mm and trued a face (not really neccessary). Without center drill it would be impossible with my setup (ok, center drill was "take two", first one was straight "by the book").
Drilling on the lathe.
b) copper was cut, drilled, sanded on one side, glued to ipe and other side trued on the lathe, then padouk glued to upper tube
c) angle on finial end not cut, but sanded away on quick "disk sander" setup - disk sander attachment with velcro for a hand drills, mounted in lathe chuks. It's not precise by any means, but did the job.
Both padouk and ipe are extremely dense woods, that polishes very well, and to my opinion look better without CA finish (especially Ipe). My GF has one of my first slimlines in polished padouk - it's indeed darker, but no "bad" patina, dirt or something.
So I polished to highest grid, and put a coat of special blo/lacquer/terpentine mix bought from artist shop, which works very well for me for closing pores and provide some moisture protection.
One of the challenge I've met and do not have good enough solution, is how to press finial. Don in his book wrote "insert the finial as usual", but usual there is nothing sticking above finial. So I'd like to hear comments on this matter
Anyway, I'm really happy with this design, it has everything I like in a ballpoint, being totally wooden to touch, look and feel So I've already refused to sell it (after posting to FB about winning contest)) and it's my new daily writer
One of the reasons I've tried it, was that I've seen this kinda design ("challenge pen") in Don Ward's (its_virgil) book and liked the shape. And also thought that it's too complicated to make. So few days before deadline, I rejected some other slimline mods, that was "too simple to win", including one pen made specially for contest. I really liked padouk/ipe/copper combination, which I've tried on this pen: http://www.penturners.org/forum/f13/modified-7mm-mysterious-wood-105076/
So I went this road
Some hints about construction:
a) to partly hide finial and align 7mm and 8mm holes, I've drilled a bit with center drill (to reach 8mm opening), then a bit with 8mm (1.5 times of finial height), then whole part with 7mm and trued a face (not really neccessary). Without center drill it would be impossible with my setup (ok, center drill was "take two", first one was straight "by the book").
Drilling on the lathe.
b) copper was cut, drilled, sanded on one side, glued to ipe and other side trued on the lathe, then padouk glued to upper tube
c) angle on finial end not cut, but sanded away on quick "disk sander" setup - disk sander attachment with velcro for a hand drills, mounted in lathe chuks. It's not precise by any means, but did the job.
Both padouk and ipe are extremely dense woods, that polishes very well, and to my opinion look better without CA finish (especially Ipe). My GF has one of my first slimlines in polished padouk - it's indeed darker, but no "bad" patina, dirt or something.
So I polished to highest grid, and put a coat of special blo/lacquer/terpentine mix bought from artist shop, which works very well for me for closing pores and provide some moisture protection.
One of the challenge I've met and do not have good enough solution, is how to press finial. Don in his book wrote "insert the finial as usual", but usual there is nothing sticking above finial. So I'd like to hear comments on this matter
Anyway, I'm really happy with this design, it has everything I like in a ballpoint, being totally wooden to touch, look and feel
So I've already refused to sell it (after posting to FB about winning contest)) and it's my new daily writer
