Pen junkie from NC

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dustmaker

dustmaker

Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2009
Messages
334
Location
Gastonia, NC
Hello,

I've been a wood worker for many, many years, but just got my first lathe a couple weeks ago...bought a pen starter kit from PSI. I am hooked! :embarrassed: First thing I did was toss the shellawax and started watching youtube videos, where I discovered CA finishing techniques. It took a while to get the hang of it but I think I have it down now. Made about 35 slimlines over the past couple weeks and decided last evening to try something a bit more interesting...its a Sierra click in box elder burl. Two coats of thin CA to seal and then about 6 coats of medium CA...the box elder had some voids I needed to fill. MM down to 12000 and then triple buff on Beall. This maybe overkill and I welcome comments, but I am pretty happy with the result. I consider this my first real pen! :smile: (I do need to work on my pen photography too!) I found this list and started reading yesterday afternoon...it helped me fix a couple of "problems" already...so thanks in advance.

- Frank
 

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Hi Frank. Welcome to the club. Where in Gastonia are you? I am just up the road in Denver. My wife is from Gastonia and we are over that way quite often. Also, there are a few others on the board who are from the area.

We might have enough people close enough to do a weekend meet-n-greet.
 
Hi Warren. I am actually closer to Stanley, out in the county as it were. It would be good to meet with other fellow penturners and share ideas. If you think you could get something organized I would be interested in participating. I don't have much to offer at this point, well maybe just my enthusiasm :)
 
Frank, welcome aborad. Looking at your pen, looks like you are off to a great start!!:wink: As warren, said, quite a few of you folks in that area. Hope to see you guys start a local chapter!!
 
Thanks Rollerbob, I do appreciate the encouraging words! I noticed there is a Carolina chapter, but they meet in West Columbia, SC which is quite a drive for me. What are the minimum requirements for starting a chapter?
 
dustmaker said:
Thanks Rollerbob, I do appreciate the encouraging words! I noticed there is a Carolina chapter, but they meet in West Columbia, SC which is quite a drive for me. What are the minimum requirements for starting a chapter?
Click to expand...
Not any real minimum requirements, other than getting 4 or 5 people interersted in a get together and orginize some form of meeting. Maybe some type of demo, pen/blank swap, meet and greet. Pretty easy and a great way to put faces to names!! A lot of chapters meet in others' shop and some contact a Woodcraft or Rockler's, they seem to be very receptive to having the meetings. There is not a membership fee, per sa, but some chapter's collect just to offset meeting expenses. Hopefully, this will give you some ideas. Let me know if I can help in any way!!
 
Hey Frank Great looking pen. I am up in the Davidson area about 45mins from you. Like Warren said there are a few guys around the area. We should look into a meeting at somepoint.
 
Kevin, I appreciate the compliment! I just got out of a meeting with the boss...I noticed his eyes glancing at the pen a few times...I figure I'll show up with a different pen in upcoming meetings until he is forced to ask...then I'll hit him up for a sale! I plan to make him one for Christmas anyway, but it would be cool to make a sale.

I am up for meeting, maybe we could discuss forming a chapter. Maybe we could meet at the Woodcraft in Matthews...Lord knows I've spent quite the coin there in the last few weeks! I am new here, but let's consider it...if there enough interested participants I think it would be fun.
 
Welcome Frank. You are doing great and your background in WW'king is showing immediately.

Below are links to two threads/articles that have lots of information on pen turning. The first one is a very basic overview of the many aspects of getting into turning pens.
http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=42446

The second link has postings by different pen turners and what they wish they had known earlier:
http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=46654


Here is another link - a PDF on the acronyms used here. I am sure you know many but this will help with those you don't.

http://content.penturners.org/articles/2009/Acronyms.pdf
 
Hello neighbor! Your right in my back yard.I'm just right up the road in Lucia.Welcome to the site there is a wealth of knowledge here.And btw thats a good looking pen you got there.
 
Welcome from sunny southern California, Frank. Sure seems like you've got that CA finish down well. Thats a beautiful pen.
 
Wow, thanks everyone! I don't think I have ever received such a warm welcome on a forum before. Many good folks here and I am looking forward to learning with you and sharing ideas.
Hank, I appreciate the links and I will check them out. That was very thoughtful of you. I like the fact that someone has thought about the acronyms...it was a little daunting when I first got here....didn't know what BLO was, LOL, and DAMHIKT was a first to, but I figured these both out from context.

Thanks again.
 
Gee dustmaker!

I wish any of my early pens had looked that good. I didn't know about CA then. I recently discovered Adobe PSE, (it lets me crop the image so that the pen appears much closer/larger on this forum.) With it , I've stopped taking the corner to corner view of the pens too. The image then looks closer than before. Again, very nice work for a new turner. :biggrin:
WS
 
Dustmaker check your PM.You don't know it yet but you've got someone closer than you think.About 5mi.I sent you my phone number in the pm.Uper right hand of the screen.
 
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