mark james
IAP Collection, Curator
OK, folks, this is a draft resulting from a thread a few days ago. Give me more input and we can tweak this to offer a nice resource. What have I missed, what can be added or corrected?
Note: I am using terms like "Plastic" loosely as Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials.
This article is intended to give a head start to those who desire to construct segmented pen blanks. Many materials can be found in local hardware stores, hobby shops, arts and craft stores and your own home.
Wood veneers, Plastic sheets, old hotel door cards, old credit cards, tin/aluminum cans, chimney flashing, good quality paper card stock, metal craft sheets, as well as cut wood from boards or larger blanks. In each case, the tools you have, the skills you have and your creativity are the only only restrictions to what you can accomplish.
Additionally, looking to purchase specific materials intended for uses such as pen blank segmenting will lead you to online searches. In that case, it is important to realize that the search keywords are important. Some vendors will have items in stock, some will not carry what you are looking for, some may have exactly what you want but have a different name for that item. So flexibility is a key to what you want to purchase.
Below is a list of potential keywords - there certainly are many more. And I have compiled a list of sources for specific categories. I have checked each link and they are accurate as of 12/8/2020. It should be expected that over time some sources will disappear, others will come into fruition and the materials the stock will change.
I have no allegiance to any of these sources. This list is a result of my own efforts to do segmenting, suggestions from other IAP members and a recent online search of these keywords and checking each individual site. By no means is this inclusive; it is just a starting point.
Helpful input came from posts from: magpens, JTTheclockman, dogcatcher and walshjp17.
Online Search Keywords:
Pick guard
Pick guard Sheets
Pick guard Strips
Veneer
Wood Veneers
Styrene (a common but inaccurate keyword. Styrene is actually a liquid, and can be nasty)
Polystyrene Sheets (The solid form of Styrene)
Metal Sheets
Hobby Supplies
Craft Supplies
Plastic sheets
Scale Model building supplies
Billiard repair supplies
Knife Making Supplies
Wood Veneers:
www.cueveneer.com
www.dyed-veneer.com (B & B Rare Woods). Natural, dyed, thin, thick.
www.cuestick.com
www.sveneers.com (Sauers)
www.woodcraft.com (Sauers)
www.rockler.com (Sauers and others)
www.woodturnerscatalog.com
Styrene/Plastic/:
www.oakridgehobbies.com
www.plasticareinc.com
www.evergreenscalemodels.com
www.dickblick.com
www.hobbylobby.com
www.cuestick.com
www.knifemaking.com (Spacer materials)
www.alphacard.com (Blank, colored PVC credit card packs).
www.texasknife.com (Spacer materials)
www.beartoothwoods.com (Gisi Designs Segmenting Sheets/Accents - 3" x 6")
www.woodturnerscatalog.com (Pickguard laminate strips)
www.exoticblanks.com (Pickguard plastic laminate)
Metals:
www.hobbylinc.com
www.ksmetals.com ( K & S Precision Metals: Sold through hardware, building supply and hobby stores/sites. e.g, Ace Hardware, Hobby Lobby, Home Depot, etc)
www.whimsie.com
www.speedymetals.com
www.onlinemetals.com
Combination - Plastic/Polystyrene/Metals/Woods
Hobby Lobby
Lowes
Home Depot
Menards
Michaels
Blick Art Materials
... And many, many others.
Note: I am using terms like "Plastic" loosely as Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials.
Segmenting Material Sources
Mark James
Mark James
This article is intended to give a head start to those who desire to construct segmented pen blanks. Many materials can be found in local hardware stores, hobby shops, arts and craft stores and your own home.
Wood veneers, Plastic sheets, old hotel door cards, old credit cards, tin/aluminum cans, chimney flashing, good quality paper card stock, metal craft sheets, as well as cut wood from boards or larger blanks. In each case, the tools you have, the skills you have and your creativity are the only only restrictions to what you can accomplish.
Additionally, looking to purchase specific materials intended for uses such as pen blank segmenting will lead you to online searches. In that case, it is important to realize that the search keywords are important. Some vendors will have items in stock, some will not carry what you are looking for, some may have exactly what you want but have a different name for that item. So flexibility is a key to what you want to purchase.
Below is a list of potential keywords - there certainly are many more. And I have compiled a list of sources for specific categories. I have checked each link and they are accurate as of 12/8/2020. It should be expected that over time some sources will disappear, others will come into fruition and the materials the stock will change.
I have no allegiance to any of these sources. This list is a result of my own efforts to do segmenting, suggestions from other IAP members and a recent online search of these keywords and checking each individual site. By no means is this inclusive; it is just a starting point.
Helpful input came from posts from: magpens, JTTheclockman, dogcatcher and walshjp17.
Online Search Keywords:
Pick guard
Pick guard Sheets
Pick guard Strips
Veneer
Wood Veneers
Styrene (a common but inaccurate keyword. Styrene is actually a liquid, and can be nasty)
Polystyrene Sheets (The solid form of Styrene)
Metal Sheets
Hobby Supplies
Craft Supplies
Plastic sheets
Scale Model building supplies
Billiard repair supplies
Knife Making Supplies
Wood Veneers:
www.cueveneer.com
www.dyed-veneer.com (B & B Rare Woods). Natural, dyed, thin, thick.
www.cuestick.com
www.sveneers.com (Sauers)
www.woodcraft.com (Sauers)
www.rockler.com (Sauers and others)
www.woodturnerscatalog.com
Styrene/Plastic/:
www.oakridgehobbies.com
www.plasticareinc.com
www.evergreenscalemodels.com
www.dickblick.com
www.hobbylobby.com
www.cuestick.com
www.knifemaking.com (Spacer materials)
www.alphacard.com (Blank, colored PVC credit card packs).
www.texasknife.com (Spacer materials)
www.beartoothwoods.com (Gisi Designs Segmenting Sheets/Accents - 3" x 6")
www.woodturnerscatalog.com (Pickguard laminate strips)
www.exoticblanks.com (Pickguard plastic laminate)
Metals:
www.hobbylinc.com
www.ksmetals.com ( K & S Precision Metals: Sold through hardware, building supply and hobby stores/sites. e.g, Ace Hardware, Hobby Lobby, Home Depot, etc)
www.whimsie.com
www.speedymetals.com
www.onlinemetals.com
Combination - Plastic/Polystyrene/Metals/Woods
Hobby Lobby
Lowes
Home Depot
Menards
Michaels
Blick Art Materials
... And many, many others.
