Ken Wines
Member
I'm basically a pen blank maker these days. I utilize a 60 watt Epilog Helix Laser with a custom built mandrel style rotary in the making of my pen blanks. Here is a small sample of some of my work.
These are all great! Seriously shows off your blank making skills!
What kit is the last one, I don't recognize it, but I like it.
Thanks for sharing.
Dan
Thanks, Mark. I joined IAP several years back but have been inactive as far as posting and interacting with other members. I hope to change that and become more involved within the constraints of limited time that is available (there's just so many hours in a day). I will be attending the Midwest Penturners Gathering next month and hope to meet some of the people whose work I have admired for years. If I get some free time between now and April I hope to make up a goody package of some donation pen blanks that can be used for door prizes and such.Welcome to IAP (as an active poster). I have admired your designs on Facebook and had hoped you would join IAP.
I love the precision and the color schemes you have blended. Well done.
Thanks, John. I would have loved to attend the FLGAPG this year but it wasn't meant to be. If they have it again next year I will try to be there. Anyway ... I hope to see a nice Herringbone pen picture in the not too distant future.Fabulous work, Ken. My wife won one of your Herringbone blanks at the FLGAPG. Looking forward to putting it on a kit for her.
Thanks. The Epilog is a nice laser but the stock rotary has much to be desired if one wants to do this type of work. With that being said, I did purchase a stock rotary to see how it interacts with the Epilog print driver and to acquire a stepper motor that had the factory wiring harness. After doing several simulation cuts utilizing the rotary I was able to determine how many inches of circumference was represented by 1 revolution of the stepper motor. At that point it was a matter of simple math using timing pulleys and a timing belt to make it turn one revolution for the circumferences that I desired. Right now the custom built rotary is designed to do one revolution for 2" of circumference (which will work with most pen types).I hope to add other ratios later as needed. All of my design drawings then only need to be designed for 2" of height and I will get a 360 degree wraparound everytime, something that the stock rotary is just not capable of doing.Wow! Amazing work. How do you like your Epilog laser? Seems to do a really neat job.
It is a Rollester kit from PSI.
Thank you for the info. That's good to know. I have looked at Epilog's lasers before but don't know if they are worth the money. There are a lot of other cheaper options out there but the quality and precision are probably not there.Thanks. The Epilog is a nice laser but the stock rotary has much to be desired if one wants to do this type of work. With that being said, I did purchase a stock rotary to see how it interacts with the Epilog print driver and to acquire a stepper motor that had the factory wiring harness. After doing several simulation cuts utilizing the rotary I was able to determine how many inches of circumference was represented by 1 revolution of the stepper motor. At that point it was a matter of simple math using timing pulleys and a timing belt to make it turn one revolution for the circumferences that I desired. Right now the custom built rotary is designed to do one revolution for 2" of circumference (which will work with most pen types).I hope to add other ratios later as needed. All of my design drawings then only need to be designed for 2" of height and I will get a 360 degree wraparound everytime, something that the stock rotary is just not capable of doing.