work in progress

[airrat]

This is my first try on something like this. It has little flaws that I need to figure out, mostly with the plane but I do like how try one was. I just turned the top half to see what it would look like, I have a better idea now of what I want. Not sure if I want to paint both tubes with the sky scene or do something like this. What do you all think?

The pictures are not the best, I will take better ones tomorrow with the photo booth.

 

[ahoiberg]

looks cool tom! is the plane an actual pin or is that a graphic printed out and pasted on? and did you just hand paint the tube blue and white? if so, nice idea. i think it looks really cool with the black side to accentuate it. i'm not sure it would look as nice with blue sky on both ends... just my opinion though. maybe some homebrew with southwest colors on the other half.. or woods that come close or something... []

 

[airrat]

Thanks Andrew, the plane is a lapel pen I ground down and had to bend the tail to fit the tube. I painted the tube by hand, it is all metal paint from Michael's.

 

[kkwall]

Cool! Excellent paint work.

 

[Ligget]

Lovely work, would love to see a picture of it on a lighter coloured background so we could see the profile of the top barrel.[8D]

 

[davidrei]

I know quite a few pilots for Southwest Airlines who would kill for a pen like that!!! How did you bend the lapel pin without breaking it or scratching the paint? For what it's worth, I think the pen would look better with the sky scene on both barrels.

 

[stevers]

Maybe make the top barrel a jet stream off of the jet. You know, a trail of white exhaust. Just a thought.

 

[Johnathan]

very nice. I would not paint both barrels. I think the way you have it looks very custom and classy. I think both barrels would make the pen look too much like a cheap "plastic" pen. The dark barrel points out that the other is painted and not a commercial product IMHO. Very nice work. I too think there are many that would really love this pen.

 

[GaryMGg]

I like it; don't know if I'd store the pen in the stand like that -- it reminds me of the uncomfortable descent we did coming into Reno. Barrel roll and dive. [][)]

 

[gwilki]

Nice work, Tom. It's so 3D that it's hard tell, but is the pen proud of the barrel, or did you cast over it?

 

[airrat]

Dave I did scratch it, [] this was the first try and now I am working on a way to do it without scratching it. I buffed it out yet I can still see it. Also I probably have met some of your pilot friends. I have been a Southwest employee for 11 years.

Jonathan thanks I too like this look.

Haha Gary try flying into or out of Orange County when they take off on the runway with the noise restriction. Its a roller coaster ride.

Grant not sure if your talking about being proud at the nib or center band or the bottom barrel having a slight curve to it. I micro metered this one on the center band to the same size instead of the bushing size. So it does look proud there but is flush to the feel. The nib is right on. On the bottom barrel I did slightly curve it out at the tail, I was so worried about how much material I would have left on it and this was the highest spot.

thanks for all the complements