Weekend-O-Pens....

[Phillip H Smith]

I'm doing a general clean-up and renovation of my basement, so I'll be having turning withdrawl for a few days. I'm cleaning and rearranging my shop area in anticipation of my new JDS Dustforce DC arriving. And I'm painting and doing some electrical runs in my wife's workshop area as well. The latter is my "penance" for buying the DC!

So I spent the past weekend doing some pens for "turning therapy."

On the left (top to bottom): A Wall St. II in bubinga; American Classic Roller Ball also in bubinga; and (TA DA!) a European with a Celtic Cross, made with mahogany and purpleheart. The latter is my personal best so far, in terms of difficulty/success ratio!

On the right (all Europeans, top to bottom): Purple heart (white strip is part of a credit card*); Padauk with a mahohany insert (doesn't show well but has copper hardware); Mahogany with stripes burned in with an old guitar string; Bubinga with jatoba insert (in stealth mode).

*LOML thinks I cut up MY credit card...HA...not with a 10% off sale at Woodcraft this weekend.

[TYLER WOOD]

Nice work. Really like the knot pens. What are you using for the white inserts in the pens? Coke bottle tops, credit card snippets? Inquiring minds want to know!

[Phillip H Smith]

Tyler...

Thanks so much for the kind words!

All of these inserts are "stone ax simple!" 'Cause that's all my skill level allows me to do....but I sure have fun!

The white stripe "thingy" in the purpleheart pen is a 3/4 x 7/8" piece of an old credit card. The other pens have wood inserts of a comparable size. Even the "Celtic Knot" pen is done similarly.

I simply cut the blank at a 45 degree angle, glue in the insert using thick CA glue (usually with activator) then turn as usual. For the Celtic Knot, you simply do the insert 4 times...rotating the blank 90 degrees each time. The trick is to add in wood the thickness of your saw kerf...and keep everything square...and drill the blank exactly in the center. I usually get fairly close...but not yet perfect.

[Jim Shaver, Oakville Ont]

Hey Phillip,

Nothing like a few hours making pens to relax the soul!

Great looking pens, well done!

[Joseph Peacock]

Those pens are very beautiful!!!!!!!

[Patrick Taylor]

Great work Phillip! You've inspired me to do some inserts. (now you've done it!) What finish are you using? The shapes look good. Show us some more!

Good luck with your basement!

[Phillip H Smith]

What finish are you using? The shapes look good. Show us some more!

Pat...

Thanks for the compliment!

The pens are sanded through 600, after which I apply EEE, then a minimum of three coats of Shellawax. The Celtic Knot pen was finished with CA/BLO after (and with) MM sanding. It's a bit more shiny than the others, but IMHO has a harder, less "friendly" feel compared to the Shellawax.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Well done Phillip. The pens are beauties. I like what you did with the celtic knot. I agree a weekend of pen turning sure does sooth the nerves.

[Patrick Taylor]

The Celtic Knot pen was finished with CA/BLO after (and with) MM sanding. It's a bit more shiny than the others, but IMHO has a harder, less "friendly" feel compared to the Shellawax.

Did you use a similar method to the one that I described? It looks good. Although less friendly initially, I'm leaning toward the durability of the CA. I want the CA to outlast the plating.

[Phillip H Smith]

Pat...

Yes...the CA/BLO is similar, if not identical, to the method you described.

I found that as I turned the upper barrel, some of the purpleheart began to chip out. That's unusual for PH, since I've found it to turn rather well.

I think what happened is my CA glue-up wasn't the best of all possible worlds. I got impatient...and used thick CA with an activator. The glue sets up FAST!....but it may not have had enough time to soak into the wood to get good interbonding. Next time...I'll take my time.

Anyway..since I'd begun using thin CA to help stop the chip-out, I went ahead and did the CA/BLO finish. It DOES give a better shine, but I really prefer the feel of Shellawax. I've been using one of these pens for a few months and the Shellawax finish has held up well. I'm thinking that from time-to-time a good wipe with Myland's wax might be inorder.

[Patrick Taylor]

...It DOES give a better shine, but I really prefer the feel of Shellawax. I've been using one of these pens for a few months and the Shellawax finish has held up well. I'm thinking that from time-to-time a good wipe with Myland's wax might be inorder.

Anyone else have durability experience with shellawax?