With the frustrations of bowls which can be a challenge, I've been turning pens.  Quite frankly I'm enjoying it 20 times more.  I can turn them out faster and put them together faster.  I just finished this one up tonight.  The barrels are made out of purple heart.  I've got about 18 more blanks coming in tomorrow ordered some components.   I still have to pick up some gold plated spacers to match.  (Gift pens).  But I think the pen turning has come with its own challenges of knowing when to stop cutting into the wood if it is too thin and brittle go down too far and it just breaks and snaps off the piece and then the time is wasted.  I've been getting the time down to carving sanding and staining in less than an hour.   But here is the first SEMI decent pen made.  I ran out of blanks, what I basically used was handle scales for knives that I had laying around not being used.  So I thought why not turn them into pens.  Worked out pretty good.

Lookin' Good!

Thanks.  Almost forgot to add tags to this one.

32 minutes ago, AndrewB said:

But I think the pen turning has come with its own challenges of knowing when to stop cutting into the wood if it is too thin and brittle go down too far and it just breaks and snaps off the piece and then the time is wasted. 

 

If it is on the ends as I have outlined in picture below this is a simple and effective fix.  Carefully cut down a short way back to the brass barrel.  Then take another piece of wood and drill hole through center.  Using CA glue take the blank and glue the small piece back to the barrel and against the remaining wood on blank.  I suggest different species of wood, normally I would go to my cut off drawer full of small piece and use them for this. 

 

Once the CA has cured put back on the lathe and you now have a custom laminated pen.  No one will ever know you had issues during turning and you will not waste the blank. 

 

 

This is an example of what you end up with when done.

 

I am definately going to have to consider giving that a go because I have a bunch of left over pieces that I could try that with.

@Gunny Giving your lamination a try with some purple heart mixed in with what I "THINK" is iron wood or maple.  On one piece.  I've got it out waiting for the ca glue to cure up.  So this one should be an interesting mix if it works out.  If it does I'll do more of them.  I dislike getting CA glue all over my danged hands not fun to clean off.

12 minutes ago, AndrewB said:

not fun to clean off.

Acetone works well.  Raid the wife's fingernail polish remover.  

dont have either at the moment lol so its good old fashioned elbow grease.  at least CA glue makes great bandages LOL

I have that LED light you have on your lathe. Great little light that provided lots of light. Have mine on my bandsaw, It's totally flexible for use anywhere in the shop with the magnetic base.

Edited August 6, 20205 yr by Al B

My skin on my hands is oily so in a couple hours of getting CA glue on, it starts peeling.  If I wait a few minutes, I can just pull it off.  

I'd love to do some out of antler some day,...really one of my goals is to some day do a desk set,,..old German style with ink wells and all,...some German red deer and stag carved here and there.... you get the picture   but that's down the road several big projects away. We'll see 

 

,......very nice work BTW.  Thanks for posting 

Edited August 6, 20205 yr by aaronc

Okay I think I'm going to be doing this more often I like the way this one is turning out.  Gonna need to put in an order for more CA glue..... Should have done a Purple Heart strip for the bottom.

Edited August 6, 20205 yr by AndrewB

Here's where I get mine-

https://www.starbond.com/?rfsn=4495844.d43f18

I get mine from the same place. Mostly get pints and keep the stock bottle in frig. They send two 2 oz bottle and a bunch of tips when you order from them. Shipping is free.

1 hour ago, AndrewB said:

Okay I think I'm going to be doing this more often I like the way this one is turning out.  Gonna need to put in an order for more CA glue..... Should have done a Purple Heart strip for the bottom.

Nice!!told ya it would work good.  Saved many a pen like that.

Trying another one from Multiple layers,  if it works out, I'll be calling this one German Chocolate Cake....

Another one finished up

Another one finished turned out lovely think I’ll call it a German chocolate cake.

Nice! Now let's try this-

The funny thing is on this one I recorded video, I'm just editing the footage now, this ones already got a home how ever I'll post the video footage of it.  This ones actually going to a Geology professor which is why I had it layered the way I did.  ALso since I didn't have extra spacers except for the three originally with the first kit I purchased I made one out of a left over piece of purple heart and it worked out pretty good.

Edited August 6, 20205 yr by AndrewB