first pens

[sharpy]

these are the first pens ive made on my own lathe at home after returning from my men making course.
any constructive critisism would be helpful.
one issue I came across is that some grain on the oak had a tendancy to go a little black. as though it had dirt in it. is this a common issue with oak? should i apply a sanding sealer before i sand to avoid it?

I also used titebond thick adhesive to glue the tubes. I found this a little bit too thick as it was almost like a gel. Should i be using a thinner glue?

4 streamline pens. finished using crystal coat friction polish.

regards

sharpy

 

[bassethound]

Love em all, Well done!

 

[brody2123]

Nice pens sharpy! Are you dry, or wet sanding the oak, as if wet sanding with the open grain of oak it can pick up and fill the voids and darken them. Other than that, sand with the grain with the lathe turned off through every grit, then apply the sealer before adding the finish so it acts as a barrier.
you can use medium ca glue on your tubes, but the thick gives a better adhesion overall. But to be fair mate, all 4 of these are great looking pens, turned, shaped and finished really well.

cheers
Brody

 

[Kardav]

Nothing wrong with them pens, all nicely turned. If you want a glossy finish, try CA as per other recent posts.

 

[Grump]

Wotchya Sharpy, nice pens mate, nowt wrong with them init?
If you get the grain clogged and want to remove it a wipe along the grain with a bit meths or white spirit would usually shift it then seal and continue abrading.
As for glue, Its an age old argument yet again mate, some swear by by their own favourite and won't use anything else. Some wil force you to buy what they do.
So far as I am concerned once it's stuck it ain't coming away again it ends there for me. I use whatever I can find cheap to achieve that target.
Have you tried a hammer and nail?

 

[paulm]

A very nice set of pens there Sharpy, the only one I'm not sure about is the second one down which seems to have a concave top but its still a nice pen. When starting out you will use what is to hand, the first finish you've bought and as you progress you will develop your own style of finishing and product to use. I started with wax of a variety of types and eventually went to ca but only use this if you can assure yourself that the fumes are not being breathed in. There are a variety of methods also of using ca...

I am still always trying to find a better/new way to finish my pens and I guess I always will be. You'll be amazed at how quickly you'll develop a finish that you're reasonably happy with, the ones you've show are good.

With regards to sticking the tubes in there are also a variety of methods such as epoxy or ca. I use a medium ca and have a good success rate with it and can glue the tube in and start turning within minutes. Other methods need preparation time and as an impatient person it doesn't suit me.

 

[Walter]

You say that you used Titebond thick adhesive but I am not sure what that is.

Titebond make a wide range of adhesives from wood glues through to caulks and sealants so without knowing the exact product I cannot say whether I would recommend it or not.

If you mean this then I have not tried it but from the description it should do the job but you might find the short open time to be a problem.

As Brian says there are plenty of adhesives that will work, don't let anyone tell you you must use one or the other.

Cyanoacrylate superglue (CA) will do the job fine, either thick or medium is probably best. The only problem you might have (as you already know) is that it has a short open time so if the drilled hole in the blank is tight or you take too long getting the tube into the hole you might end up with a half glued in tube. Very irritating but avoidable with care.

Two part epoxies such as Araldite are also good and give you longer to get the tube fitted . The downside is that you have to wait for them to set before you can get on with the turning.

Polyurethane glues such as gorrila glue or titebond polyurethane give a good bond and are effective gap fillers but because the glue expands as it sets it can push the tubes out of the blank unless you clamp them.

My personal preference is for a quick setting epoxy which gives a good bond, has a reasonable open time to get the fit right, has some gap filling properties and doesn't take too long to set.

Edit: Sorry, got carried away with the pros and cons of glues and forgot to mention the pens. They all look good to me. Your pen making course served you well.

 

[turnaround360]

You may be picking up metal from the bushes and filling the grain i like that look but not every ones taste.

 

[Woody]

Hi sharpy some nice pens there you are doing very well perfecting the shape will come with time and practice the finish you ate using is very good stuff but on some woods you will need to apply more coats till you get a shine also try running a woodturners stick over the top to give a higher shine
The titebond thick I will assume you mean super glue if perfect for the job personally I find it to expensive and use bondfix med from ebay £25. 75 for 5 and cheaper still for 10 5 x 50g SUPER-GLUE ADHESIVE. HIGH STRENGTH. HIGH SPEED. | eBay the more you buy the cheaper it gets and they sell it in three grades thin, med and thick
As for the Oak getting contaminated that is quite common with open grained woods as said a quick wipe over with a white spirit or similar should clean it out for you but it will nee to be sanded with the grain after then finish in the normal way
Take note of all the advice given and you will find your own way of doing things that fits you best good luck and happy turning

 

[edlea]

£25.75 for 5 ..and that's cheap ????


Great first pens Sharpy ..you will do well with this pen making thingy.

 

[Woody]

£25.75 for 5 ..and that's cheap ????


Great first pens Sharpy ..you will do well with this pen making thingy.

And its cheaper still Ed if you buy 10 which is what I do and so dose young Alex visit his shop for more info he goes up to 20 50g bottles for £40

 

[bellringer]

£25.75 for 5 ..and that's cheap ????


Great first pens Sharpy ..you will do well with this pen making thingy.

I think woodys age is catching up it 12.75

 

[Penpal]

The way you have made your pens indicate care and with careful choice of blanks this will enable you to broaden your experiences with different timbers. Much like breeding animals it takes the same effort with most breeds.

I have used dozens of different glues the very cheapest white wood glues work really well.

Two things I spend time on is selecting blanks rejecting so called rubbish. Bought hundreds of spare brass tubes, always batch process and leave a period of time from glueing to using, having the spare tubes gives me a bank of ready to turn pens. My preparation with sanding tubes is meticulous. Back to using Gorilla Glue an expanding poly glue and doing them in batches as the glue foams for the very odd one that pops a tube part way out I simply ease it back they never pop again and I find other tasks to keep me in the area to ensure no more pop, sticks like tar to a Tomcat. I never stint on preparation. A bit like engine oil you pays your money and you take your chances.

Heck there are those that never rough up blanks who cares I know folks who ignore stop signs. At a four way set of lights today a guy came behind me turned right bypassed the red light cut right across the opposite traffic cross country leaving 40 stunned motorist apparently getting away with it. I use yobs of glue inside blanks and on tubes prefer to remove excess than ever have a failure.

Take care mate establish safe practices.

Peter.

 

[Woody]

I think woodys age is catching up it 12.75

Your right young Alex senior moment LOL but that makes them cheaper still I think is it was it thank you I think who are you anyway its me new glasses got to take em back the lap top scren is tilting to the right strange

 

[sharpy]

I've read with interest the comments referring to the perfect pen shape. What does the perfect pen look like?

 

[Walter]

I've read with interest the comments referring to the perfect pen shape. What does the perfect pen look like?

I don't think there is such a thing. All down to personal preference. I have my own likes and dislikes but they are of no relevance to anyone else.

What's more important is good fit and finish in my opinion.

My preparation with sanding tubes is meticulous.

Just to play devil's advocate I have never sanded a pen tube. I have had glue failures but they have invariably been down to poor distribution of the adhesive. So sand the tubes if you want to, but it is not compulsory.

 

[chas_41_uk]

Great first pens
Won't add to the glue/finish comments as it's all been said

 

[paulm]

I've read with interest the comments referring to the perfect pen shape. What does the perfect pen look like?

A perfect pen is one that you or your customer is happy with. I think perfection is something we all strive to get and when we've got it, we try to improve it.

I too never sand the tubes and buy the ca from the same place as Alex and Woody. At first I always bought Chestnut ca but it costs a fortune and I thought it must be better quality or something like that but its just not true.

Another finish that I know someone swears by but I've never used is renaissance wax.

 

[turnaround360]

Plonckers club application accepted Woody.

 

[Grump]

I use KIWI or Cherry Blossom renaissance wax sometimes a damn sight cheaper and just as good.