That's a very good point thanks. I certainly had no intention of doing a glossy CA job with these due to the time factor, but I hadn't thought about it in the context you describe in respect of the radius and size vs the grooves in the grain etc.
Here's a pic or two where I've experimented on what I consider for the most part to be a non usable pen, to see if I can rectify it. I'd added a couple of layers of undiluted sanding sealer last night, and was going to to try to get it sanded smooth retrospectively.
Not great as you can see.
Might be tricky to do, but I'm happy to try to resolve the problems with it since it's practise/learning/experience for me. And at least where I've cocked stuff up it's a good learn for the future!! It's a fun hobby for me currently rather than anything serious (which I can't pretend to be with limited experience). What I've found now anyway is the layer of sanding sealer can actually be easily scraped with a fingernail, so it's clear that it has to be sanded back to the wood to prevent it coming off too easy, so it's only actually filling the grains like I intended.
The other issue with this particular pen (can't even recall how I did it now) but I managed to scratch the bloody tip. I think I touched it with mesh briefly by accident when I had it turning to smooth in the drill press (ie instead of completely trying to take it apart again.
Is there any sort of cunning technique to removing the twist mech from one of these once it's pressed in? I'm assuming it's probably going to trash the pen if I try, but no harm in asking in case there's actually an easy way! They're not glued, just pressed.
Obviously the upper barrel comes off, and I can probably pop the cap & clip back out of it by tamping it on a thin punch.
