Repeat commission

[Phil Dart]

This is part of the second order from this particular customer. His family had to fell a laburnum, so everyone must have a pen (obviously).

This is a gold and gunmetal Sirocco made from some of the laburnum he sent me. It's finished with tung oil, which after a few coats, although the result is satin I have found gives a better finish on Laburnum than my usual melamine method, because the wood is so dense.

 

[Les ELm]

Looks great.
Nicely done.

Les

 

[Themackay]

Very nice Phil

 

[yorkshireman]

That looks great Phil mate

 

[AllenN]

Very nice Phil, I like the grain lined up with the clip. Finish looks good too.

 

[Ray7756]

Lovely pen , repeat commisions are always good shows you the customers are happy

Cheers
Ray

 

[Penpal]

They will be excited I was.

Peter.

 

[KevinMc]

This is part of the second order from this particular customer. His family had to fell a laburnum, so everyone must have a pen (obviously).

Quick question.... so how long between the tree coming down and the blank being usable?

Kevin

 

[Bill Mooney]

What a lovely Pen Phil.

 

[PetrolP]

Good looking pen
Never used Tung oil on a pen
How many coats do you use?

Peter

 

[Bammer]

Nice looking pen, love Laburnum.

But shock horror ... Phil Dart turned a pen .....

 

[Phil Dart]

This is part of the second order from this particular customer. His family had to fell a laburnum, so everyone must have a pen (obviously).

Quick question.... so how long between the tree coming down and the blank being usable?

Kevin

I don't know when the tree was felled to be honest - suffice to say the wood he supplied was more than seasoned enough to use, in fact drier by a couple of percent than the stuff that sits in my workshop. I think if it's planked, it's no quicker or slower to season than many other woods, which as a rule of thumb is about a year per inch if thickness.

Good looking pen
Never used Tung oil on a pen
How many coats do you use?

Peter

I apply a 50:50 diluted first coat, then 4 or 5 subsequent coats at full strength, which I can do off the lathe, with about 12 hours between coats. My workshop is heated to about 15 or 16 degrees so I find I can get two coats on in a day. The more coats, the greater the drying time - although I realise that being a furniture maker you know that Peter, but others may not.

 

[Gregory Hardy]

I use Tung oil a lot but have never diluted. Water? And how does that first coat behave? It's a poor day when you don't learn something new!

 

[Phil Dart]

I use Tung oil a lot but have never diluted. Water? And how does that first coat behave? It's a poor day when you don't learn something new!

Not water - spirit or turps substitute. I use white spirit. Tung oil is quite gloopy, so it helps the oil penetrate the wood as a first coat. I've experimented with danish oil instead of tung oil, which give a good result but it's too smelly for a pen

 

[rayf6604]

I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to make pens, it’s been so long. I loved turning laburnum, especially if it was cross cut. As and when I get to spin wood again I’ll have to get some of your new pen kits Phil

 

[wm460]

Great looking pen Phil.