Hi Miles, not much help to you with the veneers, my son gave me them, he has not got a clue where they came from. Bodies at Borough bridge used to stock them. Marquetry suppliers would be the place. Woody put me on to thee coloured plastics, they look very good, come in all colours and thicknesses.
Yes I used coke cans, two twisty cuts on each side of the blank. I glued after each cut and insertion, leave overnight, cut again after trueing up, and repeat on the same side crossing the first cut, then go through the whole procedure until you have four strips of aluminium, veneer or plastic, exactly as Terry has said.
I also made some pens with dowels of a different coloured wood glued through the blank. In my case ramin through mahogany, good effect there. Saw that on u tube.
