Sometimes commissions are a pain in the pinnacle.

[Phil Dart]

Normally I quite enjoy making pens from customers pieces of wood, but this order was not much fun. The wood was a pinnacle on an Edwardian something or other and had been outside for donkey's years rotting away, and would I make as many pens as possible from it please. I think he was expecting about 20.

Started with about 30 inches by 4 inches of what turned out to be douglas fir I think - and ended up with only three pens, an awful lot of sawdust, and a bit of kindling. The customer already has one of the pens, so here's a photo of the other two - and the rotten pinnacle.

The kits are Berea Elegant Americans from Turners Retreat, and the finish is melamine lacquer.

 

[Bucks]

Very nice looking pens phil, looking at what you started with I'm suprissed you got any pens out of it at all

 

[DJB Penmaker]

As Paul said I'm surprised you got any at all. The ones you did get are nice looking pens [emoji106]

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

[Vic Perrin]

Great Job Phil even more so looking at what you had to start with

 

[GeordieB]

More patience than me Phil I would have binned the wood bought a few blanks Lovely pens tho mate

 

[Penpal]

Resurrecting rubbish is a challenge three down nowhere left to looking at that picture.

You did so well with the two shown.

Peter.

 

[wm460]

Great looking pens Phil.
That would have been a good candidate for Earl's wood hardener.

 

[fortress]

Two very nice pens Phil, you did well to get those from that.

 

[Les ELm]

Nicely done.

Les

 

[Bill Mooney]

Very nice pens Phil. Sod's law also gives a helping hand on these occasions.

 

[Graham_C]

Couple of beauties Phil, especially from the raw material you had to work with!

Had a similar issue a while back - should have had enough for 8 pens but got only two. Fortunately, they only wanted two

 

[Terry Q]

Phil it looks like you did well to get 3. I think Doug Fir makes a very nice pen. I have some blanks with over 30 growth rings per inch. Lots of drama when cut on a slight bias.

 

[Gregory Hardy]

Neat to think that the wood was last worked over a century ago, and (unlike Edwardian architecture in my opinion) the pens are handsome! Nice work, Phil.