First Pen

[Bob Janka]

Folks,

Here is my first pen! I used Padauk with a W*C* 10K Slim twist pen kit. It took 4 barrel blanks to finally learn when to quit using edged tools and switch to "flexible" shaping tools, i.e. sandpaper. I ran through 120, 180, 240, 320, 400, 600, 800 and finished with HUT's PPP satin and high-gloss.

The best part was showing it off to my co-workers. All comments were positive. Some of my favorites were "You *made* this?" and "Wow, nice balance". (Of course I let them hold it! ;> )

Now I just have to decide on which 50-60 kits I want to order from Berea. Ah, to have such a problem... :D

Cheers,
Bob

[Bob Janka]

Folks,

Due to technical difficulties, I am unable to post the picture of my pen at this time. Stay tuned and I'll try again tomorrow from a different computer.

Cheers,
Bob

P.S. I guess I *do* need to upgrade from Win95... ;)

[Ron Smith ... Richmond, VA]

I've been turing for several months now, but I started turning pens just a couple weeks ago and really enjoy it. It's a case of instant gratification, not to mention the praise from co-workers who aren't familiar with the hobby. I like seeing what all the different types of wood and other materials look like. It's fun to practice tool handling with them too. I know you'll have a blast and I'm looking forward to the pictures. Have fun.

[Jim Baker]

I would love to see the pictures when you are able to get them posted. Pen making sounds fun and addicting. I'm hoping to try my hand at it some day, but right now my list of stuff to do for the house is longer than my supply of available time.

[Scott Greaves]

Hey Bob!

I would love to see a picture of your first pen! Keep that pen - it shows you where you've been!

I started out using the HUT PPP sticks as a finish, too! Do yourself a favor and throw them away, and get a nice friction polish like HUT Crystal Coat or Mylands Friction Polish. I hate to be so negative about the wax sticks because they were a pretty big advance in finishing when Tom Hutchinson developed them, but the friction polishes really are a lot better.

As for which pen kit to get - take your pick! Berea has great kits, and Jim is about as nice and helpful as he can get. Ask him about fountain pens sometime, but be sure you have an hour! (He collects them) I like the black titanium slimline kit they sell.

Have fun!

Scott.

[Bob Janka]

Folks,

I made two more pens and am posting a single picture of the trio. From left to right is my first pen (slim-line twist with black-line clip), my first pencil (slim-line click with 'solid' gold clip) and a matching pen (slim-line twist with 'solid' gold clip). All are made from padauk.

I sanded 120, 180, 240, 320, 400 dry, 600 wet, 800 wet, and burnished with chips. I applied two coats of the PPP satin then two coats of PPP high-gloss. I am very pleased with the results. This time, I managed to get the grain-match ends on the pen to match the ring diameter much more closely.

Next up is a slim-line pencil with black-line clip made with curly maple. I may try making a wider tip barrel and may try cutting a groove or two in the clip barrel and burnishing the grooves with wire.

Cheers,
Bob Janka
Pens are Fun!

[Bob Janka]

Ooops!

Sorry about the LARGE format on the picture!! :(

Next time, I'll save it to 480x360 or 320x200 size instead of 800x600. At least that was under 100K. :-}

Thanks to a post a while back by Ken Salisbury, picture poster extraordinaire, I figured out that I can NOT preview my picture. Instead, I have to get the text just right and then send the picture into the ether...


Cheers,
Bob