several new pens fresh of the lathe

[Joe Aliperti]

I have just been accepted into my first gallery, so I've been cranking out a bunch of pens for consignment. :D Thanks for looking!

Oak burl Jr. Gent w/ rhodium plating

http://www.silverlakewoodworks.com/images/pens/oak_burl1.JPG

http://www.silverlakewoodworks.com/images/pens/oak_burl2.JPG


Thuya burl Jr. Gent w/ rhodium

http://www.silverlakewoodworks.com/images/pens/thuya_burl1.JPG

http://www.silverlakewoodworks.com/images/pens/thuya_burl2.JPG


Teak burl Jr. Gent w/ black titanium plating

http://www.silverlakewoodworks.com/images/pens/teak_burl1.JPG

http://www.silverlakewoodworks.com/images/pens/teak_burl2.JPG


Rose laser inlay in curly maple on a black titanium Sienna:

http://www.silverlakewoodworks.com/images/pens/rose2.JPG


Polymer clay in a kaleidoscope design on a rhodium Sienna:

http://www.silverlakewoodworks.com/images/pens/kali1.JPG

[David Walser]

Joe,

Those are very nice pens. I hope they sell well for you.

Can you tell us more about the polymer clay blank? Did you make it yourself? How was it to turn? My wife likes doing things with polymer clay and she made me a couple of test blanks to try out. When I turned them, I was afraid that they were too soft to be durable. However, her pen (with a CA finish) has held up pretty well in her purse for the last year or more. What are your thoughts?

[Norm Zax]

Lovely pens! My fav is the oak burl!

[Baxter Smith]

Very nice pens and the oak burl is cool!

[brian watts]

the oak i like alot.. your pic's are very nice.......

[John Keeton]

Joe, congrats on the gallery acceptance!! With the work you do, you will not have any trouble getting sales.

Very nice group of pens, and while I like the oak burl a lot, my favorite is the Thuya burl - really beautiful!

[Joe Aliperti]

Thanks for the comments! That oak burl is really wild. :cool:


Joe,

Those are very nice pens. I hope they sell well for you.

Can you tell us more about the polymer clay blank? Did you make it yourself? How was it to turn? My wife likes doing things with polymer clay and she made me a couple of test blanks to try out. When I turned them, I was afraid that they were too soft to be durable. However, her pen (with a CA finish) has held up pretty well in her purse for the last year or more. What are your thoughts?

The polymer clay blank was made by Toni Ransfield from New Zealand. She makes the clay canes herself and has recently been offering blanks for sale. There is a thread on the IAP that she made describing her process. Go to Community Forums, Advanced Pen Making, and the thread title is Brief Explanation to make a PC tube.

I finished the pen with 10 coats of thin CA. I'll let you know if I have any durability issues, but I think it will hold up just fine.

- Joe

[David E Keller]

Very nice pens, Joe, and congratulations on the gallery.

[Tim Rinehart]

All of the pens are beautiful, and that rose inlay is an especially stunning piece, but again, all are beauts.

Where do you get your pen kits. I've been thinking about doing a 'larger' pen than the slimline and am confused on that "postable" vs "non-postable" and such. What does all that mean, and any 'tricks' with the Jr Gent kits from one supplier over another?

Thanks so much, and again...just a superb job. I still have a hard time getting your feather pens out of my head. Probably what I'll always think about when I see your posts for a while.

[Joe Aliperti]

Thanks, Tim. That's really flattering.

I get most of my pen kits from Craft Supplies USA. Postable simply means you can screw the cap onto the opposite end of the pen. That gives the user more options, but in my opinion, the threaded endcap is not as attractive as the smooth endcap of a non-postable pen. So I make a variety. Here is a comparison between the two options:

Postable Jr. Gent:

http://www.silverlakewoodworks.com/images/pens/cocobolo_jr_gent2.JPG


Non-postable Jr Gent:

http://www.silverlakewoodworks.com/images/pens/amboyna_burl_jr_gent.jpg

[James Combs]

Great looking pens Joe. Good Luck on the show.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great looking pens Joe. One thing I have found with more than 5 or 6 coats CA will have a tendancy to chip some. I stop at 4 or 5 coats myself and have carried one for 2 yrs now. Looks as good as the day I made it. The wife has carried one in her purse now for about 2 yrs and it has chips on it. The other one she carries with 4 coats does not have any sign of chips. Just my humble opinion.

[Paul Douglass]

Some beautiful pens and the oak burl would be my number one pick. I will agree with Bernie, on the number of coats of CA. I use to do up to 10 coats, and although it was a nice deep looking finish, I noticed chipping after a while. Haven't had that problem with lesser coats. Congrats on you gallery, and wishing you much success.

[Karl Card]

first of all I AM JEALOUS... and you make me want to go to the shop and make something nice so all is good in woodland...lol

Those pens are absolutely wonderful. I am curious as to the lazer rose, did you do this or source it out?

Something else I wonder about on finishing is this, can you take and use several coats of lacquer to build up the depth, lacquer being pretty glass clear and then use a ca finish over that only after the lacquer cures?
That way you would have best of both worlds. I have a feeling it wont work but any thoughts would be nice also.

[George Morris]

Joe very nice work! Love the pens. I have a question I have found that I am getting some tear out when I use the barrel trimmer to take the blanks down to the brass insert . Any way around this? G

[Karl Card]

Joe very nice work! Love the pens. I have a question I have found that I am getting some tear out when I use the barrel trimmer to take the blanks down to the brass insert . Any way around this? G


I find that the barrel trimmers do not stay sharp long. I have gotten them from Penn state and also woodcraft.

A friend of mine sharpens his and it does a good job but I dont have sharpening experience to get it sharp and still have a flat edge...

[Michael James]

tearout began about the 3rd piece, so I just run a diamond card on the flat side all around and voila.... once again, sharp cuts cleaner. No problems since I started dressing it regularly.

Joe those pens are very nice. I have not attempted to sell any of mine although several people have suggested I should. It seems like a very saturated market, with the suppliers being the real winners. Best of luck, those are all keepers for sure!

[Derek Voigt]

Very nice pens, makes me want to do more... I have been too distracted lately!

[Joe Aliperti]

Thanks for the comments and finishing tips!


Joe very nice work! Love the pens. I have a question I have found that I am getting some tear out when I use the barrel trimmer to take the blanks down to the brass insert . Any way around this? G

George, I use a carbide-tipped barrel trimmer made by a member of the IAP. I've made over 60 pens without the need for sharpening. If you're interested in one, PM me.

- Joe