Our Adventures with Freedom Pens.

[Betty Fox]

Hey all,
Ron and I are turning fifty Freedom Pens and wanted to keep you all up to date on the progress and maybe add some pictures later. We received the pen kits on Thursday of last week June 23rd and started gluing in tubes that night. Ron and I had already cut the blanks the night before. The blanks are parts of an old walnut bed that we bought at auction last year. We split them up and they make excellent pen blanks. So we are using recycled lumber. It's weird because some of the blanks are almost pine in color although it's all walnut material. As of today, we have twenty finished pens and it has been an absolute blast. If you get a chance, turn some Freedom Pens. They go together easily with minimal instructions. I haven't even lost any pieces yet.
Pics tomorrow.
Betty Fox in Mulino, Oregon. (currently covered in walnut dust and lovin' it.)

[Harvey M. Taylor]

Yes, our club does that occasionaly, so does Woodcraft sponsor a turning. I even got a reply from a soldier I sent one to, Actually it was in a group, but he received it. Max

[David E Keller]

That's neat, Betty! It's a great cause, and you're having fun too... You can't beat that.

[James Combs]

WOW great show... ahhh...errr... wait a minute... hmmm no pictures... yeah a reread says pictures later but the rules around here are "No pictures - It didn't happen."

Seriously Betty, Freedom Pens is a great cause, and we are waiting anxiously for photos.

[Jim Burr]

Thank you for your efforts Betty!! My son will be the recipient of a pen soon! While in Haiti, our security detachment was the 82nd Airborne...nice guys to have on your side in a disaster zone! Several of them had their pens. Once they found out I had made dozens of them (I keep pic's on my phone of projects) I had a whole family of new friends!! I was brought to tears more than once by a getting a big, meaningful hug from a solider for something as simple as a pen. Our strike team was very well taken care of!
In the last year, I've passed on the materials to a friend’s high school shop class in the Midwest. I send them the materials and they make and send the pens. We have found that to be an enormous source of satisfaction...high school kids usually have/know a family member/friend that is in the service. You and Ron are good folks!!

[Betty Fox]

199567Ok I got some pictures of the before and after.199566

That's my little jet mini with the bed pieces on it and the other is a finished pen. We are up to twenty five. The other twenty five are half walnut and half either maple, cut offs from a bowl I have no idea about, and purple heart.
I'll post a picture of those when I get some done.
Too fun!!!!

[Keith Outten]

Everyone please keep making Freedom Pens, we still have a ways to go before all of our sons and daughters are back home.
.

[Tim Thiebaut]

Very nice Betty, and its very nice of you to do this! I have yet to make any pens, but I think this cause is a good reason for me to give it a shot.

[Betty Fox]

Tim,
You couldn't find an easier kit to make up. It's a perfect first pen to try plus the recipients are very worthy. I come from a whole long line of military folk and know the sacrifice they make to be our soldiers. More pics later.

[Betty Fox]

199642Ok here is a picture of the two-color pens although this one is paduk and maple not the walnut. This one turned out great because Ron told me a secret about getting the pen super straight. You turn the blank down to almost the bushings then use a block of wood with sandpaper on it to sand it down even with the bushings. Nice and straight pen. Thanks Ron!!!

[Betty Fox]

199790
From left to right: paduk/maple, purpleheart, and an all curly maple pen. I particularly like the maples. I'm down to only ten pens to turn :(. This has been fun.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Very nice work Betty ... and for a great cause! I really like the curly maple - beautiful stuff!

[Betty Fox]

Well we shipped off the Freedom Pens to Virginia today. I was kinda sorry to see them go. My lathe has worked harder this week than the whole time I've had it I think. The funny thing is I'm not a pen turner normally. Ron is the pen turner of the house. I usually go for larger projects. I had to move a bowl off my lathe to turn the pens. I'm glad we did it though. I have only turned three pens before this endeavor and Ron always glued my tubes in the blanks. Imagine me sitting at the dining room table with a hundred tubes to glue up. I guess there's nothing like diving straight in to the deep end of the pool to make you appreciate another person's work. There were two tragedies but Ron showed me how to un-assemble a pen. It's a VERY useful skill. Thanks to Jackie Outten for setting this up. It was great fun!!!!

[Michael James]

Kudos all around on a great endeavor! Sounds like you're getting fully entrenched in the vortex. Congratulations......:)