My First Time.. Keep it Clean...

[Craig Matheny]

Well I finally did it Saturday my first pen let alone first item ever turned, Looking for an AA meeting for Turning Soon. The picture is bad cell phone it is Maple and Purple heart that was supplied by one of your fellow turners. This took me about 20 minutes to turn once I was set up, I used the tools I got with my shop smith 3/8" gouge and that was it and some 400 - 1500 sand paper could not find the skew so need to look not sure I got one, then I finished it with CA 3 coats sanding in between coats then wax on the finish Turned out ok at that point. I remember a lot of information on the assembly of the pen and that instead of a pen press use one of the blue jaw clamps with the ratcheting handle to tighten. Well I put the tip on the pen no issue then had to figure out the middle piece (transition ? that holds the ink cartridge) then it went south trying to press that in it slipped sideways flew across the shop bent the tube and well you get the picture. So I picked it up saw the tube bent cracked the wood and I did what everyone else would do too the clamp and pressed the side in and glued it back together. So there I was my first pen and not able to push it together so I took a regular screw clamp and tried again bingo I found the pen vise that works for me. Finished putting the pen together and the rest is history. I am now trying to figure out when I can turn the next one.

I know the picture is not the best but I do have a question on finishes I would like to get a nice tough shiny finish any advise and is the way I did the CA correct?

Any suggestions or advise would be appreciated

[Betty Fox]

Good first try. The clip end of the pen needs to be turned smaller near the bushing. I have a terrible time with that too. It sounds like you did the CA job just right.
Good going.

[Jim Underwood]

Wow. Neat disappearing pen trick....
;)
Seriously, I'd love to see the photo. I think any penturner has few stories we could tell about learning to turn pens...

Keep going. You'll learn to avoid the pitfalls as you go.

[Craig Matheny]

Just re loaded the picture

[David E Keller]

Nicely done! Congrats on taking the first step on the slippery slope!

[Betty Fox]

When you get here:
206843
you'll be far too deep to drag yourself out of the vortex.
That's just the pen blanks Ron has categorized. Many, many, individuals laying around as well.
:P
Betty

[Bernie Weishapl]

Nicely done on a first pen. The first of many.

[ray hampton]

I agree with the other posts that the pen are nice

[Craig Matheny]

I have a 10 x 20 A/C shop just for my wood toys... now it is full of a ton of junk started tossing out stuff so I could make the pen. Trash day is Tuesday so more to toss out soon.:)

[Jim Burr]

Good job Craig:D!!! I'm coming up on 1200 pens in about 8 years and I still go through what you did sometimes. Transmissions in Slimlines are touchy...you only have about 1/32" to play with the depth:eek:. I have a jig around here somewhere, but I haven't made a Slimline in 5 years. CA is a great finish...sand to 600 and apply it fast and at high speed. I put it on 6 bottle stoppers I finished this morning and you can't beat it. 4-6 coats and your good. I have 3 Tupperware bins under my bench with about 3000 blanks. If you need some, let me know!!

[Keith Westfall]

If you are going to be serious about this (and you will be, since you have just turned the first of many) a pen vise for putting the pen together will save you lots of headaches. There are many ways to do it from clamps, vises, drill presses etc, but the pen vise works very well, and gives you much more control with inserting tips, barrels, and end caps. Money well spent!

Then when you get it, mount it someplace solid and permanent so it's easy to use. I mounted mine vertical on a short stub wall and it's great.

Good luck with keeping your head above water from now on... :eek: :D

[James Combs]

...(transition ? that holds the ink cartridge)...

Any suggestions or advise would be appreciated


That's a good looking pen. Keep em coming.

BTW the twist mechanism is generally refereed to as a "transmission" or just a "twist mechanism.

For me a drill press is a better suggestion for use as a pen press instead of a clamp. Just chuck up a piece of hard plastic in the drill chuck and lay another piece of hard plastic on the drill press table then use the drill press handle to press the pen parts together. To make sure they go together straight cut 2-3 inch piece of 2x4 with a 1/2-3/4 inch dado in one end across the 3 or 4 inch length or side. Stand it so the dado is vertical, hold your pen part(s) in the dato and position them under your drill press and press away. This will help hold the pen vertical and avoid the scenario you described.

An arbor press is something you might want to consider later. I purchased a small one for myself and made the vertical dado device out of a piece of UHMW. The upper press arbor and the lower surface(table) are also UHMW.

I have tons (well maybe its pounds but anyway) of reclaimed UHMW and nylon. Drop me a PM with your address if you like a couple pieces to use in your press.

[Chris Barnett]

If you can swing it, consider an arbor press to assemble the pen parts (from HF) which can do other stuff as well. To me the arbor press is more controllable which can prevent over-insertion of some pen components. Cannot comment on the CA since I cannot see the pen closeup. And while you are at HF picking up your arbor press, buy digital or vernier calipers so you can match your turned wood part diameters exctly to your pen parts....exactly so your fingernail cannot discern the seam. Atta boy on using two colors...you will be so excited when you do your first sap and heartwood mixed burl blank. You're hooked :D. Pens make nice Christmas gifts too and there is a large range of material costs, so you can consider just about everyone.

[Billy Tallant]

Nice job on the 1st pen Craig! I like the two tone effect.

[Ronald Fox]

It is funny. We have been making two tone slimlines for a while, and really like the appearance. But the two tone just doesn't seem to look as good on some of the other pen kits. It must be that both parts of the slimline are the same size. All I know is the cigars, european and classics look like you are using a replacement wood, where the slimline looks like you intended to use two kinds of wood, lol.

Ron

[Sid Matheny]

Great first and there is no turning back now, you are hooked!;)

Sid