My very first Pen!!

[Jarod Michaels]

I finally acquired all of the necessary items to turn pens. Actually, I have been collecting pen blanks for some time (~ 4 or 5 years), in anticipation of starting this fun hobby. Today I turned my first pen. It is a slimline version using a leopard wood blank. I attempted a CA finish but it didn't turn out as well as I thought. I sanded the blank to 600 grit. I also sanded it with some 3M polishing paper. It goes from 30 micron to 1 micron, but I wasn't too impressed with it. I think I will pick up some of the sanding pads which go up to 12000 grit, as I think they will produce better results. I also need to pick up some CA accelerator because I think it will help produce a better CA finish.

I decided to start a journal documenting each pen I turn. I think that it will be fun to look back at some point in the future and see how my skills have progressed.

Overall, for my first attempt I think it turned out pretty well. It took me about an hour from start to finish. I could have spent more time on it but I had to leave to build a pirate ship and I wanted to show it off to the people I was working with.

Here are a couple of pictures I snapped with my cell phone. They are compressed so that they are more viewable on the web, so sorry about the quality.

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[Roger Chandler]

Welcome to the VORTEX, Jarod...........hang on, it is a wild ride! :D

[Steve Schlumpf]

Very nice work - especially for a first! Looking forward to watching your progression turning pens! Have fun!

[Andrew Kertesz]

That's a good looking start down the slippery slope. Most people to my knowledge do not use accelerator when doing a CA finish. Check out the IAP website dedicated to turning pens and information. While there are many amazing and experienced turners on this site the IAP site has a wealth of information as well. Have fun, and hold on to your wallet...

[Jim Underwood]

Good job on your first. You've got a graceful form, and looks like a good fit up between hardware and your wood.

How many coats of CA did you apply? I recommend at the bare minimum, 5 coats.
Did you wet sand it, or dry sand it? I recommend wet sanding the CA, starting with 600 grit, and wet sand all the way up to 12,000 grit.

I hear tell that you can use a shortcut, and use that abrasive cream... white diamond? I've always used the micromesh pads to get that glass like shine... so I don't really know about that product, but I've seen turners get good results with it.

And be careful and sparing with the accelerator, it can leave white lines in your finish...

[Charles Bruno]

Good job! My first pen was full of newbe mistakes, I keep all of my first attempts on anything I turn..its fun to see how much you have progressed. I just started using the ca glue it works great, use the micro-mesh it produce's a smooth and bright shine. Your pen looks good... the fun has just begun, hold on to your wallet!!

[Jon McElwain]

Welcome to Sawmill Creek! I like your pen kit/wood combo. They look really good together. Like others have said, turning is a slippery slope - but you'll really enjoy the ride!

PM me your e-mail address and I'll send you a paper on CA finishes for pens. It's a good tutorial that might help work out the kinks.

Your journal idea sounds really good. I might just have to start taking notes on lessons learned in my turning. I know I have repeated mistakes before!

Building a pirate ship huh? Sounds sketchy.......:eek:

Jon

[Carl Civitella]

A lot better then my first. Carl

[Billy Tallant]

Pen looks nice Jarod! That is a nice job for your 1st pen. Be ready to spend some money now. Pen making is addicting.

[Joe Kieve]

Good job on your first pen Jarod. I'm embarrased to show my first. It's a great, fun hobby....keep turning!

joe

[Rob Price]

I'm only about 10 pens ahead of you, so take my advice with a grain of salt. I have a love/hate relationship with CA glue at this point. I love how it looks when it comes out right, but I hate how many times I've had to start over in the process. If you look around the web, you'll see heated discussions on what type of paper towel to use, for and against accelerator, and with or without BLO... very much a Ford vs Chevy conversation. I think there's as much art to finishing as turning and each has to find his own comfort with it. I will say I've abandoned it for dense/oily exotics- just too much headache. I sand those to 12000 micro mesh, oil and buff and leave the 'bare wood' feel which I find very appealing. I use CA only on softer, less oily woods primarily now. But some people love the shiny finish on everything. I worry about it dulling over time, but CA seems to hold up really well from what I've heard.


I've had good success at using thin CA applied with a nitrile (powder free!) glove (a trick someone told me about here). A very light (step back from the lathe and just a tap on the spray) use of accelerator between each coat. I read somewhere that many problems people have with CA finish is not letting each coat dry completely before the next so I use a quick spritz between coats. Medium will build faster, but take longer to dry, and I get ridges with Medium. Too much accelerator and you can cloud the finish. The other option is to be more patient between coats, but I'm not good at patient…

I agree with Jim's comments. I wet sand with a product called 'wool lube.' I picked it up along the way for rubbing out a lacquer finish. A drop of the stuff in a 12 oz bottle of water creates a watery/soapy mixture that works very well with the micro mesh. keeps it cool and keeps the finish from caking up and ruining the sanding pads.

Great looking pen, my first was a bit of a disaster (the thread is around here, not that long ago) and had to be re-turned, re-finished, and re-assembled multiple times. The best part, though, even my 'ugly' pens get oohs and ahhs from my non-turning friends who find it incredible that I 'made' a pen. They make great gifts, and many folks make good money off them.