Vaughn McMillan
07-12-2006, 4:19 AM
Here are a few of my latest pens. Three of the four I have no idea of the species, so I'm hoping others can chime in here and edumacate me. ;) Pardon the picture quality...a photo booth is about midway down on my 'to-do' list.
Here's the group shot:
42565
This blank was unidentified in the sale bin at Rockler. All I know is the blank was waxed, and even though I thought I had dried it, the wood sure liked to clog sandpaper. I used a Berea Flat Top American double-twist kit, and following various hints and suggestions posted here on SMC, I was successful in getting the mechanism to work smoothly. It's finished with Mylands Friction Polish. Any ideas what type of wood it might be?
42569
This one is an unidentified burl out of the sale price pen blank bins at Rockler. I believe it might be Amboyna, but then again I used to believe in the Tooth Fairy, and we all know how well that panned out. In other words, I'm not sure what this really is. Whatever type of wood it is, it's on a Berea Flat Top American snap-top rollerball kit, also finished with Mylands. I made the mistake of buffing it after assembly, and I pulled most of the gold plating off of it:
42567
Next we have another Rockler sale bin Dunno Burl. It's another Flat Top American double-twist, and again, it went together without a hitch.The pic doesn't really show it well, but the finish on this one came out pretty nice. It has about four coats of wipe-on poly, then wheel buffed a couple days later. This one's a gift for the DJ at our wedding reception (who's also an attorney).
42568
This one I know is birdseye maple. It was a 'thank you' blank included with my order from Arizona Silhouette. It's in a PSI black titanium Mont Blanc kit, and finished with a couple coats of wipe-on poly, then buffed on a wheel:
42566
Any ideas on the unidentified woods? I'm also open to critique on my rookie pen-making technique I've finally learned to not completely trust the biushings for barrel diameter. I've started using the digital calipers in an attempt to get smoother transitions from wood to metal. Upon re-examining the pictures here, the black background really makes the center band look a lot smaller than the upper barrel in most of the shots. Honest, the tolerances are closer than they appear in the pics. (I just may have to re-shoot the pics, but it's late, so it ain't happening tonight.)
Thanks in advance -
- Vaughn
Here's the group shot:
42565
This blank was unidentified in the sale bin at Rockler. All I know is the blank was waxed, and even though I thought I had dried it, the wood sure liked to clog sandpaper. I used a Berea Flat Top American double-twist kit, and following various hints and suggestions posted here on SMC, I was successful in getting the mechanism to work smoothly. It's finished with Mylands Friction Polish. Any ideas what type of wood it might be?
42569
This one is an unidentified burl out of the sale price pen blank bins at Rockler. I believe it might be Amboyna, but then again I used to believe in the Tooth Fairy, and we all know how well that panned out. In other words, I'm not sure what this really is. Whatever type of wood it is, it's on a Berea Flat Top American snap-top rollerball kit, also finished with Mylands. I made the mistake of buffing it after assembly, and I pulled most of the gold plating off of it:
42567
Next we have another Rockler sale bin Dunno Burl. It's another Flat Top American double-twist, and again, it went together without a hitch.The pic doesn't really show it well, but the finish on this one came out pretty nice. It has about four coats of wipe-on poly, then wheel buffed a couple days later. This one's a gift for the DJ at our wedding reception (who's also an attorney).
42568
This one I know is birdseye maple. It was a 'thank you' blank included with my order from Arizona Silhouette. It's in a PSI black titanium Mont Blanc kit, and finished with a couple coats of wipe-on poly, then buffed on a wheel:
42566
Any ideas on the unidentified woods? I'm also open to critique on my rookie pen-making technique I've finally learned to not completely trust the biushings for barrel diameter. I've started using the digital calipers in an attempt to get smoother transitions from wood to metal. Upon re-examining the pictures here, the black background really makes the center band look a lot smaller than the upper barrel in most of the shots. Honest, the tolerances are closer than they appear in the pics. (I just may have to re-shoot the pics, but it's late, so it ain't happening tonight.)
Thanks in advance -
- Vaughn