Gentlemen's fountain pen

[Frank Fusco]

I don't usually post matters relating to penturning here as I belong to two penturning forums. But my most recent pen has caught my fancy and I thought I would share here. This is the full-sized Gentlemen's from Craft Supply in rhodium finish and is a fountain pen. The wood came from my woodturning club monthly drawing and was a pile nobody else wanted. It was spalted oak burl. I had it stabilized and shown is the result. The kit is straightforward to turn and assemble (if you read the instructions first :rolleyes: ). I finished with four coats of spray Deft laquer waiting two to four hours between coats and sanding with 8000 and 12000 Micro Mesh before applications. Final polish was with Turtle Wax scratch remover and my trusty old hunk of wool blanket material.

[Lou Ferrarini]

Frank,

Very nice pen. Amazing what some folks want to get rid of.

Question - How do you get wood stabilized? Is it possible to do it yourself?

[Travis White]

Nice pen Frank. Lou, click here (http://content.penturners.org/articles/2004/polyurethane1.pdf).

[Bernie Weishapl]

Frank that is a beauty. Nice job.

[Frank Fusco]

Frank,

Very nice pen. Amazing what some folks want to get rid of.

Question - How do you get wood stabilized? Is it possible to do it yourself?

My stabilizing technique is very simple. I mail to a friend in Texas who does it for nothing. :) Actually, I plan to start doing my own. I'll use an old pressure cooker and a brake bleed tool. There are many 'secret' formulas for stabilizing but I'll probably go with the simplest, plexiglas dissovled in acetone. Travis has good set-up in his tutorial.

[Frank Kobilsek]

Frank
I think I could stabilize blanks with poly in my wife Seal-a-meal? It has a lid for fruit jars or with a little experimenting I bet the bags would work. I think the hard part of the bag would be knowing how much poly to put int he bag.

I must admit she caught me one Saturday last year going to the garage with here Seal-A-meal. My plan was foiled so I haven't tried it yet. I don't think its been used for food since I took that scolding so maybe I should try again.

Is this a good idea or will she start talking about putting me in adult day care again?

Frank

PS: I am only 46 years old but it has come up before that I made need full time supervision.

[Martin Shupe]

Very nice pen, Frank, as usual.

I've never tried to stabilize wood, but the link was most interesting.

[Keith Christopher]

WONDERFUL Pen !!!! Love this kit so much. Can't wait to see more !

[Corey Hallagan]

Cool pen Frank! I love the wood..something you don't see everyday. Very nice.

Corey

[Curt Fuller]

Very nice pen! I like how you photgraphed it too.

[Frank Fusco]

Frank
I think I could stabilize blanks with poly in my wife Seal-a-meal? It has a lid for fruit jars or with a little experimenting I bet the bags would work. I think the hard part of the bag would be knowing how much poly to put int he bag.

I must admit she caught me one Saturday last year going to the garage with here Seal-A-meal. My plan was foiled so I haven't tried it yet. I don't think its been used for food since I took that scolding so maybe I should try again.

Is this a good idea or will she start talking about putting me in adult day care again?

Frank

PS: I am only 46 years old but it has come up before that I made need full time supervision.

We all need full time supervision. :rolleyes: The trick is avoiding it. I turned 68 yesterday and the family has simply given up on me, my tactics have worked.
I have never stabilized, always had it done by others. From the pen forums I have learned there are many techniques. The starting method for many is to simply soak pen blanks in Min-Wax hardener. Some had used the seal-a-meal thingy with varying degrees of success. A gallon pickle jar and a vacuum sucking gizzy attached to an air compressor is probably the most popular. Personally, I'm kinda hincky about using a glass jar for things that require vacuums or pressure. I've been criticized for my idea of planning to use a pressure cooker for vacuum stablizing. Some say since it is a "pressure" cooker a vacuum will cause it to fail and implode. To which I respond "baloney". They are sturdy and the vacuum is only in the 20 to 26 pound range. A problem is that one cannot see the wood inside the pot. I don't view that as a problem, a little shaking occasionally should immerse all the wood. As for formula, I'll experiment using plexiglas scraps in acetone. Getting the right consistency is the trick.

[Frank Fusco]

Very nice pen! I like how you photgraphed it too.

Thanks, Curt
Most of my pen and small object pictures are taken on a rock wall just outside my shop. Often I'll use different colored felt squares for background, sometimes just the rock. On that day the naturally falling 'fall' leaves presented an opportunity. I just laid the pen next to the leaf and shot away.

[Keith Burns]

Great pen Frank:) :)

[John Miliunas]

Well done, Frank and thanks to all for the additional stabilization info! :) :cool:

[Erik C. Hammarlund]

...I've been criticized for my idea of planning to use a pressure cooker for vacuum stablizing. Some say since it is a "pressure" cooker a vacuum will cause it to fail and implode. To which I respond "baloney". They are sturdy and the vacuum is only in the 20 to 26 pound range.

You're partially right.

It almost certainly won't implode. And even if it did, it's metal (so it wouldn't shatter) and it's not super high pressure, and imploding is safer than exploding though less fun to watch :D

However, in many pressure cookers, the seals won't work. They're designed to seat using the pressure differential (higher pressure INSIDE the pot). So this idea may not pan out as you hoped. (drum roll, please, for the "pan" pun!)

[Frank Fusco]

You're partially right.

It almost certainly won't implode. And even if it did, it's metal (so it wouldn't shatter) and it's not super high pressure, and imploding is safer than exploding though less fun to watch :D

However, in many pressure cookers, the seals won't work. They're designed to seat using the pressure differential (higher pressure INSIDE the pot). So this idea may not pan out as you hoped. (drum roll, please, for the "pan" pun!)

I got the pun. :p If it in-leaks, I'll just seal the spot. I think the safety blow-out might be the only weak link a pressure cooker, that's easily enough plugged up.

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Now this is one great looking classy pen!!:) Good work!:)