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Matt Ressner
10-08-2007, 9:13 PM
It has been a while since I have posted but I have been keeping up on all the other posts. Thanks for all the good info. We just moved to the Indianapolis area and I just set up my shop. I tried my hand at a couple of pens for the 1st time. The Black one is acrylic and the wood is Indian Red Wood (I think). Both turned out good except the finish could have been more glassy. Both were sanded to 2000 grit and the wood was finished with Behlen's Woodturners finish. Any suggestions on a more glassy finish would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Brad Hammond
10-09-2007, 12:26 AM
great start matt!! pens are something that you will turn and turn and turn no matter what path you find in this crazy vortex! look great!
Dean Thomas
10-09-2007, 1:10 AM
AWRIGHT!!! Very nice work. What sort of finish did you use?

And now that you've made sure you can turn pens, you're ready to go take part in a Freedom Pens Project event. There are lots of folks and lots of retailers who will be turning pens for the US troops stationed in the Middle East. If you're in Kansas City on either 11/10 or 11/17 (and maybe on 11/3!!) there are events where you can turn lots of pens! :)

The pen on the left in your picture seems to be built on one of the SlimLine variant kits. The design you used is probably the most common, and probably exactly what the kit designer really intended. I did a ton of them as gifts in my first years turning. About 3 years ago, I was drinking coffee in a friend's shop while he made pens on the SlimLine kit, and NONE of them looked like that! My brow knit, the corners of my mouth went down...:confused: "What's THAT???" It was a holier than thou moment, but that bubble got burst really quick. His pens were VERY attractive, and he only said three words that said it all, "Outside the box."

Revelation! Go looking for SlimLine Pen ideas. Makes me shake my head and cluck my tongue! "Gibson Girls", beads'n'coves, small top, fat bottom for my old fingers, tiny V-grooves to help folks "get a grip". About the only limitation is put on the design by the use of the clip.