My first Jr Gent

[Steve Busey]

Tried my first Jr Gent (Titanium) tonight. First blank was a blowout; second try was a beaut!

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The first blank chipped at the end while roughing it down. Is there anything you pros might try to salvage it, or should I just toss it in the pile of misfit projects? (tried to find the missing chip, but it's nowhere to be seen)

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Thanks for looking...

[Gerold Griffin]

Great looking pen Steve, looks like a pro job to me! Keep thinking about trying a pen myself but really would not knmow where to start. Keep up the great work.

[Jon Lanier]

I think it looks really nice. As to your blow out... I'd either ditch it or try to save the barrels. Unless you remembered to purchase extra barrels or can just run to a store and get them. I've got to kits without barrels... I keep forgetting to order extra's when I order pens.

[robert hainstock]

It is so frustrating as to where those chipouts go. Depending on how long the chip out is, cut it out and add a differant drilled pieceto that end, or fill with colored epoxy. :eek::eek::)
Bob

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great looking pen. Well done. On the cracked piece I have found unless it is a special piece I just do away with it. You can save the barrels by putting it back on the lathe and turning off the broken piece off the barrel. That way you have you can use them again.

[Tim Thomas]

Nice looking pens. You turner folks are going to talk me into a lathe one of these days...

I don't know anything about turning, BUT, could you save the blown out pen by turning off the rest of the blown out section down to the tubing (or maybe just sawing it would be safer). Then you could cut a small piece of complementary material, drill it, and cover the exposed tube. You could use black and get a two tone type look going that might not be half bad. I'm attaching an image that I worked up to try and show what I'm describing. If this sounds nuts, feel free to ignore this post. :D

**EDIT** It appears that this is what Robert has already suggested. DOH! I gotta learn to read more carefully...

[Daniel Heine]

Steve,

Very nice looking pen. The Jr. Gent II is one of my favorite pen kits. I bought the bushing set designed specifically to be used turning dead center to 60 degree live center from a gentleman over at penturners.org, and it is amazing the differnce it has made for me. Very nice.

A couple of tips for turning acrylics:

1. Do not start your cut at the end of the blank. Start in the middle and work your way to the end. Repeat for the other side.

2. Make sure your tools are very sharp. Once the blank is round, make light cuts at the the same angle as the bevel on your gouge.

3. After the blank has the corners knocked off, and it is round, put away your roughing gouge, and start using a spindle gouge. Very light cuts. You should be making VERY thin strings that resemble easter basket grass.

I learned the hard way, wasting many blanks before I became educated. Many here will tell you to use the skew. I have yet to master the skew, but I'm working on it!! LOL.

Good Luck,
Dan

[Steve Busey]

If the red blank was not swirled, I might have tried putting another piece on it for the two-tone effect, but I don't think it would work in this case. I also didn't like the blank because of holes or "mesh" in the ribbon swirls. Found another supplier of those colors with no holes/mesh, so I think I'll just turn off the old blank and reuse the tubes. Thanks, guys!