Pen Blank Ornaments

[Curt Fuller]

These ornaments are made from 3/4" x 3/4" x 6" penblanks. The ball part is segmented.
Koa with Mango stripes and Kiowe finial and icicle..
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb319/clfuller1_2007/KoaKiaweMango.jpg
This shows the size..
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb319/clfuller1_2007/KoaKiaweMango1.jpg
Lychee with Mango stripes, Lychee finial and icicle
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb319/clfuller1_2007/LycheeMango.jpg

[michael gallagher]

very nice idea and good looking end product

[Steve Schlumpf]

Love your designs Curt! Very nice work - as always!

[Joshua Dinerstein]

These ornaments are made from 3/4" x 3/4" x 6" penblanks.
Wow. Simply fabulous!

Now that is an interesting idea Curt. Did you use the pen blanks just for the finials/icicle? Or did you come up with a way to use them for the ball part as well? I am quite curious as I bought a ton of pen blanks, 154 actually :D, to try exactly thing. Making icicles and ball ornaments for this coming holiday season. Would love any tips and pointers you are willing to share.

Thanks!
Joshua

[Rasmus Petersen]

Kurt just to know :-) do you glue up the penblanks complete or leave som room in the middel when you manke the ball..

[Jon Lanier]

Good looking project!.... What are the angle you used for the bulb part? did you have to vary it for the splice?

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great looking ornaments Curt. I was going to ask to what angle do you cut bulb?

[Curt Fuller]

Thanks everyone. The ball part is made from a segmented pen blank. I cut them with a power miter saw, 22.5 degrees for 8 segments, 15 degrees for 12 segments. They're just a basic ring that most segmented pieces are made from. The stripes are thin strips also cut from pen blanks on a bandsaw. I cut the segments to a point but the when you glue in a strip for the spacer it leaves about a 1/4" hole in the center. But that doesn't matter because I drill the center out to 5/8" anyway for the finial and icicle tenon to glue in. I also hollow them a little to lighten them up. The 3/4" - 1" thick pen blanks are about perfect for a small ornament.

[Joshua Dinerstein]

I cut them with a power miter saw, 22.5 degrees for 8 segments, 15 degrees for 12 segments. They're just a basic ring that most segmented pieces are made from.

Ok. now perhaps it is just me but I have this mental picture of a comedy skit I saw once from Tim Allen. "Why do we listen to a shop teacher who's missing fingers?"

If you have a 6" long blank that is 3/4" to 1" wide I am just not seeing to how to saw it safely. Of course perhaps I am envisioning the wrong tools. I have a 10" compound miter saw. so perhaps that is where I go astray. What kind of a power miter saw do you use and how do you use it safely? I would love to try this but I also fully intend to keep all 10 fingers. :)

Care to fill in a newb who just isn't getting it?

Thanks!
Joshua

[Curt Fuller]

Ok. now perhaps it is just me but I have this mental picture of a comedy skit I saw once from Tim Allen. "Why do we listen to a shop teacher who's missing fingers?"

If you have a 6" long blank that is 3/4" to 1" wide I am just not seeing to how to saw it safely. Of course perhaps I am envisioning the wrong tools. I have a 10" compound miter saw. so perhaps that is where I go astray. What kind of a power miter saw do you use and how do you use it safely? I would love to try this but I also fully intend to keep all 10 fingers. :)

Care to fill in a newb who just isn't getting it?

Thanks!
Joshua

Well Joshua, I still have all my fingers. But maybe I'm just lucky. I hesitate to get into safety because I am NOT a skilled wood worker and haven't had much training in the safety end. But what I do to cut the segments is I first set the angle on the saw (Dewalt compound power miter), then I take a scrap of 1x2 pine about 18" long and clamp it to the saw on both ends to the saw backstop. I then lay the pen blank against it and cut the end at the angle, cutting through it and the pine. That creates something like a 0 clearance table saw insert so the small segment doesn't fall into the blade and shoot across the room. I then mark on the pine where to line up each segment and cut them. I admit that when you get to the last couple cuts your fingers holding the blank are close to the blade. If you don't feel comfortable doing this and feel it's unsafe then DON'T DO IT! I'm not endorsing this as safe, I'm just answering the question.

[Tony Wheeler]

I has just started cutting segement blanks for oraments I took an old allen wrench and gule it to a broken broom handle ( next time my wife asks for the broom I guess I won't ask her if she needs to go to town) and use it to hold down the small pieces close to the blade so good so far

[Dave Halter]

I know this is an old post, but I'm playing catch up after being out of town for a while. Based on the discussion on using the mitersaw to make these ornaments I wanted to share this "jig" I got from a member of our local woodworking guild. It is used to hold small pieces while cutting on the mitersaw. I made mine out plywood scraps I laminated together. Of course, it can be resized to fit your purposes.

[Don Carter]

Curt:
Here is a link to a cutoff sled for a bandsaw to cut pen blanks that I copied. I think you could set it up to cut any angle that you want. It sure is safer than the miter saw. DAMHIK ;) Btw, that is a beautiful ornament. I love your work.
All the best.

Don
http://content.penturners.org/articles/2004/cutoffsled.pdf

[Gary Herrmann]

Very nice work, Curt. Now if I can only find the time, they'd make great gifts.

[Allen Neighbors]

Truly nice work. They'll enhance any tree!

[kevin loftus]

Very nice Curt, and a great jig tip Dave. :cool: