WilliamCody Posted November 15, 2011 Posted November 15, 2011 We need an excuse? No, but it would all happen around a tree that has been converted to a candle-filled fire hazard. Plus, you wouldn't drink the same old tired beer, nothing but egg nog and spiced rum.
B-Large Posted November 15, 2011 Author Posted November 15, 2011 That's one of the reasons I started turning pens: my job at this point is mostly sitting around in meetings (have one in five minutes) being smarter than everyone else (sadly), with a time-frame of 18-24 months to see anything completed. It's nice to go home at the end of the day, and do something completely different and tactile, and have a tangible accomplishment after an hour or so. It's great producing a nice pen from a blank, right? I am not a turner, but perhaps in the future. I am finsihing and end table from a bunch of scraps I had sitting around, including some dining room table legs from a table I converted into a coffee table with storage. It blowns me away to this day I can take boards and turn them into functional furniture. I just finished the dovetails in the drawer, I have to say, pretty darn tight. I wish I had a lathe to spin the old finish of the legs, but I am going to Milk Paint the piece anyway.
DC Tom Posted November 15, 2011 Posted November 15, 2011 It's great producing a nice pen from a blank, right? I am not a turner, but perhaps in the future. I've got a beautiful piece of figured walnut at home that I used part of for pen blanks (it's really not big enough to be used for much else, frankly.) Took me four tries to get it to not crumble completely apart (ended up putting the chisels aside after rough-turning it, and finishing it with a rasp). The final result, though...awesome. I know a custom jeweler in town who does nice CAD/CNC work; I'm seriously considering designing my own parts (tip, cap, center ring, clip) and have him machine them out of semi-precious metals, and maybe craft something that can compete with Mont Blanc and such. Anyone want to spend $300 on a cocobolo and palladium fountain pen?
B-Large Posted November 15, 2011 Author Posted November 15, 2011 I've got a beautiful piece of figured walnut at home that I used part of for pen blanks (it's really not big enough to be used for much else, frankly.) Took me four tries to get it to not crumble completely apart (ended up putting the chisels aside after rough-turning it, and finishing it with a rasp). The final result, though...awesome. I know a custom jeweler in town who does nice CAD/CNC work; I'm seriously considering designing my own parts (tip, cap, center ring, clip) and have him machine them out of semi-precious metals, and maybe craft something that can compete with Mont Blanc and such. Anyone want to spend $300 on a cocobolo and palladium fountain pen? If you could make them unique enough, there is probably a market for it. I was in Crested Butte CO for an art festival this summer, and there was turner that did peppermills..... custom painted, they were very, very slick- standards inerts, but he custom truned the bodies. They were selling for 45-$100 a shot with no precious metals that I could see..... he said he had done will at the festival..... so you never know
Chef Jim Posted November 15, 2011 Posted November 15, 2011 If you could make them unique enough, there is probably a market for it. I was in Crested Butte CO for an art festival this summer, and there was turner that did peppermills..... custom painted, they were very, very slick- standards inerts, but he custom truned the bodies. They were selling for 45-$100 a shot with no precious metals that I could see..... he said he had done will at the festival..... so you never know Please talk this to the "Topics too Boring For Real People" Forum. [This has been an automated response]
B-Large Posted November 15, 2011 Author Posted November 15, 2011 Please talk this to the "Topics too Boring For Real People" Forum. [This has been an automated response] Does it make you uncomfortable, maybe even hot, when guys are talking about their "wood?" is that why you want this exciting topic moved?
Chef Jim Posted November 15, 2011 Posted November 15, 2011 Does it make you uncomfortable, maybe even hot, when guys are talking about their "wood?" is that why you want this exciting topic moved? I don't know about you newbie but that DC Tom...he's one hot cookie.
DC Tom Posted November 15, 2011 Posted November 15, 2011 I don't know about you newbie but that DC Tom...he's one hot cookie. Well, given my stellar personality, you'd hope I make up for it with looks. Nope.
B-Large Posted November 15, 2011 Author Posted November 15, 2011 I don't know about you newbie but that DC Tom...he's one hot cookie. yeah, he's a real sweetie-pie, for an old guy Well, given my stellar personality, you'd hope I make up for it with looks. Nope. They call you "Mr Personality" for a reason then, huh?
DC Tom Posted November 15, 2011 Posted November 15, 2011 They call you "Mr Personality" for a reason then, huh? Yes. Irony.
Chef Jim Posted November 15, 2011 Posted November 15, 2011 Well, given my stellar personality, you'd hope I make up for it with looks. Nope. I think you've "known" me long enough to know that !@#$s are my thing. Wait...no....what??
Cinga Posted November 16, 2011 Posted November 16, 2011 I've got a beautiful piece of figured walnut at home that I used part of for pen blanks (it's really not big enough to be used for much else, frankly.) Took me four tries to get it to not crumble completely apart (ended up putting the chisels aside after rough-turning it, and finishing it with a rasp). The final result, though...awesome. I know a custom jeweler in town who does nice CAD/CNC work; I'm seriously considering designing my own parts (tip, cap, center ring, clip) and have him machine them out of semi-precious metals, and maybe craft something that can compete with Mont Blanc and such. Anyone want to spend $300 on a cocobolo and palladium fountain pen? Excellent!!! To plagiarize a movie, "build it, and they will come!" Ha!!! But don't sell yourself short. Obviously your not gonna get 300 a pen, but darn, don't they make great gifts?? Have you tried laminating up some stock yet for turning? Since you have some walnut, try gluing it up with some maple for instance, and blend the 2 together in you turnings. They don't have to be even, in fact, it's best if they aren't, but 2 contrasting woods make that pen jumping off!!! It's great producing a nice pen from a blank, right? I am not a turner, but perhaps in the future. I am finsihing and end table from a bunch of scraps I had sitting around, including some dining room table legs from a table I converted into a coffee table with storage. It blowns me away to this day I can take boards and turn them into functional furniture. I just finished the dovetails in the drawer, I have to say, pretty darn tight. I wish I had a lathe to spin the old finish of the legs, but I am going to Milk Paint the piece anyway. Dovetails? Did you use a jig, or cut them by hand? Through, box, 1/2 blind?
B-Large Posted November 16, 2011 Author Posted November 16, 2011 Excellent!!! To plagiarize a movie, "build it, and they will come!" Ha!!! But don't sell yourself short. Obviously your not gonna get 300 a pen, but darn, don't they make great gifts?? Have you tried laminating up some stock yet for turning? Since you have some walnut, try gluing it up with some maple for instance, and blend the 2 together in you turnings. They don't have to be even, in fact, it's best if they aren't, but 2 contrasting woods make that pen jumping off!!! Dovetails? Did you use a jig, or cut them by hand? Through, box, 1/2 blind? I do half blind dovetails up front, and full dovetails in the back. I can cut them by hand and get decent results (it really is an art to get good.... I have seen guys cut fast dovetails by hand that fit perfect... it is amazing, but they have been doign it for 30 years), but I prefer using my bandsaw to cut the tails with a tapered jig, tranfer the tails to layout the pins, and I have a jig to rout them and clean then up with a chisel. I get 90 degree tails, and more consistent cut. I wish I could say this process was my brain child, but I got it from Fine Woodworking Issue 219. I may consider getting a dovetail jig cutter at some point, they are pretty slick. But for the pace of work I do, the bandsaw, router and chisel are just fine and produce good results. I like to think the bandsaw/router/chisels is still craftsman, even though it is not tradtional.
IDBillzFan Posted November 16, 2011 Posted November 16, 2011 I do half blind dovetails up front, and full dovetails in the back. I can't help but wonder what the dovetails think of this.
3rdnlng Posted November 16, 2011 Posted November 16, 2011 I can't help but wonder what the dovetails think of this. Maybe he's self conscious over the tranny thing and hopes the ones he does up front can't see very well?
IDBillzFan Posted November 16, 2011 Posted November 16, 2011 Maybe he's self conscious over the tranny thing and hopes the ones he does up front can't see very well? It is, after all, a half-blind dovetail, so who knows.
B-Large Posted November 16, 2011 Author Posted November 16, 2011 I can't help but wonder what the dovetails think of this. They find it romantic, from the front or behind..... Like Andrew Dice Clay used to say: Your face, your a$$, what's the difference I can stick in either, just get it done.
DC Tom Posted November 16, 2011 Posted November 16, 2011 I do half blind dovetails up front, and full dovetails in the back. Sounds suspiciously like the description of some weird sort of new age mullet, like A Flock of Seagulls meets Billy Ray Cyrus.
Cinga Posted November 17, 2011 Posted November 17, 2011 (edited) I can't help but wonder what the dovetails think of this. I'm not a dovetail, but I feel I know them well enough to answer this.... A dovetail will only question whether your hiding something by going into the process half blind... Whether you will go all the way, and through with your dovetail... Or if you'll get stuck and have to box your tails.... Edited November 17, 2011 by Cinga
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