my first pen

my first pen · 11-05-2009, 08:52 PM

wish i would have sanded a little finer and put a better finish on it but i couldnt wait to finsh one. all in all a very fun project.

View image in gallery

PChristy · 11-05-2009, 09:09 PM

Great job Walt

- how far up did you sand and what finish did you use

WDHTRIM · 11-05-2009, 09:21 PM

i only sanded to 400 and skipped some grits that im out of.

then put on 2 coats of laquer with a rag while still on lathe at slowest speed. this was just to see if i could do it so i wasnt real worried about wasting the $1.50 kit. although i did use purple heart.

now ill start making some real ones.

im hooked!!!

MrAudio815 · 11-05-2009, 09:24 PM

Good Job on your First pen. Can't see it very clearly though.

If your camera has a flower picture taking mode try that, it will zoom it better to smaller items.

Is it Walnut or Purple heart??? Hard to tell

PChristy · 11-05-2009, 09:28 PM

400 hundred is good but if you can go higher that would even be better - I have went up to 800 and now that I have the MM set I will go even higher - I have not used lacquer but on a few of my first ones I tried semi gloss poly but now I use the Shellawax friction polish - some guys don't like it but if you put 3-4 coats on the pen it should hold up fine - also a few of us use the CA finish - It will hold up even better and I like the looks of it as well - oh make sure you sand with the grain after each grit to get those scratches out - some guys do some don't

ScottM · 11-05-2009, 09:31 PM

I go all the way to 1500 grit. Nice first pen.

WDHTRIM · 11-05-2009, 10:12 PM

thanks guys. i cant help the picks i broke my camera at bnike week and havent replaced it so my cell is all i have to work with. i order the micro mesh this morning should have it the first of the week for the next set of turnings. thanks for the tip on sanding i wondered why your stuff looked so scratch free. sanding around it really went against everything i thought i knew about woodworking. how does the ca finishing process work?

PChristy · 11-05-2009, 10:24 PM

Walt I couldn't find the thread that I thought was here to explain the CA application but here is a you tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54VkKcFRSWQ

hope it helps

boxxmaker · 11-05-2009, 10:50 PM

Be carefull,for whatever you do,you don't wanna ruin one of those high dollar pen kits

Hey you gotta better start than I did,OH YEAH,I fergot,I ain't got started on one yet

Originally Posted by WDHTRIM

i only sanded to 400 and skipped some grits that im out of. then put on 2 coats of laquer with a rag while still on lathe at slowest speed. this was just to see if i could do it so i wasnt real worried about wasting the $1.50 kit. although i did use purple heart. now ill start making some real ones. im hooked!!!

kmcardle · 11-06-2009, 12:00 AM

Originally Posted by WDHTRIM

wish i would have sanded a little finer and put a better finish on it but i couldnt wait to finsh one. all in all a very fun project.

View image in gallery

Walt - That is a great first pen. I'm pretty sure my first pen had waaay mooore scratches in it, and frankly I think the tip fell out a week later. I was still hooked on turning out pens. I give them as presents at Christmas and to all my new clients (real job). I hope you keep turning. I have a ton of fun seeing what kinds of shapes I can put on the pens to make them feel more comfortable. Give it a try.

Thanks for the pictures and the post!
Kevin

WDHTRIM · 11-06-2009, 12:30 AM

thanks guys ill post some more/better pics after i finsh the other two pens i have kits for tomorrow.then im off to find more kits im hooked and what a great inexpensive and yet classy xmas gift!

and thanks for the link phillip that looks like a great finish. i wouldve neever thought of ca glue as a finish. wonder why it dont stick the paper to the pen? it sticks everything else!!

Canuck · 11-06-2009, 12:38 AM

Nice work, Walt!

You may want to try a couple of coats of Mylands friction polish as a finish as well. I sand all of my pens to 800 grit (don't skip grits though!), then hit it with micro mesh to 12000. Add some Mylands and it will look really nice. I did a few pens for relatives last spring and they were all thrilled with the gift and have said that the finish has held well.

(Cigar pens are also fun and you have more wood to look at when your done plus less danger of blowing out the tube (got too thin on me with the slimlines!

)

Thanks for sharing the pic and I look forward to seeing more!

Wayne

WDHTRIM · 11-06-2009, 01:28 AM

btw the only tool i have that is close to sharp is a 3/4 roughing gouge so thats what i used to turn this pen

but ill get the rest sharp at the woodturing meeting next thursday

then ill try some nicer stuff but i thought it turned out pretty good all things considered(wrong tool wrong operator wrong finish

) gald you all agree im pumped to turn out a bunch of these types of minnie projects (pens,pencils,stoppers,keychains,ornaments,maybe even a few perfume bottles for those smelly folks on my xmas list

) over the next few weeks.

PChristy · 11-06-2009, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by WDHTRIM

i wouldve neever thought of ca glue as a finish. wonder why it dont stick the paper to the pen? it sticks everything else!!

Another great wood working mystery

I think that it is from the BLO - not sure

sawduster · 11-06-2009, 11:16 AM

Good job bro

I am another babe-in-the-woods pen turner and I have quickly learned that sanding is everything !
i go to 600 initially using DNA between grits . I can start at 220 since I've learned to handle the skew

MM to 12000 , stopping to sand lengthwise after every grit and DNA
I have used the mylands friction polish, I've used lacquer ( rattle can Deft ) and i have tried CA ( tough to master

)
With the lacquer and CA I also MM the finish ....getting better at that
woodturningz.com is where I have been getting my kits and they sell a Mylands sample kit which is 1 oz of the sealer, 1 oz of the friction polish and a small piece of the wax ....I don't really care for the wax

could be I just don't know how to use it
good chance to experiment without spending a lot of money

I am already sold on the Mylans cellulose sanding sealer ....that is great stuff

I also practice finishing on scraps and off cuts . No need for a mandrel, just chuck it between centers, turn it down to a pen size and practice finishing

Go ahead and pad your butt .....you're gonna slide faster and faster now and you will never again look at small pieces of wood the same way

pS ; I've also learned how to turn the wood off and reuse the tubes when I screw it up ( which is often

)