Today's pens...

[stewart]

Hi all

A couple of firsts for me - here's my first acrylic blank. Quite different to turn - shavings kept jamming up the blank and mandrel so had to use the air gun to keep blowing everything clear. It's blue crushed velvet - and lesson no. 1 is to colour the brass tube black as it shows through on the thinner body section:

Next my first modified slimline - did away with the centre band so that I could go for a thicker mid-section without having to go back in for the centre band - yew and purpleheart:

The first pen has gone to daughter no. 2 and the slimline is no. 4 of 28 I'm making for leaving presents for my Year 11 English class - plenty of incentive to turn pens there!

Tomorrow, casting my own resin, all going well....

 

[Jenx]

Wow, Stewart... they're fab !
Doesn't that Yew/Purpleheart combination 'work well' !! 8)
Thats come out lovely !

Not being a 'pen turner' ... I've no real point of reference on the turning of acrylic.. but again, the pen there looks superb.

I am 'right taken' with the Yew one though... very nice indeed.
8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)


Edit : Just realised on 'second look' - just how well the black fittings work with the yew... if that was brass or a 'silver' look, it wouldn't be quite so effective.. Black was definately the way to go there ! ...
I really do like that pen ! Superb !

 

[gasmansteve]

Love the pens Stewart, got me wondering how easy/hard it would be to actually make your own blanks?. Can you melt acrylic and pour it into molds I wonder?? seems straight forward if you can but what do I know :?
Cheers
Steve

 

[CHJ]

Neatly executed Stewart, colour combinations of wood & fittings work well.

 

[stewart]

Thanks all - have to say I'm especially chuffed with the yew and purpleheart one.

I've been reading up on how to make the resin blanks - good information here:

Jay Pickens Instructions, Ribbon blanks, and for something a bit more detailed, Anthony Turchetta, and lastly, no pics, but lots of ideas for different effects, Richard Greenwald.

 

[The Shark]

Hi Stewart,
A couple of nice pens - I really like the yew/purpleheart one.
Year 11 will be well chuffed!

Malc

 

[PowerTool]

Both lovely pieces of work - love the vivid colour of the acrylic,and the timber combination in the slimline works well,giving it a real "warmth"

Andrew

 

[greggy]

nice pens stewart, i like the mod slim cos its got a nice shape to it and the c/band looks nice with it. great choice of wood too. is the acrylic overturned at the top of the c/band or is it just the photo. it still looks nice though. well done.

 

[mikec]

Hi Stewart, I've never tried making pens but I love the glow of the yew

Regards,

Mike C

 

[Gitface]

Hi

I'm looking forward to see how your own castings turn out.

Bit of advice though, make sure you do it in a ventilated area. The resin can smell a bit and irritate the eyes. Also don't go swimming after as the chlorine seems to have a reaction to the vapours as well, not that I know this from experience #-o

Were are you getting your supplies from out of interest?

I've dealt with these before and their prices seem good Click Here.

For colouring you can use pretty much anything really, I tend to use
acyrilic paint as thats what I had around.

although one tip is to mix the colour in before the catalyst as you can then let is stand to get all the air out.

You might want to get some Acetone for clean-up as well, works absolute wounders at getting the stuff off, even dry. I would make sure you don't get it near to cast blanks though as it will melt them. Also keep it away
from the catalyst as that can be BAD!

Nail varnish remover might work but it tends to be a lower concentration, as an aside, when I was looking to get some acetone I noted that a hair and beauty supply shop was pretty much on my door step, the acetone was a bit more expensive then the above shop, but it was local and I thought I'd support local business.

So in I go pick up a bottle and head to the counter, the man asks for my number. So I tell him that I don't have one, they only sell to business, so I ask how, planning to sign up with my own business and was told that you had to be in the hair and beauty trade, bring in a letter head and public liability insurance and that he couldn't sell the acetone because of it's hazardous nature.

Off I go home straight on the computer and order online for delivery. Some times I think people don't want business.

Mark...............

 

[stewart]

Thanks for the tips, Mark - and the supplier info.

I've posted progress so far in a new post.

 

[DaveL]

Stewart,

Could I join your class? :roll: :wink:

Nice pens, what do they call the finish on the slim line kit?

 

[stewart]

Thanks, Dave.

They are a very good value kit - £1.30 each, black enamel, from here