At Doorgunner's request...

LB75PlayerJanuary 7, 2009

I thought I would do a quick step by step (some steps have been omitted due to the boredom factor...) of how a chunk of wood becomes a pen.

First up, the anatomy of a pen. Shown in this pic are the loose pen parts, and the blank prior to turning. This is not the same pen I turned tonight, but this is how they all start.

Next, the blank has been cut, drilled, tubes glued in and squared and now ready for turning.

Now to the pen I actually turned tonight. This is a pic of the before and after of the turning. One of the things I love most about doing this stuff is seeing what comes out of a piece of wood as you're turning it.....

And the tool that did it (insert joke about me not being in the picture here....)

Next up shows the blanks after being sanded to 12,000 grit. Yes, I meant 12 thousand....

With the finish of friction activated varnish and wax applied....

All the parts before assembly...

The finished pen...

I did discover during this turning that I have a problem with my lathe that needs to be fixed. The drive centers are not perfectly aligned, so my turnings are turning out slightly oval. You can actually see the effect of this oval turning in the picture with the finish applied. Time to go to Woodcraft and see how to fix it.

If you're interested, I'll be posting pics tomorrow of the green pen that is in the first two pictures. I'm just waiting for the epoxy to dry before I turn it.

Comments (14)

pearly_54·Jan 7, 2009, 12:23 PM

Very nice. I took a woodworking class many moons ago. I made an octagonal end table from raw red oak. It was fun. Sanding it was hard work! That end table still exists at my daughter's house. You could throw it off the back of a truck, watch it bounce several times, and it would not have a scratch! How do I know? That's what happened to it at one time. Oh, yeh, I want on of those pens! Impress my nurse friends.

Devonsangel·Jan 7, 2009, 12:30 PM

Very Cool!

Bawbuster·Jan 7, 2009, 1:55 PM

Awesome!!! I think you need to sign up for the show \" How its made\" \r \r I tried to make a bird feeder once, it was so bad the birds tried to sue me for negligence!!!!\r \r Great work!! Thanks for sharing

Walladog·Jan 7, 2009, 2:31 PM

Thats really cool LB! I wish I was handier. I always wanted to make things on a lathe but knowing my limitations...Im sure it would end with a trip to the hospital.\r \r Could you work on a Harry Potter style wand for me by the 09 LAN? I would like to use it to make jello shots disappear.

cookieklr·Jan 7, 2009, 3:11 PM

@ Walla...honey, you don't need a wand to make them disappear...they recognize strong magic of an alcohol master...they'll just magically disappear for you by thought. ;)\r \r @LB..that is really cool, LB. Can't wait to see how the green one turns out!

JeepChick·Jan 7, 2009, 3:29 PM

This is really freaking awesome.

Lbsutke·Jan 7, 2009, 4:37 PM

I am dumb, so please forgive this question.\r \r What is the green stuff? Is it wood? Is it some type on plastic?

Lbsutke·Jan 7, 2009, 4:38 PM

oh and if the green stuff is wood. WTF kind of wood is it that is green and looks like plastic.\r \r If you tell me it is green wood, I will remove your ballsac at the next lan, with a spork...

millfire517·Jan 7, 2009, 4:41 PM

man you outta think of selling these for some profit. id be interestedin one of those

LB75Player·Jan 7, 2009, 6:07 PM

@Jeep and LB, the green block is a cast acrylic resin, basically it's a plastic. It also smells terrible when drilling, turning, sanding it...

VenomRudman·Jan 7, 2009, 6:09 PM

That is so cool!

AutumnRocks·Jan 7, 2009, 10:35 PM

That is sooo cool, LB. Seriously, you need to sell them. I know Walla is first to get one, because he is an alcohol master, and others will be behind him...but, as a writer and lover of pens in general, I totally need a friggin cool pen like that! Hint hint wink wink. So sell them! \r \r :D P-P-Please?

doorgunnerjgs·Jan 8, 2009, 3:15 PM

Sorry I missed this blog until now! That is some really cool stuff. Are the collets at each end ot the blank when mounted on the lathe how you keep track of diameter you are trying to acheive, or are you using calipers to check as you go? Is there a particular store you go to or order from for the pen parts?\r \r See the more you show, the more questions that arise.\r \r Thanks for remembering my request! And keep up the good work.

hilskie·Jan 20, 2009, 5:18 AM

Yeah, I agree with Autumn...if you decide you're gonna sell these things...I want in... :) VERY nice job LB!