New set I turned yesterday.

tom_k/mo · Post by **tom_k/mo** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 10:01 am

Had a couple premium Buckeye Burl pen blanks from PSI setting on the shelf and thought I'd give them a try. I turned this Parker style rollerball pen and fountain pen set with them. Pretty striking grain on the wood. Ended up with one inclusion on one of the blanks, so I gathered a little of the shavings from the blank and took some CA glue and filled it with that. Turned it down again and you simply can not tell where it was. I'm really pleased with how well it filled in.

[ATTACH]9141[/ATTACH]

cv3 · Post by **cv3** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 10:30 am

Those are great looking pens. Did you use a CA finish or a friction polish?

tom_k/mo · Post by **tom_k/mo** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 10:43 am

cv3 wrote:Those are great looking pens. Did you use a CA finish or a friction polish?

Thanks CV, I normally use EEE Ultra Shine and Shellawax Cream unless I'm working with some really pithy wood or something porous like a corn-cob. Then I'll use the CA glue.

mbcabinetmaker · Post by **mbcabinetmaker** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 11:16 am

Tom

I'm not sure which is better, your pen turning skills or your photography skills. Great looking work.

paulrussell · Post by **paulrussell** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 11:24 am

tom_k/mo wrote:Had a couple premium Buckeye Burl pen blanks from PSI setting on the shelf and thought I'd give them a try. I turned this Parker style rollerball pen and fountain pen set with them. Pretty striking grain on the wood. Ended up with one inclusion on one of the blanks, so I gathered a little of the shavings from the blank and took some CA glue and filled it with that. Turned it down again and you simply can not tell where it was. I'm really pleased with how well it filled in.

[ATTACH]9141[/ATTACH]

Funny -- I just got done reading a thread somewhere telling me how the Shopsmith was not suited for turning pens.

Nice job!!

rkh2 · Post by **rkh2** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 12:17 pm

Pictures are worth a thousand words!! What can I say - A big thumbs up!!!

tom_k/mo · Post by **tom_k/mo** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 1:44 pm

paulrussell wrote:Funny -- I just got done reading a thread somewhere telling me how the Shopsmith was not suited for turning pens.

Nice job!!

I've been told that too.

I will say though, now that I'm getting used to my pen-turning chisel set, I'm doing better still.

RobertTaylor · Post by **RobertTaylor** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:03 pm

great job on the pens tom. "shopsmith not suited for turning pens?" paul i have turned over 300 pens on my shopsmith. so i would scoff at any such claims. (i realize it is not your claim)

wlhayesmfs · Post by **wlhayesmfs** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 10:04 pm

I also have turned quite a few pens on my MKV and even on an ER so I don't think that a SS cannot be just fine for turning pens. Just get the right live center with the right degree point for a mandrel and not one for wood. Then you will be in business.

skou · Post by **skou** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 11:46 pm

paulrussell wrote:Funny -- I just got done reading a thread somewhere telling me how the Shopsmith was not suited for turning pens.

Nice job!!

Paul, you need to weigh everything you read on the internet with a pound (maybe a ton) of salt.

Someone once said, "if you get a million monkeys on a million typewriters, you'll eventually get Shakespeare." We now, (thanks to the 'net) know that's not quite true.

I've got a castiron version of the ShopSmith, (or 2) and except for ripping long stuff by myself, I can do ANYTHING I want.

Oh, turning is what I love the most.

steve