Shopsmith Forums

fredsheldon wrote:That's why most of my pens/letter openers are going to be gifts. I am having brass plates engraved with something like "Made Especially for XXXXX XXXXX by Fred Sheldon" that I will attach to a nice wood case. There are 25 Adults in my immediate family that will be receiving these gifts for Christmas this year. Hopefully they will keep them in the family and pass them down to their kids.

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Have you considered laser engraving the wood case instead of a plate? Woodcraft is the (a) place.

JPG40504 wrote:Have you considered laser engraving the wood case instead of a plate? Woodcraft is the (a) place.

JPG, the trophy shop suggested that option. I will be dropping a case off today and will ask them to give me a price and determine if the top of the case is thick enough to engrave. Thanks for the suggestion. I like it.

Fred

They should be able to engrave. People have pens laser engraved and then fill with a solid material to provide contrast prior to final finishing.

JPG40504 wrote:Have you considered laser engraving the wood case instead of a plate? Woodcraft is the (a) place.

So, which do I do, engraving the wood case or sticking on a plate. Can't make up my mind. Which would you rather receive. Thanks in advance for your suggestions, I need to order 30 to be made up.
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I vote for engraving the wood.

My experience is that engraved plates cost more AND eventually come unglued and fall off leaving glue residue behind. No such problems when the wood is engraved and I think it looks more elegant with the wood engraved.

Just my opinion but it's what I do for mine.

So...after a long and arduous period of head scratching, I may have come up with an idea to make this work... let me know what you think....

I will start off with a light wood (white oak or maple) and a dark wood (cherry or walnut)and machine strips of each that are .250 wide and about .125 thick. These would be edge glued together with titebond waterproof ww glue. Now I will have a strip that is .500 wide that I will soak in hot water for a long time (not sure how long yet...advice?)

Now comes the tricky part... I'll take this soggy strip of wood and wrap it around a 7mm mandrel. Clamp on one end and twist the strip around the mandrel keeping the edges lined up to each other without any gaps. Clamping the coiled wood to the mandrel periodically to keep it from moving or loosening up.

When the clamped assembly dries completely, I figure I can remove it from the mandrel and insert brass pen tubes. To glue the coils together I'm thinking thin CA glue would flow through the spiral...gluing the edges together and adhering the helix to the brass tube at the same time...

From here it would simply be a matter of trimming any excess from the ends of the blanks and turning as normal...but with freshly sharpened tools to alleviate the chance of the tool grabbing and suffering a traumatic blowout.

So, there be the plan which of course it works out flawlessly in my mind!
Please offer any opinions and/or poke holes in the plan...you guys won't hurt my feelings

Thanks in advance!
Geo

Geo, sorry I side tracked this thread. Yes, your plan sounds uh, sound

I had some blowouts with my sandwiched blocks so that would be a concern.

Please keep us posted with updates as you move forward.

Fred

I vote for engraving the wood. It looks richer.

Fred,

I don't mind at all that you may have side tacked the thread... I appreciate your posts!

In...and btw, I vote against the majority...I prefer the plate to the engraved wood.

I'll keep you posted on the barber pole pen concept,.. when its NOT 130 degrees in my shop.
:-)

fixit wrote:I vote for engraving the wood.

My experience is that engraved plates cost more AND eventually come unglued and fall off leaving glue residue behind. No such problems when the wood is engraved and I think it looks more elegant with the wood engraved.

Just my opinion but it's what I do for mine.

I agree that the plates might come off after many years so I'm leaning towards the engraving. I do like the contrast of the plates however.
Fred