I think I may be learning a bit about taking pictures of small items, at least I hope so.  It certainly seems to me that the pictures I took of this Blue Illusion Cigar Pen came out well.  I took them outside using natural light.  Actually, the pictures I took of the Curly

Blue Illusion Cigar Pen

Koa Cigar Pen in the previous post were taken at the same time, also outdoors.  At least I am taking pictures of my work now.  I used to be bad about making the pens, but not taking photos or even writing down the materials I used to make it with.

This pen actually uses my favorite material for fittings and that is Black Titanium.  It really doesn’t show up as being anything other than chrome, but there is a darkness about it that makes it more attractive, at least to me, than the shiny chrome finish.  Both finishes are extremely hard wearing and will last a long time,  with Titanium coming in as being harder than the Chrome, but both are good choices for finishes.

I used micro-mesh to polish this pen out and took it to 12,000 grit.   I’m not sure, (and I’m really not willing to try) but I think that 12,000 would actually be fine enough to take scratches out of my glasses.  It certainly polished this pen out to an incredible shine and really shows a depth that tends to make me want to look at my pen rather than write with it.

Jake

Add to Technorati Favorites

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Yes!  The Curly Koa Cigar Pen has been Completed! I will get it listed on Etsy sometime later today.  After a complete do-over on the top finish, the result is very pleasing, well, at least I am pleased with it.  I did realize what caused the problem in the first place though, or at least I realized what I did different the first time than I normally do.

After applying BLO to the blank and letting it soak in and the surface dry out, the CA is

Curly Koa Cigar Pen with Black Chrome Fittings

applied.  I always use the same paper towel I used to apply the BLO which gives me a lubricated applicator.  This smooths the CA out very well and doesn’t leave it pooled and ready to drip.  The first time I applied the CA I used a new paper towel which didn’t give me the same smoothness I am used to acheiving.  I learned my lesson.  At least I did for now, as I am sure I will forget again sometime and have to redo another pen.

You can see the curl in the photo here, but one thing that is very hard to see in a photograph is the chatoyance of the wood.  When held in your hand and looked at in the light, the wood virtually comes alive with pattern and light.   It is this characteristic  of wood that really caused me to fall in love with turning pens in the first place, and I wish there were some way to capture it in a photograph.  If you have ever looked at a check with a reflective watermark and seen how the watermark disappears as it is held at a different angle to the light, then you have seen in a small way how the wood can have a depth so deep you feel you could put your hand in it.  But I digress. . .A cigar in blue illusions acrylic is next and it’ll make your eyes pop too!

Jake

Add to Technorati Favorites

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

This just really has not been my week for finishing pens. I am working on a Cigar Pen in Curly Koa (a really pretty piece too I might add), and had finished turning it on Tuesday and started applying finish.

I put on a coat of BLO (boiled linseed oil) and came back with a coat of CA (cyanoacrylate or super glue) which gives the pen a really hard wearing finish which is needed to protect the pen from the natural oils present on our fingers.  Normally, I use three coats of CA then polish it out using about 9 progressively  finer grits until it is like glass.

I went out this morning to put on the final coat of CA when I found that I had evidently left a drop on the pen with the previous coat.  That meant I had to sand that section back down to the wood to get rid of the drop.

So, instead of finishing this Curly Koa and starting on a new acrylic blank that I have ready to go, I will be re-finishing this one.  Oh well, such is life.

Jake

Add to Technorati Favorites

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

I don’t know what happened, oh look!  A sparkly, but I guess I got sidetracked and managed to put off finishing the pen I was working on.  More about that later, but right now, I just wanted to post a picture of this Cigar Pen.

Amboyna Burl Cigar in Black Chrome

If you are not familiar with Amboyna wood, it is a beautifully figured wood from Southeast Asia.  The burl is absolutely gorgeous.

Just looking at the hits I get on Etsy, the Cigar style Pens seem to be the most popular, and for years it has been the one I carried myself.  I have started carrying a Sierra style lately, but that is probably just because it is a new style for me and I want to get a feel for how it writes and feels in the hand.  So far, it has been exceptional.

In just the past several years there has been a tremendous growth in not only the quality of pen kits available, but the variety of available styles and finishes as well.   Not to be left in the lurch, there has been an incredible upsurge in the variety of acrylic blanks available to the turner as well.  More colors, more styles, more kits, higher quality. A great time to be turning pens!

More About this Pen. . .

Jake

Add to Technorati Favorites

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Occasionally there are days when it just doesn’t do to get out of bed.  Today was one of those days.  I went out this morning and put a final coat of CA on the Cigar Pen I was working on and went back a couple of hours later to start polishing it out.  I found out the hard way that it was still wet.  I got a big smudge in the body that I ended up having to sand back out. . .all the way to the wood, so now I get to start over with the CA and hopefully this time I won’t get in such a big hurry.

On an unrelated subject, I have been reading up on the Thesis 1.5 template for WordPress and am hopefully learning a little something anyway.

Jake

Add to Technorati Favorites

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Welcome to the Penpoint. I am going to try and make some regular posts here to let folks know what I am getting done. Hopefully it will serve to keep me motivated and active working in the shop to make new and interesting pens to post about.

Lately, I have been working on Sierra style pens, mostly in acrylic, but I have also done one in Curly Koa (which I am currently carrying as my pen of choice) and Curly Mango. They are all available for viewing at my shop at http://www.thepenpoint.etsy.com well, all except the one in my pocket right now.

Yesterday, I ordered a few kits and supplies yesterday and got started on four new Cigar style pens. One in Amboyna Burl, one in Curly Mango, a Blue Illusion and Gold Copper acrylics make up the four. The kits I ordered are click Sierra style; 2 each of black chrome pen, pencil and 2 copper pen. I am looking forward to getting these and getting started on them.

Just a word about Beartooth Woods where I ordered these. My first purchase of Sierra pen kits coincided with me getting my new lathe (which I love) and starting back to turning after quite a while of not making any pens or working in the shop at all. I got in a hurry and managed to blow out a couple of pen blanks, so I have mechanisms and fittings for a few pens but the tubes aren’t exactly pristine. At any rate, I ordered some replacement tubes. The tubes I ordered are not the same tubes used in the click version so when Ernie was getting my order ready, he called to verify that I was really wanting the tubes I ordered online. You just don’t find that kind of service in many places anymore. Thanks Ernie!

Well, that better be enough for right now as I need to get some things done and also want to get out and get those blanks trimmed up so I can start turning them. Till next time -

Jake www.thepenpoint.etsy.com

Jake

Add to Technorati Favorites

Bookmark It

Hide Sites