Four new pens
Tonight I turned a few new pens, playing with a variety of materials.
From Top to Bottom they are:
Myrtle: I tried some different shapes with this one, experimenting a bit to see what else I can do with the simple slimline pen shape.
Madrone: This uses the standard slimeline kit, but I got a Brass washer in place of the center ring. It allows me to turn it fat, in a cigar or rocket shape. The washer doesn’t fit perfectly though and moves around a bit, but still I am happy with the shape and the wood is very interesting, nice color and feel.
Canarywood: I couldn’t find much information on this wood in my books. I found a slab of it in the local hardware store, but no information on it at all. Nice color and grain though, nice and hard.
Bamboo: Yes, that’s right, bamboo. I love the feel of this, but it takes a light touch to finish it without tearing the long grained fibers loose. But it finished nicely, looks great, and best of all is a sustainable wood.
More experiments to come, including Dakota burl (sunflower seeds), Bocote, Teak, Cocobolo, and Purpleheart. I also have two dome-top classic kits that I’m going to be turning. (I think I’ll use the Cocobolo and the Bamboo for those two).
Fun stuff!
– badger
Technorati Tags: pens, green, bamboo, woodturning, sustainablilty
written by Badger • Permalink • Leave a Comment »
Merganser says:
Badger,
I like the fact that you’re trying new things with the pen turning, but… as a writer, I’d be put off by the top design (the myrtle pen). That knob on the business end of the pen would prevent extended writing periods due to severe discomfort to the first and middle fingers.
It might be better to add the decorative details to the top half, instead. In order to remain functional, I’d keep any variations of the bottom have to the slightest flaring (less than 1mm) just before the tip of the pen; otherwise, it starts to lose its functionality. From the end-user’s perspective, it doesn’t matter how good a pen looks if one can’t write with it for very long. Or rather, it matters only up until the point where your fingers cramp.
Merganser
(Woodworking draws some odd ducks (hehe), doesn’t it? Badgers and Mergansers…)
Tuesday, 7 March 2006 @ 1:20pm