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| ©
2003 JES WoodCrafting, All Rights
Reserved. Article is reprinted with permission from JES
WoodCrafting |
Part 2... Turning the Pen blank
on the lathe
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Now
the fun part. The tool is rested on a - rest! My
left hand holds the tool underneath so that if it should get
caught in the spinning wood (the wood turns at you) and is
yanked down between the wood and the rest, it will
"pop" out of my hand, rather than pin my hand
between the wood and rest. The black port behind the
pen blank is my shop vac hose. Dust can be a real
problem, so it's important to trap as much as you can...
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Safety
in the shop is a must. The lathe spins at 3,000 rpm
and sends chips all over the place. A full face shield
is a must. When the shop vac is on, I also wear
hearing protection. Sleeves are either rolled up, or
are short. No loose clothing or jewelry.
Although the lathe has a good
safety record, you won't get a second chance if something
gets caught....
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After
we turn your pen to its final dimensions, we sand it using 6
grits of sand paper, from 150 to 800. The pen barrel
is then further polished using a fine compound.
At this point the wood actually shines even without polish.
To complete the finishing process, we coat the pen with 3
layers of an acrylic polymer, then buffed, then 3 layers of
lacquer and 3 layers of shellac and wax.
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Here's
what your pen looks like before it's assembled. The
gold parts are real gold (24k) plate. Our pens use Cross
Parker and Schmidt, refills available in any
office supply store.
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Your
pen is assembled using a pen "press". The
tip (called the nib), the cap and the twist mechanism are
press fit into the brass tubes which we glued in the
beginning.
Here, a Classic
"Americana" lower pen barrel is being assembled.
The ram (at left) will press the tip into the brass tube
which is inside the barrel (at right). This pen is
being made from Bocote wood.
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Voila!
Your pen is ready for a gift box and shipping (at no
charge).
This is a Classic
"Americana" pen, made from Bocote - ready
for shipping.
Hope you enjoyed the tour.
back
to part 1
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JES
WoodCrafting is a family-owned business located
in Southern New Jersey that crafts fine writing instruments
from exotic and native woods, acrylics and deer antler. |
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( Also see Wood
Pen Blanks ) |
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