segmenting q's

Hello! I'm contemplating a segmented pen. It's a little complicated so I may do some practice runs with fewer elements all at once, but here's what I'm after...

On the bottom barrel, a sort of inverted, overlapping set of 3 V's (though if I only get 1 or 2 inverted V's I'll be happy). Somewhere further up the barrel (perhaps where the twisty part is?) a sort of "embattled" transition from the bottom color (dark) to the upper color (light)... something that looks rather like a square wave. Then in the middle of the top barrel a series of small diamonds (maybe 4 total all around the blank?) in purpleheart.

For the inverted V's (which I realize will only look right from the front and back of the pen) I assume I just cut the dark blank in a "V" shape and insert thin strips of maple (or maple veneer?), wash rinse repeat?

For the embattled part will I want to make something that from the top looks vaguely like a pinwheel? Alternating between the dark wood (to be decided yet) and the light (probably maple) wedges, probably 4 of each color just to keep it simple...

Can I drill the embattled slice before I glue it up to be sure I get good centering, or should I just glue it up and make sure I drill from that end of the blank?

For the diamonds I was thinking I'd have to cut the top barrel in half, then cut v-shaped notches into both ends, and glue back together. A good method for inserting the diagonal pieces is escaping me so I'm contemplating using a tinted epoxy or PR fill (sculpey? hrm...)

any tips for the budding segmenter (not to mention novice turner) would be appreciated!

-Rick (who notes that there is in fact both rhyme and reason to this particular pattern, and that it's @#%@ hard to reproduce a coat of arms on a pen)

You're attempting a project much more complicated than anything I've tried. My only advice is to try it with scrap materials first. If it works, great, if not, modify and try again. "wash rinse repeat"

Who knows, you may come up with something exceptional by accident. Many have.

rick_lindsey said:

contemplating using a tinted epoxy or PR fill (sculpey? hrm...)

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Rick, I would not recommend Sculpey or other polymer clays, they break down with time and body oils. Not a permanent medium for a pen, a great creative idea, though. Some people have tried it with a CA finish over the top, but I haven't heard any long-term results.

Kenny Mayes (ken69912001) has made some neat pinwheel type segmented pens: www.penturners.org/photos/index.php?n=3415

He has others with different materials and sizes. He is a very nice guy and can probably help you.

I have found that if I have a section of the segmentation that needs to be drilled through exactly in the center you are better off drilling that piece separately. Then when I glue the pieces to the brass tube I use 5 minute epoxy because it gives me some time to align the sections and then I clamp everything together to get a good fit and let it dry.

Good luck and please post a picture of the final pen.

hebertjo said:

I have found that if I have a section of the segmentation that needs to be drilled through exactly in the center you are better off drilling that piece separately. Then when I glue the pieces to the brass tube I use 5 minute epoxy because it gives me some time to align the sections and then I clamp everything together to get a good fit and let it dry.

Good luck and please post a picture of the final pen.

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This is what I do on my simple segments. Haven't gone beyond that yet.

I have tried this "crown point" approach that you are talking about with a set of 4 points. The lesson I learned while trying to perfect the segments is:

1. Accuracy is critical in aligning the four points.
2. Do not underestimate the "field" that makes up the part of the pen that contrasts your points. Make your points smaller, and allow the field to be larger (the nib end of most pens get pretty small, even on the cigar I tried, I wish I had used smaller points).
3. Get very thin veneers. A typical dyed veneer, like say a black dyed maple veneer is going to be thicker than you probably want (I used this on my Cigar attempt, and wished I had a thinner veneer to contrast it).


I dont really have any advice for the back of your design.

Play around with the design. I came up with some pretty cool designs that I had no intention of when I started, but the wood and segments have tricky ways of doing cool stuff when you turn them! Have fun!

New guy doesn"t want much, does he?!!!

Thanks for the advice, guys! I'll definately go check out kenny's pens. As far as the "crown point" goes, I'm actually looking for equal sized embattlement since that's how it is on the device in question. I'm glad to hear you can assemble pieces post-drilling on the tube... I've been contemplating how to ensure that my ends are absolutely square, I may need to build a jig for truing the ends on the belt sander or somesuch, that or use the pen mill and then turn each piece to the diameter of the mill before assembly .

I expect to go through numerous blanks (and maybe have a variety of "test pens") along the way, perhaps practice each element by itself until I've got it down.
If you aim for nothing though you're sure to hit it, right?

Any suggestions for a wood that's darker than walnut, but cheaper than ebony?


Oh, and I just checked out Kenny's pinwheel pen -- cool stuff! Thankfully what I'm wanting to do will be easier, I think, since the "center" of the pinwheel is in the end of the blank, and I'll be drilling a hole through it so it doesn't have to be so clean as Kenny's. Of course the downside is if I misalign that hole then my embattlements won't be even!


-Rick

Good luck, Rick! Post some pictures. please.