I’ve always wanted to make a pen with this wood

[mmayo]

Finally I bought some great, figured desert iron wood. My typical 16 coat CA finish.

 

[Monty]

Gorgeous wood. Great job.
DIW is one of my favorite woods but figured like that is even better.

 

[mark james]

Stunning pen Mark. When you find a DI blank like that, it rivals much more noted timbers. Excellent.

 

[egnald]

Very Cool and Attractive. Ironwood from the Sonoran Desert is one of my favorites, but of course I have many highly figured favorites like Cocobolo, Bethlehem Olive, and of course many burls like Rocky B's redwood, along with Rambutan, Sindora, and of course Ambonya. - Dave

 

[sorcerertd]

I've been wanting to try desert ironwood myself, but I definitely don't need more blanks. Doesn't mean I won't buy some, though.

 

[Dalecamino]

Beautiful pen Mark.

 

[RGVPens]

Awesome pen Mark! Sixteen coats, wow. Could you break that down please? How many coats of which CA thin/medium, what do you start with, micro mesh, polish? Always looking for the next best finishing technique to take my pens to the next leval. Thanks!

 

[mmayo]

Awesome pen Mark! Sixteen coats, wow. Could you break that down please? How many coats of which CA thin/medium, what do you start with, micro mesh, polish? Always looking for the next best finishing technique to take my pens to the next leval. Thanks!

I sand with 400 grit dry sandpaper laterally
Sometimes I use a gray scotch brite after that
Denatured alcohol cleaning
Let dry
500 rpm spinning lathe
With a tiny blue towel I apply thin 5 cps EZ Bond CA
Repeat three more times
Spray lightly with Stickfast accelerator
Apply thin 50 cps EZ Bond (pen finish) with a small blue towel
Spray lightly
Repeat three more times
Reverse lathe
Apply four more coats of thin 50 cps CA just like before spraying lightly after each coat
Reverse lathe
Apply two more coats spraying after each
Let spin for 2-3 minutes to cure
If you can wait 1-2 hours to completely cure
Sand with 400 grit dry sandpaper laterally
Sand with gray scotch brite pad
Buff on the first two buffs in the Beale buffing system
Check for scratches under bright light
Admire your finish

No medium ever on pens.

 

[RGVPens]

I sand with 400 grit dry sandpaper laterally
Sometimes I use a gray scotch brite after that
Denatured alcohol cleaning
Let dry
500 rpm spinning lathe
With a tiny blue towel I apply thin 5 cps EZ Bond CA
Repeat three more times
Spray lightly with Stickfast accelerator
Apply thin 50 cps EZ Bond (pen finish) with a small blue towel
Spray lightly
Repeat three more times
Reverse lathe
Apply four more coats of thin 50 cps CA just like before spraying lightly after each coat
Reverse lathe
Apply two more coats spraying after each
Let spin for 2-3 minutes to cure
If you can wait 1-2 hours to completely cure
Sand with 400 grit dry sandpaper laterally
Sand with gray scotch brite pad
Buff on the first two buffs in the Beale buffing system
Check for scratches under bright light
Admire your finish

No medium ever on pens.

Thanks Mark!! I do have a couple of questions. If all you use on pens is thin CA...what is the " 5 cps, 50 cps " ? I have some Stickfast thin and mainly use GluBoost now, didn't see those numbers on either label.
And my lathe, Turncrafter Commander, only goes one way...can't reverse.

 

[mmayo]

Thanks Mark!! I do have a couple of questions. If all you use on pens is thin CA...what is the " 5 cps, 50 cps " ? I have some Stickfast thin and mainly use GluBoost now, didn't see those numbers on either label.
And my lathe, Turncrafter Commander, only goes one way...can't reverse.

EZ Bond CA glue comes in many viscosities from 5 cps thin to 1000 cps extra thick. I have in stock two called thin: 5 cps and a thicker 50 cps. EZ Bond sells the 50 cps CA called "pen finish". I also use medium 300 cps etc for rings and other projects. I use thick for gluing in shave brushes and Ruth Niles bottle stoppers.

I do not think Stickfast thin is exactly like EZ Bond Thin. I used it and gave up on it. I do not have any Stickfast CA and probably never will.

With the Turncrafter, stop the lathe and flip the pen 180 degrees. It will be kinda like reverse.

I did not drink the gluboost kookaid yet.