gordonfraser
Member
Hello all,
I'm new here, from Scotland and I've been turning for the past 2 months.
I'm an ex model maker for what used to be one of the UK's largest architectural practices and am a product designer by education/hobby. Not currently fulfilling my education at the mo as I had to find another job due to the architectural practice going bang.
So anyway, my life isn't so bad and I now have the time to turn in the evenings instead of working my ass off for pittance.
I digress...
We're getting married on the 10th of November this year - 10-11-12 - and my fiancee and I have made pretty much everything for our wedding bar the kilts and her dress. All the bouqets, button holes, kilt-pins etc have been made by us and we've taken so much pride in being able to make all these things. So when I decided to make my brother's kiltpin and as a result bought a lathe, I never imagined I would ever be turning pens - but I stumbled upon the IAP and the rest, as they say, is history.
Went from a mandrel to TBC because of some pretty duff oval barrels. I made some Polaris pens and as I ran my finger over where the wood meets the metal once assembled, there was a lip at 2 sides and a ledge at the other. Bad news. So I got myself a 60* dead and live and I've never looked back. My pens are now perfectly cylindrical and I feel so much more pride when it goes right than getting all the way to finished pen and it's just not right...
So my wedding pen is made from a Timberbits.com Pristina Rhodium Titanium Gold kit, absolutely fantastic service from David and beautiful kits. It's absolutely crazy that it's cheaper to get my kits from the other side of the world - Australia - than the UK but I'll go to David every time than go to Axminster or other places that sell overpriced kits.
I've used a Timberbits.com Opal Pearl blank and I spent a good chunk of the time getting a lovely sweep on the main barrel and getting the finish absolutely flawless. I hope you'll agree, it's beautiful.
I'm really interested in kitless but after the splurge of summer 2012 with lathes, parts, accessories, kits, blanks lalalalalalala, I want to at least remain married for a few weeks...:biggrin: I'll get the taps, dies and FP parts next month hahaha
I love this hobby. I love how amazingly accomplishing it feels. I write with a fountain pen every day now. I love it, I love looking down and thinking I made that. Brilliant stuff.
Great forum, great pictures and advice. Thanks to the hundreds of people who have bestowed advice that I've read and learnt by. My latest stumble was drilling my blanks on my lathe and the drill bit wobbling about. I thought, why not get the skew out and face the blank off, and what do you know? Perfectly centred, perfectly round holes. It's a wonderful experience, and as I said, amazingly accomplishing.
2 weeks to go till the big day and I can't wait!
Thanks again and all the best
Gordon
My wedding pen:
I'm new here, from Scotland and I've been turning for the past 2 months.
I'm an ex model maker for what used to be one of the UK's largest architectural practices and am a product designer by education/hobby. Not currently fulfilling my education at the mo as I had to find another job due to the architectural practice going bang.
So anyway, my life isn't so bad and I now have the time to turn in the evenings instead of working my ass off for pittance.
I digress...
We're getting married on the 10th of November this year - 10-11-12 - and my fiancee and I have made pretty much everything for our wedding bar the kilts and her dress. All the bouqets, button holes, kilt-pins etc have been made by us and we've taken so much pride in being able to make all these things. So when I decided to make my brother's kiltpin and as a result bought a lathe, I never imagined I would ever be turning pens - but I stumbled upon the IAP and the rest, as they say, is history.
Went from a mandrel to TBC because of some pretty duff oval barrels. I made some Polaris pens and as I ran my finger over where the wood meets the metal once assembled, there was a lip at 2 sides and a ledge at the other. Bad news. So I got myself a 60* dead and live and I've never looked back. My pens are now perfectly cylindrical and I feel so much more pride when it goes right than getting all the way to finished pen and it's just not right...
So my wedding pen is made from a Timberbits.com Pristina Rhodium Titanium Gold kit, absolutely fantastic service from David and beautiful kits. It's absolutely crazy that it's cheaper to get my kits from the other side of the world - Australia - than the UK but I'll go to David every time than go to Axminster or other places that sell overpriced kits.
I've used a Timberbits.com Opal Pearl blank and I spent a good chunk of the time getting a lovely sweep on the main barrel and getting the finish absolutely flawless. I hope you'll agree, it's beautiful.
I'm really interested in kitless but after the splurge of summer 2012 with lathes, parts, accessories, kits, blanks lalalalalalala, I want to at least remain married for a few weeks...:biggrin: I'll get the taps, dies and FP parts next month hahaha
I love this hobby. I love how amazingly accomplishing it feels. I write with a fountain pen every day now. I love it, I love looking down and thinking I made that. Brilliant stuff.
Great forum, great pictures and advice. Thanks to the hundreds of people who have bestowed advice that I've read and learnt by. My latest stumble was drilling my blanks on my lathe and the drill bit wobbling about. I thought, why not get the skew out and face the blank off, and what do you know? Perfectly centred, perfectly round holes. It's a wonderful experience, and as I said, amazingly accomplishing.
2 weeks to go till the big day and I can't wait!
Thanks again and all the best
Gordon
My wedding pen:
