I have been saving pocketwatch parts for months now, and finally got together what i felt like was a good amount of parts to finally try a pen.
I went through the parts and found a gear that was the perfect diameter to replace the metal trim ring on the CB. I found a watch "button" or "knob" or whatever, that would replace the bolt head looking finial on the cigar kit i chose. I used a flap sander head thingy in the dremel to sand away all the chrome finish on the components, to give them a rougher hand worked appearance.
Then, I spent about an hour laying parts out, meshing gears, measuring layouts, etc. I was finally ready to start prepping the parts for my already painted tubes. I started trying to bend the first tiny gear cog. SNAP... Frustrated, I decided to try to bend one that was solid instead of a set of teeth on spokes. A little pressure... SNAP.
Ok, Let's change "gears" i thought to myself... I decided to drill out the hole in the gear that i chose to replace the center band trim ring. I mount a piece of wood on the lathe and turn a small recess just big enough for the gear. Then mount the gear in the hole, and put the bit in the tailstock and go to work. I thought i was successful until i removed the blue tape that held the gear in the hole. I put the gear in upside down, and the tiny lip on the outside of the gear held it off of the wood just enough to cause the whole entire bottom of the gear to break out instead of a hole drilled thru.
THEN, to top it all off, my sister and neice are here from New York for a couple of days. Naturally, my neice wants to go straight to the shop to make finger tops. I take her to the shop and we make a couple of tops. Then, like a dummy, I reached across the bed of the lathe to grab the buffer attachment, and NAILED the Live center. It got me pretty good, leaving a 6 inch scratch that is more of a gouge on one end than a scratch. It went right through the "toenails" of my dragon tattoo, and i could see black meat exposed, so i am sure my dragon just got his nails permanently trimmed
.
Anyway. I just wanted to share a miserable failure with everyone! And to acknowledge (sp) you folks that make the watch parts or steampunk pens. Just bending those parts to conform to a pen tube is a small miracle of modern day engineering in itself! Definately above my skill level, which is hard for me to admit.
I went through the parts and found a gear that was the perfect diameter to replace the metal trim ring on the CB. I found a watch "button" or "knob" or whatever, that would replace the bolt head looking finial on the cigar kit i chose. I used a flap sander head thingy in the dremel to sand away all the chrome finish on the components, to give them a rougher hand worked appearance.
Then, I spent about an hour laying parts out, meshing gears, measuring layouts, etc. I was finally ready to start prepping the parts for my already painted tubes. I started trying to bend the first tiny gear cog. SNAP... Frustrated, I decided to try to bend one that was solid instead of a set of teeth on spokes. A little pressure... SNAP.
Ok, Let's change "gears" i thought to myself... I decided to drill out the hole in the gear that i chose to replace the center band trim ring. I mount a piece of wood on the lathe and turn a small recess just big enough for the gear. Then mount the gear in the hole, and put the bit in the tailstock and go to work. I thought i was successful until i removed the blue tape that held the gear in the hole. I put the gear in upside down, and the tiny lip on the outside of the gear held it off of the wood just enough to cause the whole entire bottom of the gear to break out instead of a hole drilled thru.
THEN, to top it all off, my sister and neice are here from New York for a couple of days. Naturally, my neice wants to go straight to the shop to make finger tops. I take her to the shop and we make a couple of tops. Then, like a dummy, I reached across the bed of the lathe to grab the buffer attachment, and NAILED the Live center. It got me pretty good, leaving a 6 inch scratch that is more of a gouge on one end than a scratch. It went right through the "toenails" of my dragon tattoo, and i could see black meat exposed, so i am sure my dragon just got his nails permanently trimmed
. Anyway. I just wanted to share a miserable failure with everyone! And to acknowledge (sp) you folks that make the watch parts or steampunk pens. Just bending those parts to conform to a pen tube is a small miracle of modern day engineering in itself! Definately above my skill level, which is hard for me to admit.
