ServicePens: Pens For Servicemen

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Jim,
Your contribution arrived today.
Thanks for your generosity.

I KNOW I've said I'm going to get photos up, but we've been knocked backward with
external chores, work, some minor health matters and volunteer commitments.
When this weekend is over, I'll be done with a huge prior volunteer project and will be
able to make time to photograph all the great pens received the following week.

Thanks again,
Gary
 
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I'll get my contribution in the mail tomorrow. I wanted to get them out earlier, but work has been killing me. You should have them next week. Thank you for your contribution to this cause.
 
Larry,
Thank you for contributing to this effort.

It's still way short of the 5,000 pen goal. I expect it's about 1.5% there.
In order to reach a goal of 5,000 pens, roughly 4,800 are still needed.

Please contribute. If you're planning to do it, there's no time like the present!
:biggrin: :wink:
 
Ok Gary, I'll send you a bunch. Won't be 4800 though!!!!:eek::biggrin:

Now, don't the rest of you feel just a little bit bad that a Limey has signed up for this great cause and you haven't done so YET??????:tongue::wink::biggrin:

Sounds like a bargain to me.....we get to stay home with our families and enjoy our hobby, and maybe a service man or woman gets to write home to their loved ones with one of our pens. I know which one I'd rather be doing:wink:
 
I sent a box of ten last week. I would like to have sent more, but I've been unemployed since last December. I want to thank Smitty37 for his servicepen special that allowed me to purchase some kits. Also thanks to the member who sent me blanks, even after all of the original RAK donation blanks were gone. Because of the generosity of these fine people, I was able to participate. If you can, please send some pens to help this worthy project. If you have extra slimline kits and no time to make the pens, send some to me. I have some blanks left and would love to make more pens to donate.
Thanks again,
Mike
 
MikeG said:
I sent a box of ten last week. I would like to have sent more, but I've been unemployed since last December. I want to thank Smitty37 for his servicepen special that allowed me to purchase some kits. Also thanks to the member who sent me blanks, even after all of the original RAK donation blanks were gone. Because of the generosity of these fine people, I was able to participate. If you can, please send some pens to help this worthy project. If you have extra slimline kits and no time to make the pens, send some to me. I have some blanks left and would love to make more pens to donate.
Thanks again,
Mike
Click to expand...
Mike
Beautiful pens too!
I'm trying to create a program to get you and others with limited resources more kits and blanks.
Blanks will hopefully be easy; kits a little more work -- but I'll find a way.

Thank you again
Gary
 
Hello everyone.
I know I've been fairly MIA lately and thought y'all deserve an explanation:

I accepted a new position with my company which means more work, more time,
and additional responsibility.
The position also required relocation and I've been using the little spare time I have to
search for a second home and occassionally spend time with my better half.
How she puts up with me I'll never know?!?
I've been without my shop equipment since early November excepting a few small items. Those small things don't include any turning toys.
Additionally, I figured with Christmas, New Years, and other holidays I needed to give y'all a break.
Well, break is over!
I'm well below the goal of reaching out to 5,000 of our servicemen and women.
At the moment, I'd say I'm about 3% there -- that is, there are roughly 150 pens received as donations to date.

PLEASE, if you can help make pens, let us know.

Blessings,
Gary
 
I got my kits from Smitty today also. Ive got all my blanks cut, tubed and squared so I hope I can start turning them tomorrow. Thanks Smitty.
 
If you ended up with Slimlines, which is most likely, use a 7MM bit and slimline bushings. If you are short on the bushings, you can use a caliper and measure the CB, nib or clip cap and turn to that size. There is a bushing chart in the library that will get you in the ballpark.
Charles
PS; 3/4 X 3/4 blanks will work well. So would a bit smaller.
 
Last edited:
ctubbs said:
If you ended up with Slimlines, which is most likely, use a 7MM bit and slimline bushings. If you are short on the bushings, you can use a caliper and measure the CB, nib or clip cap and turn to that size. There is a bushing chart in the library that will get you in the ballpark.
Charles
PS; 3/4 X 3/4 blanks will work well. So would a bit smaller.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I am new to turning. I have 7mm bits and bushings. I wanted to start on the kits from smitty, but I wasn't sure if I had all the right supplies.
 
Just right

navycop said:
ctubbs said:
If you ended up with Slimlines, which is most likely, use a 7MM bit and slimline bushings. If you are short on the bushings, you can use a caliper and measure the CB, nib or clip cap and turn to that size. There is a bushing chart in the library that will get you in the ballpark.
Charles
PS; 3/4 X 3/4 blanks will work well. So would a bit smaller.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I am new to turning. I have 7mm bits and bushings. I wanted to start on the kits from smitty, but I wasn't sure if I had all the right supplies.
Click to expand...
Perfect. 9/16 X 9/16 and 5/8 X 5/8 blanks will also work just fine.
 
pens for servicemen

Hello Gary,

I've got 40,(more or less), pens ready to send. I saw a note you were relocating. Is the address in the orginal post still correct for sending the pens? I'm holding off sending them until I'm sure of the address.

Carl
 
Original address is still correct and will be for quite the foreseeable future.
Thanks Carl. I'm looking forward to seeing your contributions.
Y'all make me proud to serve Our service men and women.
 
Thanks Gary,
I'll get them boxed and sent Tues or Wed. Want to thank LeRoy,(Smitty) for the deal on the slimline kits. The wood used was walnut, mahoganey, cherry(donated by a high school classmate,class of '63). So my job was easy, just do the turning:biggrin:.

Thanks again Gary for all your work putting this together. I know the pens will find good homes.:usflag:

Carl
 
Servicemens Pens

A big thank you to Smitty37 for sending 20 pen kits. And thanks to Ed Brown for his contribution.
Thank you Servicemen and women for your service to our country.
 

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Gary I will see if I can get some together for you. I had been giving them out at the airport to our service men and women over the holiday. So I don't have any done up. Gives me a good excuse to get some done soon.
 
Here are another 20 pens for troops. Thanks to Smitty for the kits. I modified some of them a little. The wood and acrylics are some I had around the shop. I will get them mailed in the next couple days.
 

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Retired Army

I've never been 'told' this, but after 24 years I can tell you it is true. Slimlines will fit the pen pocket in BDUs. Other, larger pens may or may not fit, but slimlines will.

We are also involved in the Freedom Pen project here at Redstone Arsenal. I thought I might share some of the replies we received in the past. I know this thread isn't about the Freedom Pen project, but I figure it's the 'same Church, just a different pew.'

Feedback:

Subject: Thank you so much.

Hello My name is Harry Copper. My son, Sean received the Freedom Pen upon arrival at Brooke Army Medical Center and subsequently the Fisher house #3 after a catastrophic injury to his right hand. Sean gave the
pen to me as a father's day gift. Kind veterans- it is an impeccable pen turned by Philip Nichols and I shall cherish it forever! God Bless and thank you to the Freedom Pen Project!

With kindest regards... Harry P. Copper Jr.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I just wanted to thank the NDIA as well as the entire MWR staff for this great project which provided myself and all of the other participants in Fort Sam Houston Mini Triathlon (geared for severely injured service
members) beautiful hand lathed pens. Myself personally, I would like to thank Mr. Jim Metzger, as I received his individual pen.

Its fitting I am able to say this on the eve of Memorial Day. I hope you are able celebrate the lives of our fallen heroes with your friends and loved ones tomorrow.

All the best,

Ryan Miller
CPT, IN
WIA, OIF 2007
 
Hi Gary;

Finally got to the PO Thursday. The 40 pens I promised are on their way. I took a quick photo before boxing them, I'll try to attach it here.

Thanks again,
Carl
 

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Gary I mailed some today, compliments of smitty37 for the kits I stil have a few more to do will be shipped later........
 
In conjunction with what SSeaman said at the Army Arsenal in Alabama, I gave pens out to the WWII vets at our honor flights to DC on 3 flights...but we are not doing the flights anymore..but Monday we are having a major shipment to the 20 Spec Forces over yonder right now..Awesome stuff to hand out..
 
Gary I am mailing out a box today. We need to thank Smitty for his generous gift of the kits. next month when I get another retirement check I will send some more. So make sure to let us know when the cut off is on shipping these..............
 
David,
The delivery is the latter part of June so the latest I should accept them for this year is around June 10th.
Do you need any blanks?
Thank you.
Gary
 
Ok Gary finished my 10 from Smitty all made from Hickory. Thought it was appropriate and I have well over a hundred hickory blanks left. Going out tomorrow 4/8
 

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Hi Gary. I just wanted to bump you back up and ask how the pen count is coming. I know it's starting to get close on time. I have a box to go your way tomrrow.
 
Randy,

I'm not sure the exact number. I've got to do a count this weekend.
It's way short of the 5000 I was hoping for but perhaps that was too optimistic for my first year.
I'm looking forward to seeing your contribution and greatly appreciate your participation.

Thank you.
Gary
 
I have 10 more coming from Smitty that I hope to get knocked out in the next week or so. You will get them as soon as I get them finished.
 
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got smitty's euros today there's the first tenon i ve ever cut,, hope the others go as well ,, allen
 

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