Here's the rundown: 2 rounds of voting. Top 5 pens make it tothe second round. You can vote for up to 3 pens. Thanks for takingthe time to vote.
PEN 1
Segmented Slimline with wood center band and extralong lower barrel.
Padauk, Purpleheart, Walnut, with Oak veneer.
PEN 2
I eliminated the center band and the finial for my2 alterations. The blank was produced by myself using recon veneer laminatedand split and reglued to get the chevron pattern. The 2 colors are artic Whiteand Walnut veneer. There are 268 pieces of veneer in the blank. Finish is 8coats of CA.
PEN 3
This pen is made with a blank from rare Amboynaburl, the burl portion of the Narra tree (Pterocarpus indicus). The reddishheartwood is often accented by the pale yellow sapwood, as you can see near thetip of this pen. The contrast on this pen is naturally occurring, not theresult of gluing segments together. I modified the slimline kit by eliminatingthe center band in favor of a single tube. Instructions for this were found inthe IAP library. I also modified the kit by using a touch stylus on the endinstead of an end cap. Finish is cyanoacrlylate.
PEN 4
The idea for this pen came as I found a cut-off ofcurly koa that looked to be sized perfectly for a grip. Of course, it had to bepaired with curly maple to contrast and complement the curls and color of thekoa wood. I glued the two pieces into one long blank, and then did theentire process - drilling, tubing, turning, sanding, CA finish, sanding - asone long blank. Before polishing, I parted the blank at the seam, touched upthe edges a bit, and commenced polishing. As always is the case withcurly wood, it looks even more amazing in the hand as the curls shimmer in thelight!
PEN 5
I recently turned a Mesa with segmented pieces ofblank cut offs. My wife liked the look of the pen, but not the size. This is myattempt of turning a slimline into something resembling a single barrel pen.The black bits is African Blackwood,the top and bottom bands is Snakebean,centre band is Hairy Vitex Burl, and the remaining 2 band is Wild Olive. Thecentre and clip band was made out of a 6mm brass nut. The most difficult bitwas turning the bottom bit of the top section without a tube.
PEN 6
I decided it was time to try a metal pen, Thebrass is from a 2 1/2 inch 3/8 nib (one for each section) Oddly one was theexact ID for the kit and the other was the exact size for the brass tube. Forthe nib and finial I got a piece of 3/8 brass rod. Drilled the two sizes ofholes for the nib and turned one end down to fit snug in the lower tube. Thenturned the two together to mask the joint line. The finial is also of solidbrass. The clip and center ring are from the original kit. I turned it on myShopsmith using carbide tools - I'm pretty sure turning metal would be easieron a metal lathe! I think I'll wait untilI have one before I attempt another solid brass pen (but I may try an aluminumone...)
PEN 7
Osage orange and walnut. First completed 6 strandCeltic knot, custom finial and hidden clip.
PEN 8
This pen was made from a pine cone from the OcalaState Park in Florida which I stabilized with Cactus Juice. The cap is alsomade from pine cone and the band is cocoboloa. BLO and CA finish.
PEN 9
Mesquite with Maple veneer and home made centerband
PEN 10
My entry is a chrome, one piece slimline. Therefill is extended by holding the nib and twisting the body and refill changedby holding the body and pulling the entire pen assembly out. The blank is byJonathan Brooks. This is a challenging design but I like it due to the cleanand simple look.
PEN 11
Buddy's Holly - I harvested a Holly tree from aco-worker's house a few years ago. This piece had been in my wood pile, until Inoticed this beautiful spalting. For my modifications, I removed the centerband and custom turned a finial from a piece of Blackwood. Single Body (nibturned) Spalted Holly and Blackwood slimline.
PEN 12
This is my second pen. Very new to the hobby andonly had one slimline kit available. I omitted the clip and center band to meetthe modification criteria and did my best to make the grain line up well. Itwas friction finished with sanding sealer and carnauba wax.
PEN 13
I chose to use a black enamel component set, buteliminated the center band, finial, and clip. The base wood is redwood that Ithought was burl before I stabilized it, but it turned out to be crosscut. Thiswas my first attempt at a closed end. I replaced the center band and the finialwith sections of spectraply. I beveled the finial spectraply so that it lookslike the red layer is a button on the end. The lower barrel is inset into theupper barrel. I also made my own clip out of wenge. I cut a small mortise inthe barrel and tenon in the clip, and epoxied the clip. The finish is walnut oil, then Hut PPP.
PEN 14
Ever since I started to make pens last year I'vebeen wanting to make a pen similar to how pool cues are made. I recalled anarticle from the early 80's describing how the blank was built up and how afterturning it created the strips that go from nothing to wide. The top section ofthe pen is made the same way as a pool cue. Using pool cue terms, theBumper/But cap is made of Ebony, the Handle is made from Walnut and Maple, theJoint from Ebony and the Pro Taper is made from Curly Maple. This pen only usesthe refill, the transmission and a few sections of 7mm tube.
PEN 15
A maple burl blank stabilized with Cactus Juice.All of the standard metal exterior hardware from the slimline set (with theexception of the clip) have been replaced with Copperite Corian. The top of theclip is recessed into the wood to there is a minimum of exposed metal. CAfinish and a run through the Beall buff completed the project.
PEN 16
I used a single barrel about 3 inches long to makethis short pen. It still has a transmission, but it turns from the pen tip. Thewood is a dark corner of a black ash burl. The top is a turned from antelopehorn to form a black final. The finish is a mixture of ca glue and beeswax.
PEN 1
Segmented Slimline with wood center band and extralong lower barrel.
Padauk, Purpleheart, Walnut, with Oak veneer.
PEN 2
I eliminated the center band and the finial for my2 alterations. The blank was produced by myself using recon veneer laminatedand split and reglued to get the chevron pattern. The 2 colors are artic Whiteand Walnut veneer. There are 268 pieces of veneer in the blank. Finish is 8coats of CA.
PEN 3
This pen is made with a blank from rare Amboynaburl, the burl portion of the Narra tree (Pterocarpus indicus). The reddishheartwood is often accented by the pale yellow sapwood, as you can see near thetip of this pen. The contrast on this pen is naturally occurring, not theresult of gluing segments together. I modified the slimline kit by eliminatingthe center band in favor of a single tube. Instructions for this were found inthe IAP library. I also modified the kit by using a touch stylus on the endinstead of an end cap. Finish is cyanoacrlylate.
PEN 4
The idea for this pen came as I found a cut-off ofcurly koa that looked to be sized perfectly for a grip. Of course, it had to bepaired with curly maple to contrast and complement the curls and color of thekoa wood. I glued the two pieces into one long blank, and then did theentire process - drilling, tubing, turning, sanding, CA finish, sanding - asone long blank. Before polishing, I parted the blank at the seam, touched upthe edges a bit, and commenced polishing. As always is the case withcurly wood, it looks even more amazing in the hand as the curls shimmer in thelight!
PEN 5
I recently turned a Mesa with segmented pieces ofblank cut offs. My wife liked the look of the pen, but not the size. This is myattempt of turning a slimline into something resembling a single barrel pen.The black bits is African Blackwood,the top and bottom bands is Snakebean,centre band is Hairy Vitex Burl, and the remaining 2 band is Wild Olive. Thecentre and clip band was made out of a 6mm brass nut. The most difficult bitwas turning the bottom bit of the top section without a tube.
PEN 6
I decided it was time to try a metal pen, Thebrass is from a 2 1/2 inch 3/8 nib (one for each section) Oddly one was theexact ID for the kit and the other was the exact size for the brass tube. Forthe nib and finial I got a piece of 3/8 brass rod. Drilled the two sizes ofholes for the nib and turned one end down to fit snug in the lower tube. Thenturned the two together to mask the joint line. The finial is also of solidbrass. The clip and center ring are from the original kit. I turned it on myShopsmith using carbide tools - I'm pretty sure turning metal would be easieron a metal lathe! I think I'll wait untilI have one before I attempt another solid brass pen (but I may try an aluminumone...)
PEN 7
Osage orange and walnut. First completed 6 strandCeltic knot, custom finial and hidden clip.
PEN 8
This pen was made from a pine cone from the OcalaState Park in Florida which I stabilized with Cactus Juice. The cap is alsomade from pine cone and the band is cocoboloa. BLO and CA finish.
PEN 9
Mesquite with Maple veneer and home made centerband
PEN 10
My entry is a chrome, one piece slimline. Therefill is extended by holding the nib and twisting the body and refill changedby holding the body and pulling the entire pen assembly out. The blank is byJonathan Brooks. This is a challenging design but I like it due to the cleanand simple look.
PEN 11
Buddy's Holly - I harvested a Holly tree from aco-worker's house a few years ago. This piece had been in my wood pile, until Inoticed this beautiful spalting. For my modifications, I removed the centerband and custom turned a finial from a piece of Blackwood. Single Body (nibturned) Spalted Holly and Blackwood slimline.
PEN 12
This is my second pen. Very new to the hobby andonly had one slimline kit available. I omitted the clip and center band to meetthe modification criteria and did my best to make the grain line up well. Itwas friction finished with sanding sealer and carnauba wax.
PEN 13
I chose to use a black enamel component set, buteliminated the center band, finial, and clip. The base wood is redwood that Ithought was burl before I stabilized it, but it turned out to be crosscut. Thiswas my first attempt at a closed end. I replaced the center band and the finialwith sections of spectraply. I beveled the finial spectraply so that it lookslike the red layer is a button on the end. The lower barrel is inset into theupper barrel. I also made my own clip out of wenge. I cut a small mortise inthe barrel and tenon in the clip, and epoxied the clip. The finish is walnut oil, then Hut PPP.
PEN 14
Ever since I started to make pens last year I'vebeen wanting to make a pen similar to how pool cues are made. I recalled anarticle from the early 80's describing how the blank was built up and how afterturning it created the strips that go from nothing to wide. The top section ofthe pen is made the same way as a pool cue. Using pool cue terms, theBumper/But cap is made of Ebony, the Handle is made from Walnut and Maple, theJoint from Ebony and the Pro Taper is made from Curly Maple. This pen only usesthe refill, the transmission and a few sections of 7mm tube.
PEN 15
A maple burl blank stabilized with Cactus Juice.All of the standard metal exterior hardware from the slimline set (with theexception of the clip) have been replaced with Copperite Corian. The top of theclip is recessed into the wood to there is a minimum of exposed metal. CAfinish and a run through the Beall buff completed the project.
PEN 16
I used a single barrel about 3 inches long to makethis short pen. It still has a transmission, but it turns from the pen tip. Thewood is a dark corner of a black ash burl. The top is a turned from antelopehorn to form a black final. The finish is a mixture of ca glue and beeswax.
Last edited:
