The things you will do for your mother....

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pnemox

pnemox

Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2019
Messages
36
Location
Georgia
Earlier this year when I started pen turning, my mom snagged one of my first pens. I was happy that she liked it but it really bugged me because I wished she had something nicer. A month ago I asked her what type of pen she would like and was open to any idea. Her response was "I want something that nobody else would have". That wasn't very helpful but it got me thinking until I came up with this idea for a pen. After finishing it, I turned to google and found a few other scattered instances of this idea including here on this forum (by Marines1407) but I think it still probably lives up to her request.

Below is my second fountain pen in Rhodium and Black Titanium. I'm really enjoying these larger pens and how they look. This one is made with shavings from the Campo del Cielo metallic meteor that landed in Argentina 4,000-5,000 years ago. I don't have any equipment for vacuum mold casting so this was all done by hand with thin ca, activator and a lot of time to secure each small pinch of shavings in place. Once I had a thick layer of shavings all around, I followed up with more CA until it was all covered completely. Turning it was more like working a piece of metal in some regards and I used a lot of sandpaper. This took much more time than I expected and has been the most difficult piece I have attempted by far. Please take a look and let me know your thoughts. I'm always open to constructive criticism to improve my work.

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That most certainly should live up to her request . You have definitely gone above and beyond to fill it . It isn`t possible to criticize your effort or the results in any way . Having done pens from firepit ashes , I appreciate the need for the sandpaper technique . Just one question . Is the rock upon which it rests part of the meteor ?
 
I admire your patience in producing that lovely pen in the way you did !!! . Turning/shaping CA is quite different from other materials.

You have certainly achieved your objective and I can appreciate that there was a lot of time involved.
 
Beautiful fit and finish, using metal shavings is not a new idea but using "those" sort of shavings is what makes this pen very unique, I hope your mom likes big pens, I have no hesitation accepting that this pen took a lot of time and effort but the results are spectacular congrats...!

Cheers
George
 
Sometimes a good story makes up for a so-so pen. Here you have shown not only an exceptional pen, but an equally exceptional story behind it. By the way, it is very attractive also.

Larry
 
Wes, Great story and Great pen!

I have a request for you: Stay around and answer the questions of other 'new to pen turning and new to CA finish' people. You understand the process well. While I haven't done a meteoric material, I have done numerous buildup of CA into a blank. Your insight into this process makes you an excellent resource person for CA finishes.

The biggest problem with explaining CA finishes is often the word usage chosen or understood by the one with the problem. You do understand the foundational properties of working with CA well! Congratulation of a superb pen!
 
Mighty impressive. The photographs are equally well done.

I suspect that you actually used less of the shaving with your method (by necessity) than if you had cast a full blank. Well done.
 
First of all, thank you for all the feedback. I plan to make a felt lined walnut gift box to go with the pen but am still looking for design ideas. Please feel free to forward any good examples that could hold the pen, accessories and ink.

If I miss anything in the replies below, please let me know.

Wayne - A pen from firepit ashes? That is very unique and I'm sure it looked interesting. The rock in this picture is from the coast of Lima, Peru. I picked it up some years ago and decided to use it and a few others to prop up my pens in photos. Not sure if it is the best pick and I'm still trying to improve my photos - like everything else.

Randy - Good idea about provenance and documentation. I will have to create some sort of signed certificate with that information to go with this pen.

Hank - I'm always open to helping others and I'll try to look around to see if anyone has questions. I'll try to dig up a few in-progress photos in case it will help others.

Peter and John - I purchased this material as shavings. I think the vendor was making rings or other similar jewelry. There are a few on ebay but I decided to go with one on Amazon that seemed a bit more trustworthy. I have some ideas about using solid meteorite but that will have to wait until I start making kitless pens and start selling a few more items to fund the shop. I'm sure you all know personally how costs can get out of hand.
 
Here are two work in progress photos from when I was making the pen body barrel.

The first photo shows the barrel right after I finished covering it with shavings. At this point there was only enough CA (Cyanoacrylate or superglue) applied to keep the shavings attached to the brass tube. Also note that I am holding the barrel with another pen. Don't do this by hand or you will regret it. Trust me.

Once you have the barrel completely covered be shavings, you need to build up layers of CA until the CA completely fills in the gaps and covers all the shavings (at least 1/8" above the brass tube). You will need to do this slowly with thin layers of CA (I exclusively used thin CA for this project). If you cure thicker layers of CA you have a much higher risk of it burning when it hardens and turning white rather than clear. The curing spray causes a chemical reaction with the CA causing it to harden quickly and that releases heat. You just don't want it to get too hot so I repeatedly cure thinner layers of CA for best results.

At this point you will have an asymmetrical blob on a brass tube. It will look like something normally best stored in the bottom of the waste bin but that's ok. This is your diamond in the rough. The second photo shows when I first started turning the blob and it has all kinds of nasty lumps. You will need a very sharp skew or other cutting tool to start getting it into a rough shape. Just to clarify, when I say sharp the meaning is razor sharp that will cut hair off your arm. This will give you the best results. Stay patient and only take light cuts as you turn the cylinder down. It will not get very smooth due to the metal shavings in the blank so just get it to a symmetrical barrel shape as best you can. Take care when touching the blank while it is spinning on the lathe. The shavings in the blank can cut before it has been smoothed out completely so just be careful.

From here start working with 150 grit sandpaper and progress up to 400 grit. The meteor shavings contain iron and will rust quickly so do not use any water. WD40 seems to work best for me as a thin lubricant. Stop at 400 and inspect it for any inclusions or gaps in the CA. You will probably find plenty. Fill them in the best you can and repeat sanding from 150 grit to 400. Once you have a solid barrel, go up to 800 grit.

At this point you will need to apply a few clear coat layers of CA to protect the shavings from rust during daily use. I apply 6+ thin layers of CA and then go back to 400 grit to smooth it out. Progress up to 800 grit and then go through all the micromesh levels. Polish if you prefer and then carefully sand both ends flush with the ends of the brass tube.

Take care and I hope this was helpful.

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