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Bolt action Bullet pen in pink plastic

Grump

Grand Master
Joined
Aug 17, 2013
Posts
10,504
Location
Stevenage
First Name
Brian
That title got your attention didn't it?
Do you really think I could do that?
I was going to, as I was sure I still had some of Merv's pink plastic But can't find so went for African Blackwood instead.
While your here I did say I was gonna post some pics of my favourite tools and do a little thing about my work and stuff.
Get yourself a cuppa and sit back cos I am gonna bore the pants off ya, I dunno how many pics the forum allows so might have to go for a couple of replies to get it all in so please don't post the ridicule until I have finished init?

This is how I do my stuff and what I do it with, I don't say it's the only way or the right way but it's my way and might help some newbies.
read it and take the good advise and throw the rest in the bin.

First get comfortable, if you don't comfortable don't start. I never wear sleeves or a collar when turning, T shirt tucked in.
I keep a pair of steel toe capped boot s in the shed and wear my slippers much to my dismay on many occasions, Put the kin boots on that's why there in the bloody shed.

My ventilation system is an open door, leave it open for a quick escape when wood starts flying off the spinner. Stand comfortably in front of the lathe legs slightly apart so you can rock side to side back and forth transferring your weight as you move much like a golfer tee position without the flex and bat.
Comfy now?

Ring for room service to get kettle on, walk away from the lathe cos you forgot to sharpen your tools.
Prepare yourself for the task in hand get the tools and materials all ready to go and within easy reach.
Now pick them up off the floor and move them slightly further away, that was too close prat!!

Grab your favourite tool approach the spinner as before adjust the tool rest accordingly and switch on full speed, now switch it off and get the cuppa that's being brought down the garden by your beautiful assistant.
While you sip that get the kit ready to go cos you don't done that yet init? there is nothing on the lathe to attack and destroy.

First pic. Drills. I use this set of Dewalt, among many others, recommended by lots of people and I cannot fault them but that don't make em any better nor worse than any other sharp drill n my opinion.
1.JPG

What they are good for is sizing as they graduate in 0.5mm increments, invaluable when some pillock has nicked your set of transfer punches. George you were the last person to use them where the hell have you put them?
2.JPG

Ok tea drunk, current bun eaten, fag smoked, blank on tube and squared up, mounted between centres here we go.

I use one tool all the way through this and just to demonstrate control I am using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. I use this tool for all my spindle work, I love the feel of it. This is the flat thingy I was talking about in another thread, about 1inch and a tadsworth wide, actually I have never measured it but at least 1 inch, far to big enough for this piddly little blank.
Nice firm grip on tool and and switch on, I always go straight in at full speed, not because I am in a hurry but my lathe is smoother there and I find it easier to adjust the tool not the workpiece.
With this tool I can cut, slice, tear, and scrape with very little adjustment of grip only to accommodate the twist in the blade.
Shown in this pic tilted to take heavy cuts of material off the blank, used at this angle-ish from square to to just above the bushes.
3.JPG

Then turned to flat to take thin slices, held firmly against the tool rest and the back of the tool lowered slightly to gently use the cutting edge.
That's what I find to be the trick in using not only this but any cutting tool, the tip moves little or not at all, the adjustment is made by the back hand lift and lower to adjust cutting angle.
4.JPG

Next I raise the handle to take a little scrape to finish the blank. I dunno if the pics show to clearly the different amount of material being removed as my Drain was the camera girl.
5.JPG

here is the blank straight from the tool with no sanding and for this demo I won't sand it but I will bring the pen to Woody's in a few weeks time to show it.
Ok I can't show it so start a reply with it.
 

Grump

Grand Master
Joined
Aug 17, 2013
Posts
10,504
Location
Stevenage
First Name
Brian
6.JPG

5 pics per post I know that now.
Next I take some very expensive finishing wax I can understand if your budget don't stretch this far and yo want to use something else but I got this from Poundland.
Because the wood is full of heavy dyes and quiet oily I don't want to seal it with ca on this occasion nor do I think a bullet pen should be too shiny I will just wax it.
7.JPG


Because the wood is full of heavy dyes and quiet oily I don't want to seal it with ca on this occasion nor do I think a bullet pen should be too shiny I will just wax it.
8.JPG

That's plenty good enough for me I will be happy to push this little lot together here is the finished pen.
9.JPG

Still ab it more to come don't post yet.
 

Woody

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Jul 12, 2013
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12,812
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at home
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Well Brian I would never thought of using that bloody great tool for pens the one I had I used on the outside of bowls and I don't thing Record make them anymore and I cant remember who had mine thank you for showing us
 

Grump

Grand Master
Joined
Aug 17, 2013
Posts
10,504
Location
Stevenage
First Name
Brian
You notice the different shavings on the lathe so can see the method works.

This is the beast that did the damage on this pen.
a.JPG

This is my homemade hollowing tool a lump of rod with a broken drill bit shaped to cut.
b.JPG

Here are some of my homemade tools I enjoy making and using my tools these are made with socket set parts drilled and screwed.
c.JPG
 

Grump

Grand Master
Joined
Aug 17, 2013
Posts
10,504
Location
Stevenage
First Name
Brian
these are some bits I turn more quantity than quality full sized baseball bats for the local thugs.
d.JPG
Model windmills I d hundreds of these at a time, they are not windmills yet but will e when finished init?e.JPG
Phew finished now did I get all the pics in the right order?
Ok experts make me wrong take the pee and do your own writeup.
 

Jim

Grand Master
Joined
Oct 19, 2011
Posts
15,617
Thanks for this Brian, both very informative and comical, it is good to see you using a tool that would scare many mortals away from turning ... I like the hollowing tool also, i just spent silly money buying a Sorby one ... :whistling:

That baseball bat is well turned Brian, i like this very much, have you a big order for the windmills?
 

Jim

Grand Master
Joined
Oct 19, 2011
Posts
15,617
Not to forget the pen which looks good with the dark wood, though i was a tad excited when i saw Pink in the title ... :whistling: We were enthralled by your write up the pen got missed ... :funny:
 

Grump

Grand Master
Joined
Aug 17, 2013
Posts
10,504
Location
Stevenage
First Name
Brian
Best I can do at the moment Terry.
I share my shed with a Bees nest at the moment I shouldn't have used the lathe today in case I disturb them. rare protect flavour apparently, had all the weird beards around surveying them they keep an eye on their progress.
I don't going down there this time o night.
It's a flat bar with 45degree chamferclose.resized.JPG each side.
 

Terry

Chairman Plonker
Executive Member
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Jan 31, 2013
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9,504
Location
An exile Geordie living in Kingston upon Hull
First Name
Terry
Best I can do at the moment Terry.
I share my shed with a Bees nest at the moment I shouldn't have used the lathe today in case I disturb them. rare protect flavour apparently, had all the weird beards around surveying them they keep an eye on their progress.
I don't going down there this time o night.
It's a flat bar with 45degree chamferView attachment 1411 each side.

Cheers Brian. It looks like an inverted scraper but instead of an 85 deg chamfer you've put a 45 on!!!! Interesting,
 

Grump

Grand Master
Joined
Aug 17, 2013
Posts
10,504
Location
Stevenage
First Name
Brian
Thanks lads means a lot to me at the moment, I am a bit miserable and tired, getting old and the heart has been overworked.
I will put some more detail about the homemade tools when I can find some more time, back to the slaughter tomorrow, I hate my job.
There are 200 hundred windmills laying around the shed at the moment waiting for the bees to go before I can spin em up.
 

Jim

Grand Master
Joined
Oct 19, 2011
Posts
15,617
It does look like a converted scrapper Brian, but who cares, it does what you want it to do ..

You didn't tell us you were a bee keeper also ... :tongue:
 

Grump

Grand Master
Joined
Aug 17, 2013
Posts
10,504
Location
Stevenage
First Name
Brian
Cheers Brian. It looks like an inverted scraper but instead of an 85 deg chamfer you've put a 45 on!!!! Interesting,
That is the whole point of my age old argument, it really don't' matter what angle you put on a tool within reason of course but the angle you hold it at to get the cut you require.
It ain't rocket science its about sharp and a tiny little edge on a whacking great lump of metal.
Somebody with tool control, a Master such as Woody could use a shovel to turn a bowl with given a sharp edge on it.
Food for thought I might have a go. I ask my Drain if she got a spare shovel.
 

Grump

Grand Master
Joined
Aug 17, 2013
Posts
10,504
Location
Stevenage
First Name
Brian
Now way was that ever a scraper, far to thick enough.
I did vid some time ago there should be more but I found one of em where I was using it.
And to go against the grain I was wearing sleeves but it was snowing outside.
 

Woody

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That was a conventional tool much like a straight edge skew with a bevel on both sides it was designed to be used on the outside of bowls or on the bottom of the inside of a flat bottom bowl but they don't have them on there web site anymore
 
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