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Help ! Wifes birthday !!

S

spike589715

Apprentice Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2016
Posts
30
Location
Stevenage
First Name
Simon
Hi Guys
My lovely wife has mentioned that she would like a fountain pen for her birthday
she fancies something in pink .... and not to big as she has quite small hands
any thoughts on nice kits - UK available and blanks ?
I was thinking a white and light pink swirl type thing ? how do I stop the tube from showing through ?
I have so far made 3 pens so limited experience - I have a metal work lathe so at this time shaping is a little more tricky - the ones I have made have had parallel sides - but I am working on a way to support a tool in my lathe so I can use woodworking tools

any thought at all on this project !


Thanks
Simon
 
Buckeye

Buckeye

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Peter
To stop the tube showing through you can paint the tube or better still paint the inside of the hole you drill in the blank, if you paint it white it will lighten the blank colour, and if you paint it black it will darken the blank whatever colour you paint it will have an effect to a lesser or greater degree.

The majestic junior is a really nice pen she may or may not like it, because it has a swarovski crystal on the clip, I have just looked and Axminster only do the rollerball not the fountain pen.

As for supporting your tools I have bent a piece of rod so that when it is in the toolholder it is the right height, you may need to put some flats on the rod where it sits in the toolholder so that it doesn't turn.

Peter
 
A

AllenN

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Lancaster, UK
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Allen
I would suggest you go to Dan for a kit. Taylorsmirfield is his site and you will find him on this forum. He also has some blanks so you may find something suitable there. Dan also does the bushes if you are going to use bushes but I suspect on a metal work lathe you may be turning between centres.
 
qquake2k

qquake2k

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Northern California
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Jim
I can't comment on what kits are available in the UK. But if I were going to turn a translucent pink and white blank, I'd paint the inside of the blank; paint the tube; and color the epoxy. I'd use either white or pink paint. I use spray paint for painting tubes; spray or acrylic paint with a cotton swab for the blank; and acrylic paint for coloring the epoxy.
 

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silver

silver

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Somewhere in Staffordshire,
First Name
Eamonn.
Pen kit, Americano http://www.theturnersworkshop.co.uk...its/americana-24kt-gold-fountain-pen-kit.html it's a smaller pen, gIve vInce a call..

Just realise he is showing oit of stock.:sob:

As for blank, a really nice pink and white swirl effect..

Like these. http://www.penturners.co.uk/showthread.php?t=962&highlight=Flamingo

It's a flamingo pen blank from Merv at UK pen kits. He only makes to order now a days so may have to buy at least 6 at a time.

http://www.ukpenkits.com

If you are stuck then I may be able to help out, think I have a couple in the cave. PM me if you are stuck..
 
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Penpal

Penpal

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Location
Canberra AUSTRALIA
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Peter
Does your metal lathe have a morse taper head stock and tail stock? what size?. Metal lathe tool holders can use a special grind for timber follow the grind used in copy lathe fittings work beautifully. Turning parrallell is fine for so many kits and yes that great advice to check out a phone call to Dan seems great advice to me mind you I have no Idea where Stevanage is in relation to Dans place but his mailing is legendary so is he IMHO. Watch out for Jim he paints the whole town red but his results are super. My metal lathe was sold with a wood turning kit and that was in 1965 I bought it much later 2nd hand the attachments were with it.

Show us your lathe etc much easier to compare and help Simon.

Peter.
 
chas_41_uk

chas_41_uk

Registered
Joined
Mar 13, 2014
Posts
10,034
Location
Manchester
First Name
Chas
You're going to get lots of different opinions as to which pen kit to go for.
My suggestion would be the Baron. So far every Baron I have made (bar one) has been sold and sold to women for themselves.
If Dan hasn't got any, Turners Retreat should have.
As far as the blank goes the advice given by Peter and Jim above is what I would advise as well :thumbs:
 
Phil Dart

Phil Dart

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In a couple of weeks Spike, the Mistral fountain pen will be available. As far as I know, it will be the slimmest fountain pen available from a UK supplier. They're hopefully on a cargo plane as I speak, so should be available very soon.
 
Terry

Terry

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Phil has just beaten me to it Simon. I trialled the Mistral for Phil and it is a superb pen. The nib and the converter are of the highest quality and the gold plating is as good as I have seen on any pen kit. The pen is a perfect size for the female hand. :thumbs:
 
Buckeye

Buckeye

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Phil Dart said:
In a couple of weeks Spike, the Mistral fountain pen will be available. As far as I know, it will be the slimmest fountain pen available from a UK supplier. They're hopefully on a cargo plane as I speak, so should be available very soon.
Click to expand...

I thought you had an image of the Mistral on your site, but I couldn't find it to give a link to Simon. Do you have a link?

Peter
 
Buckeye

Buckeye

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Lons

Lons

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Or you could make it easy on yourself Simon and ask Woody to make one :winking::ciggrin: he doesn't half churn them out. :funny:

I've turned a few of the pink blanks Mark has posted from the Turners Workshop and though I think they're horrible, the ladies love them, didn't last long before being sold. Where sunglasses when you turn it.
 
Phil Dart

Phil Dart

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Buckeye said:
I thought you had an image of the Mistral on your site, but I couldn't find it to give a link to Simon. Do you have a link?

Peter
Click to expand...
The Mistral pages aren't quite ready yet, but there are a couple of images in the gallery, http://www.beaufortink.co.uk/gallery.html which I've attached below. The first one is by Woody and the second is by Terry Miller (thanks guys for the photos)

woody.jpg

terry miller.jpg
 
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