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Doghouse

Apprentice Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2019
Posts
9
Location
Uk
First Name
Gavin
This is my first attempt at turning.
037713CB-8CD5-42A0-80BD-2B0D85CF3C24.jpeg

This is my second, and first pen.
EC676A3C-1C9A-4EA9-A975-F9B2E88FE99D.jpg

2B2C18C0-BB85-4616-9CA0-B8AD68DCD8B7.jpg

As you can see, I’m no photographer either.
 

fortress

Registered
Joined
Apr 11, 2016
Posts
5,178
Location
Astley
First Name
John
That's a nice looking pen Gavin, well done. A couple of years ago, I showed my first pen, it was terrible. Iv'e still got it. keep yours.
 

Doghouse

Apprentice Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2019
Posts
9
Location
Uk
First Name
Gavin
Thank you for the compliments. Not sure if this is the right place to ask questions, but here goes.
How close to the bush do you turn, before sanding?
Is there a general rule regarding the shape of slimline pens?

Many thanks.
 

Penpal

Grand Master
Joined
May 26, 2013
Posts
25,340
Location
Canberra AUSTRALIA
First Name
Peter
Rafferties rules abound in shaping your Slimline friends. Over countless years for me the shape you chose has been the most familiar. Everything depends on something as surely how close you turn to the bushes before finishing,personally I disregard bushes using them only as a guide and depending on the use of calipers for the final fit, that something includes what finish you intend to use.

Welcome into the privilige of penturning so called by me because of the satisfaction I have had turning them over a long time now that has never diminished or failed to satisfy. This forum can assist you and me to share regard in turning.

Kind regards Peter.
 

Lons

Fellow
Joined
Dec 17, 2013
Posts
4,753
Location
Northumberland
First Name
Bob
Don't take it to heart but the top one is too thick and has no nib :funny::wink:

Great first attempt, bet the family are suitably impressed. :thumbs:
 

Phil Dart

Moderator
Executive Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2014
Posts
5,455
Location
Colebrooke, Devon
First Name
Phil
That's a cracking first pen Gavin. There are no rules about the shape of any pen, nor pen police to tell you off. Common sense, ergonomics and aesthetics need to be high on the agenda though, as some shapes will look just wrong or will be impractical from the point of view of actually using the pen.

Personally I turn slimlines so that they're parallel, which entirely subjectively, I think looks better that way. I've seen others though that are really quite fat indeed - quite the opposite of slim in fact. There's no right or wrong, but I do wonder just how easy the fat ones are to hold and to write with.

You'll get used to how far down to the bushes you need to turn. The material you're turning will have quite a lot to do with it, as will the extent to which you need to pretty up the tooling with abrasives. Soft pine will abrade much more readily than say an exotic hardwood, so turning both of those down to the same extent may possibly result in the exotic hardwood being on target by the end of the process, and the soft pine being under sized. Just experiment and enjoy the journey, that's my advice. You'll pick up masses of knowledge along the way with the benefit of experience, and even with a zillion pens under their belts, everyone has a failure from time to time, so don't be afraid of that either.
 

AllenN

Fellow
Joined
May 20, 2013
Posts
2,242
Location
Lancaster, UK
First Name
Allen
That is a great first attempt. Peter’s advice is very wise. Using callipers to confirm the best size, slimline components can vary quite a bit. It is difficult to say how much to leave for sanding since it rather depends on the finish you can get from your tools. With sharp tools you hopefully should not need too much sanding.
 

flexi

Executive Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2014
Posts
6,159
Location
Maidstone
First Name
mark
Excellent first pen.....Phil has given really good advice, you will get a feeling for how close to the bushes you get and as to shape, I defo don't like a " fat girl with a tight belt":funny::funny:
Strange as it seems we all start with a slimline pen( probably because their cheep) but it's actually the hardest pen to get right!!
There's not a lot of meat left on a slimline tube, it's two pieces so grain orientation matters, as mentioned 'shape', They are also nearly the smallest/thinest pen to do.
If you can do these well, then you can turn pretty much any pen kit.......great start.....welcome to the club..and yes do keep your first:thumbs::thumbs:
 

pittswood

Fellow
Joined
Mar 14, 2016
Posts
1,249
Location
Rhigos, South Wales
First Name
Kelvin
Nice looking pen with a good grain.
Don't be afraid of experimenting with shapes and sizes, some do look brilliant and others look totally daft.
A persons style of writing, hand size, touch and a preference to a particular shape will dictate your turning of these pens.
Again, well done on your second attempt, keep them coming!
Kelvin
 

Chriscb

Full Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2014
Posts
204
Location
Sutton Coldfield
First Name
Chris
Well done for jumping onto the fray - good looking pen. Phil's right on the money regarding shape - you gotta hold the pen to use it and I guess people like Parker have refined the best shape over many years of pen production. I'm not a fan of a pen with lumps and bumps.

Regards,

Chriscb
 

Bill Mooney

Blind old git
Grand Master
Joined
Aug 16, 2014
Posts
10,997
Location
County Durham
First Name
Bill
A nice first pen Gavin.:thumbs:
I place my thumb nail on the bush & push my nail against the end of the blank. If my nail sticks against the blank I turn it down a bit more. If my nail flicks onto the blank then I’m ready for sanding. I hope you can understand ok, it will make sense when you try it.
 

WHCreations

Full Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2019
Posts
91
Location
surrey
First Name
william
Great work Gavin. Make sure you keep that one. Love showing people how to make their own pens. Always say to keep your first... unlike your ex's...
 

Frederick

Registered
Joined
Apr 8, 2018
Posts
871
Location
Chatham
First Name
Frederick
Not bad at all for a first effort. In fact it's very good indeed. Better than my first effort. Keep at it and the rewards will be great. It's a good feeling when you make and achieve something.

Cheers
Frederick
 
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