# First pen..... sorta



## WoodLove (Apr 15, 2014)

Ive turned quite a few pens over the past 1.5 years but this one is a couple of firsts for me. I had parts from an Olympian Elite sitting around the shop and decided to try my hand at a semi-kitless pen. I didnt have a tap and die set so I had to use the threaded parts from the OE.... and the clip as well.

The first thing I did.... which was a first for me... is I stabilized some cross cut spalted live oak..... thanks for the chamber @Jon Kennedy . Secondly it was the first time I turned a pen without using a pen kit.

I used macassar ebony for the center band. On the cap I created a "pocket" the right size for the threaded insert to fit into so none of the insert would be seen. The barrel of the pen was drilled just deep enough for the refillable ink well to fit in. the finish is polyurethane.

I made this pen as a challenge for myself to try new things and what I have learned is I will be buying a tap and die set so I can go completely kitless. I think Im hooked on this type of pen making now......Oh yeah, this pen will be sent to @longbeard as my end of the recent pen swap. Included pics of the blanks Ill be sending as well.

C & C are welcomed and appreciated...... it's how I learn.... thanks.

Reactions: Like 7 | EyeCandy! 2 | Way Cool 5


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## SENC (Apr 15, 2014)

My only C&C is that I see no pics!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## WoodLove (Apr 15, 2014)

SENC said:


> My only C&C is that I see no pics!


 yeah..... new computer with windows 8...... not used to it yet.....


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## Kevin (Apr 15, 2014)

That is a gorgeous, elegant, classy pen. Very well done. I think if I start turning them, kitless would be the challenge I would need to make it fun for me. Not saying I could do that though not for a while! Well done.


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## JR Custom Calls (Apr 15, 2014)

WoodLove said:


> new computer with windows 8


I'm sorry. That is the absolute worst operating system ever. Works well for phones and such, but it is in no way a desktop or laptop computer friendly OS.


I really like that pen!


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## WoodLove (Apr 15, 2014)

Kevin said:


> That is a gorgeous, elegant, classy pen. Very well done. I think if I start turning them, kitless would be the challenge I would need to make it fun for me. Not saying I could do that though not for a while! Well done.



I think that's what made it fun for me..... the challenge of it all. My next one I plan on making it postable.... this challenge only took 3 pen blanks to make it happen.....lololol

Reactions: Like 1


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## Kevin (Apr 15, 2014)

WoodLove said:


> My next one I plan on making it postable.



Not sure what that means?


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## WoodLove (Apr 15, 2014)

Kevin said:


> Not sure what that means?


 where the cap can be put on the end of the pen while you write......

Reactions: Like 1


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## Tclem (Apr 15, 2014)

Man that is awesome. Good job. I've been thinking about putting my scrap kits together to do this.


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## Wildthings (Apr 15, 2014)

That is one sweet pen!!



Kevin said:


> Not sure what that means?


You'll notice that the end of the pen away from the cap is smooth. Postable means that end has threads so when you uncap you pen you can screw the cap on that end to keep from loosing it.

Here's a picture of a pen that's postable

Reactions: Like 2 | EyeCandy! 1


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## Final Strut (Apr 15, 2014)

That is awesome Jamie. Very well done. Your addiction has just reached a new level. Congratulations.


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## Karl_99 (Apr 15, 2014)

Beautiful pen!! I really like the shape of the pen and the blank. Well done. Longbeard is lucky!!!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## longbeard (Apr 15, 2014)

Mine........allllll mine and none of ya can play with it!!! 

Thats a great looking pen Jamie. Can't wait to use it. Thank you 



Harry


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## Blueglass (Apr 15, 2014)

Very nice. I love seeing you challenge yourself.


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## rdabpenman (Apr 15, 2014)

You did a great job on that one.

Les


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## Terry Summerville (Apr 16, 2014)

That is a really nice pen! I wish I lived closer to some of you guys to teach me your tricks!! 


...and steal your stash.... hahaha


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## duncsuss (Apr 16, 2014)

_*Welcome to the dark side, Luke ... *_

First off -- congratulations! This looks great.



WoodLove said:


> Ive turned quite a few pens over the past 1.5 years but this one is a couple of firsts for me. I had parts from an Olympian Elite sitting around the shop and decided to try my hand at a semi-kitless pen. I didnt have a tap and die set so I had to use the threaded parts from the OE.... and the clip as well.


It's a very sensible way to start -- not knowing which taps/dies you're going to need, whether you'll even care for the whole thing or not, etc. If you don't want to get into making your own sections (the piece your fingers grip as you write) initially, Bear Tooth Woods sell that component. I think the one I bought has M10 x 1 threads, so that's the tap you'd need to buy to cut threads into the barrel.

You can buy clips from a lot of different sources (Exotic Blanks, Indy-pen-dance, etc.)



> On the cap I created a "pocket" the right size for the threaded insert to fit into so none of the insert would be seen. The barrel of the pen was drilled just deep enough for the refillable ink well to fit in.


Exactly how I would have done it.



> I made this pen as a challenge for myself to try new things and what I have learned is I will be buying a tap and die set so I can go completely kitless.


I'd advise against "a set" --most sets I've seen are way too coarse for this type of work. Personally, I like metric for this (I know M10 is bigger than M9 ... takes me a while to figure out if 3/8 is bigger or smaller than 13/32) and VictorNet.com is a good source for these. Also note that dies for cutting threads are round (not hexagonal -- they are for chasing threads that already exist but got beaten up.)



> I think Im hooked on this type of pen making now.






> Oh yeah, this pen will be sent to @longbeard as my end of the recent pen swap. Included pics of the blanks Ill be sending as well.


He's a lucky guy.


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## Sprung (Apr 16, 2014)

Very nice pen and work, Jamie!


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## duncsuss (Apr 16, 2014)

Wildthings said:


> You'll notice that the end of the pen away from the cap is smooth. Postable means that end has threads so when you uncap you pen you can screw the cap on that end to keep from loosing it.



Not true ... "postable" can be with or without threads. The cap doesn't have to screw on to be "posted" -- a pen with a smooth barrel (so long as it fits inside the cap) can still be a postable pen.

For example, THIS beauty which I saw recently on the Fountain Pen Network.


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## Wildthings (Apr 16, 2014)

Yes so true! I wasn't looking too far out when I wrote my answer


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## duncsuss (Apr 16, 2014)

Wildthings said:


> Yes so true! I wasn't looking too far out when I wrote my answer


I think all the kit pens I've made that were postable had screw threads on the tail end of the barrel. The Magnetic Vertex doesn't, of course.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## WoodLove (Apr 17, 2014)

duncsuss said:


> _*Welcome to the dark side, Luke ... *_
> 
> First off -- congratulations! This looks great.
> 
> ...


 

Thanks for the information. Im planning on stabilizing some spalted sweetgun I have which should make this pen somewhat drab.........


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## Mike Caffery (Apr 18, 2014)

It's a beauty!


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