latest turning....

[NikNak]

Here's my latest attempt at pen turning.

It's made from Crack Willow. One of my fave woods to make smaller items from.


The colour of the pen is pretty much as you see it here.....

Just the other day i was watching a YouTube vid on just using CA as a finish medium, so tried it on the Crack Willow pen above. The finish is okayyyy..... but still prefer the finish i can achieve with friction polish. I know i know, i can hear you guys saying it won't last, and will dull off in time. But hey, it does give instant results.


I made one last week from a piece of Oak (as a birthday present for a friend... must borrow it back and take some pictures...), and had a go at the BLO/CA method of 'finishing' it. Having turned it to the desired profile and sanded down i them put a coat or two of sanding sealer on it and had a mooch around the shed for some Boiled Linseed Oil..... i think you guys refer to it as BLO. Anyway, couldn't find any..... but did have some Teak oil.... used on the patio furniture in the spring, so used a bit of that before going over with the CA glue. The finish i got was fantastic, but only lasted a few hours before dulling off. Presumably this is due to not using the right oil..?



Now.... up till now i've only made pens using the Axminster 'Artisan' kits. No problem. However the band round the middle is just a little loose, is this normal..? It doesn't rattle, but i can turn it with my fingers.


I'm about to venture out and try some more expensive kits now, and have found a guy on ebay.... funi-turnz (i think thats his name/i.d) and was planning to buy some gear from him. Any recommendations....??


As always..... comments welcomed.




Nick

 

[Blister]

Hi NikNak

Why say attempt ?

Looks like a good pen to me

 

[jpt]

Thats a good looking pen.

BLO/CA can be tricky but once mastered gives a very good hard wearing finish there is a guide HERE on how I do it.

john

 

[stevebuk]

Lovely looking pen there nick, try and photograph it on a plain background though, will look better, believe me.

 

[johnny.t.]

Nice pen Nick 8) The crack willow looks good, I also like pens where a knot is included, makes them look a lot more interesting
The CA/BLO finish is well worth getting the hang of and is a nice quick and easy shiny finish, which for me makes pens feel much better in the hand.

JT

 

[NikNak]

Thanks for the replies guys.....


So does the BLO make a difference... i.e. i used Teak oil cos that's all i had.

Plus, should i be sealing it or not..? will that make a difference..?

And (last question..... for the moment..) should i be leaving it for say half an hour between coats..?


Cheers


Nick

 

[loftyhermes]

You tube has videos on CA finishing.

 

[Pip]

Nick, You'll be satisfied with the service from "Fun-e-turnz", it's a lady caled Helen, I've bought from her several times and have been happy every time, also check out "Turners Workshop" another good seller.
pip