Pens, with alternative materials

[John. B]

Three new efforts,
two made from 'Corian' the other (top) is from spalted cherry.
The cherry looks darker at the top in the pic but it is in fact the same shade each end.(I think it's probably poor pic taking, or shadow from the log underneath)
anyway, :roll: these are my 8,9,and 10th.

John. B

 

[Jenx]

Lovely Stuff John ... and only the 10th or so ? ... that seems like a great success in quality... you've 'nailed it' with those !

If I had to choose a winner, and they're all great.. I like the Spalted Cherry, simply because its 'wood' over the other materials.

Great job ! 8) :lol: 8)

 

[Woodmagnet]

Very nice John, i too like the sp.cherry best for the
same reason as Jenx, although the two corian pens
have a certain something about them that i like. :wink:

 

[greggy]

john,you have three very nice pens there my friend. out of the thre,, i like the middle one. you have done a great job with the segmenting. when you do segmented pens try and match them with contrasting colours. great photo's too. well done. ummmm looks like i have some competition here. :lol: :lol:

 

[boysie39]

John they are beauties all three, Oh to be able to change from one type of turning to another just like that. OH! to be able to turn. great stuff John. REgards Boysie.

 

[Doug B]

They look very nice John.
Stevebuk kindly gave me some corian today, so hopefully i`ll get chance to play over the weekend. I hope they turn out as good as yours.

 

[Paul.J]

All very nice pens John,and a lovely piccy

 

[DaveL]

John,

Nice pens.

Did the corian come glued up or did you do it?
If so what glue did you use?

 

[stevebuk]

Beautiful pens john, i have turned many corian pens and love the way they turn out, as doug has said, i gave him some corian today so hope he can make something similar.

 

[John. B]

Thank you gents for all your comments,
Greggy, the middle one I cracked the front segment as I was putting in the nib section.
So it was a disassemble, turn off the cracked bit and replace it with another.
Doug, corian cuts very well on the bandsaw, turns easily with parting tools, gouges and scrapers.
I found it best to finish shaping with a large scraper, started to sand at 320 went to 3200 micromesh with water.
Micromesh using water creates a slurry which polishes out the scratches.
Then used a burnishing cream that is used for car bodies. Finishing with EEE and a touch of wax cream.
Dave,
The corian bits were measured, cut, glued together with medium CA glue.
Drilled with a spur point drill, made the blank slightly over-sized because as it breaks through it does chip off 1 mm or so.
If you beak through very slowly you don't lose much and it sands off easily.
The accents, (the black and white lines that separate the segments are 'pickguards') those who make guitars, know what they are.
Eugine,
It's amazing. I've been turning these past 19 years and these is the first pens I've turned. :roll:

PS the bottom pen is made up with 8 segments :wink:
PPs Steve, I've found a good source of corian offcuts. V.cheap the guy is a kitchen fitter, and has a garden full of it.

John. B

 

[shedhead]

All the pictures of the pens turned by forum members look great. The quality of picture taking is great.
How do you get your pictures so clear. The pictures i take do not do justice to the finished pen, because of poor quality lighting.
I have a light tent and 3 lights, top/ both sides. i use a grey card and sit camera on tripod, and take picture using the timer. The only thing i think i could improve is to use daylight bulbs. Will this help. Am i doing something wrong???
Would be keen to hear from others how they

 

[shedhead]

OOPS SORRY
This was meant to be a new thread. Can it be moved

 

[John. B]

Shedhead,
Camera on tripod, pens on white piece of hardboard on garden table in garden this morning.
cloudy bright, ideal!
Downloaded into 'Picasa' straightened, cropped, increased the contrast put in a little shadow, sharpened it a touch. et voila.
Sounds complicated, enormously easy to do. (I only use photoshop for creative work)

John. B

 

[shedhead]

Thanks John guess i have been making things harder than i need. I will have a go at your method and try 'Picasa' If i have any success i will post pens i have made this week. Thanks

 

[Argee]

They're beautifully finished and photographed, John, but I just don't like the look of narrow-waisted pens at all. What these have proved to me is that it's not the materials, it simply the shape that doesn't look right to me. Nothing wrong with the turning or photography, well done!

Ray.

 

[stewart]

Really nice pens, John.
My favourite is the middle one but they are all nicely turned and finished.

 

[John. B]

Shedhead,
One thing I forgot to mention, I export the pics from picasa to a folder on the desktop then access them into photobucket from that folder.
I can't seem to copy pics direct to photobucket from picasa and I find it quickest that way. :lol: :lol: :lol:

John. B

 

[John. B]

Ray,
I'll do a straight one next, see if we both prefer one to the other. :lol: :lol: :lol:
Gents!
I've got a couple of Sierra and Cigar kits without assemble instructions.
Does anyone have those on pdf or something?

John. B

 

[greggy]

hi john, i will send them to you. When i get home

 

[boysie39]

I would imagine that the people on this forum have to be the most helpful folk involved in a particular Hobby ,Pastime ,Or Buisness. To have someone to say he will send on the Info. that may help make a better object than he has made by using part of his system, when he gets home is beyond belief. It's a privlage to be part of it. REgards Boysie