I'm a woodworker. I'm a tinkerer. I try new stuff. I should try making a pen.
Well, a short time ago I get a Penn State catalog in the mail, and pen stuff
is featured on the cover and the first several pages. hmmm, must be a signŠ
ooo, shiny things! I saw some new pen blank media, their "metal" line, looks
like damascus twist pattern, sort of. I decide I want the black and white
pattern - I like the look. I also saw a special, they were offering on some
of their pen kits, a free starter package with drill bits, bushings and
barrel trimmer.

I ordered online, and soon after, the package came. I tear it open - and no
starter package.

I call customer service, prepared to complain, and the nice lady starts out
by asking if I ordered online. Yes, I said. Well, you have to specifically
ask for the starter package. I said there was no indication of that on the
online order form, and no reference number that I could see for the "starter
package". Well, she said, I always ask the customer when they order by phone.
I'll make sure you get the starter package, no shipping charges, either.
Pretty good, I'm thinking. It came shortly, and I'm all about going to work
on this thing.

I have the free bushings, but I find out I need a mandrel. Well, I have a
nice bit of scrap steel collecting dust in my shop. I turned and threaded a
mandrel and made a nice big fat nut to tighten down on everything. So far, so
good. I drill out the blanks with the free drill bits and epoxy the brass
tubes in place - and then learn that the barrel trimmer in the starter
package is actually a pair of sleeves - to be used with a specialized cutting
bit that is not part of the package. No matter, I call myself a woodworker, I
have the means to trim and square the blanks with other tools I already have.

I turn the barrel blank sections and get them polished to an excellent shine,
using the usual range of abrasives plus the 2 kinds of polishing cream that
came with the order. I put the pen together, and my gosh it is a heavy little
bugger! I'd gotten the "Majestic Junior" described as a slimmed down version
of their regular "majestic" pen. Whoa! If my slimmed down pen is this big and
heavy, what must the regular sized one be like?

This is one elegant looking pen, the kind you'd use for signing big important
contracts and write the great American novel with, if your computer was down.
It is heavy, though, and I find that I much prefer using it with the cap
lying about someplace, rather than posted on the top end of the pen body.

I really like using a fountain pen, and I like this one, except for the ugly
skinny metal sleeve on the end of the pen body where the cap would be posted
when writing. (I'll be doing something about that, later.) Whenever I feel
like making another pen, I'll have a better idea what I'll be doing and what
I'll be ordering. I also have a few interesting bits of wood kicking around
that would look good on a pen.
tom koehler

--
I will find a way or make one.

Welcome to pen turning!!

--
This is my plug for my web pages!!!!!!
www.ustream.tv/channel/nikitas-woodworks
www.facebook.com/NikitasWoodworks
"tom koehler" wrote in
message net.net...
I'm a woodworker. I'm a tinkerer. I try new stuff. I should try making a
pen.
Well, a short time ago I get a Penn State catalog in the mail, and pen
stuff
is featured on the cover and the first several pages. hmmm, must be a
signS
ooo, shiny things! I saw some new pen blank media, their "metal" line,
looks
like damascus twist pattern, sort of. I decide I want the black and white
pattern - I like the look. I also saw a special, they were offering on
some
of their pen kits, a free starter package with drill bits, bushings and
barrel trimmer.

I ordered online, and soon after, the package came. I tear it open - and
no
starter package.

I call customer service, prepared to complain, and the nice lady starts
out
by asking if I ordered online. Yes, I said. Well, you have to specifically
ask for the starter package. I said there was no indication of that on the
online order form, and no reference number that I could see for the
"starter
package". Well, she said, I always ask the customer when they order by
phone.
I'll make sure you get the starter package, no shipping charges, either.
Pretty good, I'm thinking. It came shortly, and I'm all about going to
work
on this thing.

I have the free bushings, but I find out I need a mandrel. Well, I have a
nice bit of scrap steel collecting dust in my shop. I turned and threaded
a
mandrel and made a nice big fat nut to tighten down on everything. So far,
so
good. I drill out the blanks with the free drill bits and epoxy the brass
tubes in place - and then learn that the barrel trimmer in the starter
package is actually a pair of sleeves - to be used with a specialized
cutting
bit that is not part of the package. No matter, I call myself a
woodworker, I
have the means to trim and square the blanks with other tools I already
have.

I turn the barrel blank sections and get them polished to an excellent
shine,
using the usual range of abrasives plus the 2 kinds of polishing cream
that
came with the order. I put the pen together, and my gosh it is a heavy
little
bugger! I'd gotten the "Majestic Junior" described as a slimmed down
version
of their regular "majestic" pen. Whoa! If my slimmed down pen is this big
and
heavy, what must the regular sized one be like?

This is one elegant looking pen, the kind you'd use for signing big
important
contracts and write the great American novel with, if your computer was
down.
It is heavy, though, and I find that I much prefer using it with the cap
lying about someplace, rather than posted on the top end of the pen body.

I really like using a fountain pen, and I like this one, except for the
ugly
skinny metal sleeve on the end of the pen body where the cap would be
posted
when writing. (I'll be doing something about that, later.) Whenever I feel
like making another pen, I'll have a better idea what I'll be doing and
what
I'll be ordering. I also have a few interesting bits of wood kicking
around
that would look good on a pen.
tom koehler

--
I will find a way or make one.

tom koehler wrote:
SNIP

I turn the barrel blank sections and get them polished to an excellent shine,
using the usual range of abrasives plus the 2 kinds of polishing cream that
came with the order. I put the pen together, and my gosh it is a heavy little
bugger! I'd gotten the "Majestic Junior" described as a slimmed down version
of their regular "majestic" pen. Whoa! If my slimmed down pen is this big and
heavy, what must the regular sized one be like?

This is one elegant looking pen, the kind you'd use for signing big important
contracts and write the great American novel with, if your computer was down.
It is heavy, though, and I find that I much prefer using it with the cap
lying about someplace, rather than posted on the top end of the pen body.

I really like using a fountain pen, and I like this one, except for the ugly
skinny metal sleeve on the end of the pen body where the cap would be posted
when writing. (I'll be doing something about that, later.) Whenever I feel
like making another pen, I'll have a better idea what I'll be doing and what
I'll be ordering. I also have a few interesting bits of wood kicking around
that would look good on a pen.
tom koehler


Tom:

I got several of the full-sized Majestics several weeks ago when Rockler
dropped the price from about $50 to about $20. I turned 2 of them from
amboyna burl and they are heavy *and* majestic. Prettiest pens I've ever
seen. Continue to have fun!

~Mark.

On Wed, 28 Apr 2010 19:19:53 -0500, tom koehler wrote:

plus the 2 kinds of polishing
cream that came with the order.

FWIW, on any acrylics, CA finish, and most metals, Meguiar's PlastX from
the WalMart automotive section makes a great polish after MicroMesh. $6
for a bottle that will last a long time, too.

I use it on a cloth with the piece on the lathe, or on a cloth wheel for
parts off the lathe. A few seconds on the cloth wheel at 3200rpm with
PlastX has also saved a couple pairs of safety glasses and some hazed
DVDs.