Pen Design and Construction - Part 2

Well since there weren't any questions, I can proceed with the completion of these beautiful pens.

Here's a reminder of where we are going with this:

The finished pens

We left off with an array of pen bodies and grips with the brass tube glued in.

The next step is to mount the two pieces on the lathe and turn them down to size. My pen lathe is made by Sherline, which is actually a small metal turning lathe. I found it to be just right size for pen turning and it has the capability of doing making jigs and fixtures for pen making.

Blanks mounted on the lathe.

 The pen parts are mounted on a long mandrel. Using a skew chisel, I first turn the wood into a cylinder and then form the taper on the grip. I sand down to 1000 grit and apply a sanding sealer which fills open pores in the wood and forms a base for the final finish.

 

 Here are all the pens ready for the finish.

Pens turned, sanded and sealed

The finish I use is a water-clear lacquer that is specially formulated for musical instruments. It is resistant to hand oils and abrasion and because it is clear (that is, not yellow as most lacquers are) it allows the true color of the woods to shine through. My customers are very pleased with this finish. More than one customer has shown me a pen that is years old and looks good as new. I have even put one of my pens through the washer and the dryer (not intentionally!) and it came out good as new.

Finish has been applied

Three coats of lacquer is standard. If the sun is out, I put the pen outside to accelerate the cure. Did you know that it takes lacquer about 7 days to fully cure?

The last step is to assemble the pens. The parts are press-fit together in an arbor press. I perform a quick test to make sure the point extends the proper distance and the pens are complete and ready for you!