# Simple wooden pen



## mredburn (Jun 2, 2011)

This was the pen I made for Mrpukashell for the spring PITH. Like all of us I am always challenged in the pith's to take the basic requirements and push it as much as I can. This was my first ever attempt at an all wood bodied pen. The pen is made from Western Mesquite burl and Pine.







I used a pkmont kit for the non wood parts except for the refill, for that I used a parker style from Private reserve.









I turned the lower barrel to .394(10mm) and the upper tube to .456(11.6mm). The mesquite finial is solid and I did it that way for a reason. I turned a small tenon on the upper tube for the mesquite band. I turned it down to 10.2mm to almost match the lower body. I then turned the mesquite center band to 10.2 on the inside and 12mm on the outside. I then glued the center band on the upper tube and turned it down to match together. 





I then drilled the nose cone for the refill profiles and turned the wall thickness down to fit in the tubes. Both the nose cone shoulder wall and the center band are .028 thick. 








I immediately used thin super glue on the wall of the nose cone to reinforce it. I made a brass mandrel that just barely slid into the nose cone to support it while I turned the taper on the front of the nose cone. 





I turned the brass coupler down to fit the pen. Just barely larger than the brass tube and I turned it down where it press in to the tube. This allows me to make the check all the lengths before assemblage. The Small mesquite band does 2 things. It finishes off the top of the blank and it allows me to trim it down until I get the length right. 
The pen assembled without a clip





I was really going back an forth about the clip. Black ebony or matching mesquite. I finally decided on the mesquite.








I made the finial solid and long to fit deep into the tube. I used the mill to drill a 2mm hole 3/8 (10mm)  long,  all the way  into the center of the finial. I hand formed the clip with files, sanding sticks, and hand sanding.  








I had already put 4 coats of medium ca on the pen and polished it. I haven't done but about 10 pens with ca and this one went on like a dream. After the test fit of the final shape I removed the clip form the pen and held it in tweezers while I put 4 thick coats of medium ca on it.  I just poured it on carefully and spread it out with a tooth pick. Taking care not to get the tooth pick stuck. Then I hand sanded it starting at about 400 grit  working down to 800 grit and then transferring over to Micro mesh pads. I  started at 6000 and went down to 12000, the last step was to epoxie the polished clip onto the pen.  IT took about 8 hours over 2 days to make the pen.  I have a little over an hour in making the clip. 














Anyway thats my pen for the Pith.  Hope you enjoyed it, any comments welcome.


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## Holz Mechaniker (Jun 2, 2011)

WOW!


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## ldb2000 (Jun 2, 2011)

Awesome job Mike . I have played with wooden clips with some success , yours is perfect !!! I love the combo of woods that you have used , very complimentary . Your fit , form and finish are stunning .


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## ctubbs (Jun 2, 2011)

Beautiful work!  That pen is a true work of art.
Charles


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## Rick P (Jun 2, 2011)

Very cool! Think I might need to step up a bit for mine........


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## Phunky_2003 (Jun 2, 2011)

*Simple??*

Roflmao *shakes head*

*grumbles something inaudible*

He freaking said simple..........


An outstanding piece.  That's a beauty.


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## Christian (Jun 2, 2011)

That is a real work of art.  What penturning is all about, pushing the boundaries.

Lovely job.


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## workinforwood (Jun 2, 2011)

Very nice work Mike!


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## MarkD (Jun 2, 2011)

Now that is ART...and talent! Great Job. 
Man...I need to rethink my ideas for the PITH!


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## witz1976 (Jun 2, 2011)

Phunky_2003 said:


> *Simple??*
> 
> Roflmao *shakes head*
> 
> ...




Yea my thoughts exactly.  

Mike, if this is simple I would LOVE to see what is challenging for you.  That is simply outstanding.  Great job!!


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## Andrew_K99 (Jun 2, 2011)

Wow, what an amazing pen!!  Great job!!

AK


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## Rangertrek (Jun 2, 2011)

Terrific job Mike!  But, I don't see anything simple about it.  Simple clean appearance hides all the talented work underneath.


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## soligen (Jun 2, 2011)

Great Pen Mike!  

At 8 hours for that pen, I'd call you a Speed Demon!   Does that include design and planning time?


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## BRobbins629 (Jun 2, 2011)

That is one nice lookin pen and very much in the spirit of this PITH. Well done.


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## Dalecamino (Jun 2, 2011)

Very impressive Mike, and fine results. Thanks for taking the time to explain your procedure and, for the pics. I like it!


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## mredburn (Jun 2, 2011)

soligen said:


> Great Pen Mike!
> 
> At 8 hours for that pen, I'd call you a Speed Demon! Does that include design and planning time?


 
Design? Planning?   you give me to much credit,:biggrin: nope definitely "as built"   I just had the way the pen would look in my mind when I started. Form followed function. I kept making it smaller in diameter as I went. I made a brass rod to jam the blanks on so that I could turn the mesquite parts flush with the pine after I glued them on. THe final dimensions were turned with everything glued in  place but the clip. there is no lip whatso ever between the mesquite and Pine. 

Thanks for the comments. There is still room for improvement. 

Mike


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## azamiryou (Jun 2, 2011)

That's sweet! Quite a challenge.


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## hewunch (Jun 2, 2011)

Fantastic work! I know your partner will love receiving it.


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## Gagler (Jun 2, 2011)

outstanding job, and I appreciate your showing the steps along the way - very informative!


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## TerryDowning (Jun 2, 2011)

Outstanding job!



mredburn said:


> I made a brass mandrel that just barely slid into the nose cone to support it while I turned the taper on the front of the nose cone.



Details of this mandrel and how you mounted it would be appreciated. Stock size, tail stock attachment etc.

Thanks

Terry


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## mredburn (Jun 2, 2011)

Terry Its simply a piece of brass rod about 1/4(6mm) in diameter about an 1 1/2 (40mm) long. I mount it in the chuck and turned it down to the diameter of the drill bits I used to make the holes for the refill. IT is stepped down from the larger drill bit that fits the pen refill body size to the size of the tip that stick though. I made a pdf of what it looks like.


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## GoodTurns (Jun 2, 2011)

****!


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## OKLAHOMAN (Jun 2, 2011)

That's simple??? ​


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## Kenessl (Jun 2, 2011)

Very nice!


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## mrburls (Jun 2, 2011)

Awesome pen Mike. 

Keith "mrburls"


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## TerryDowning (Jun 2, 2011)

Thanks, I was headed that direction. It's nice to know my ideas have been done before.

Is the smaller diameter in the chuck/collet or the larger diameter? Any tail stock support?

I'm Guessing live center on larger end with smaller diameter chucked?

Now to get some 1/4 brass rod!


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## mredburn (Jun 2, 2011)

I usually dont have a tail stock support. I some times cut a shoulder into the larger diameter to push against the jaws of the chuck so it cant push back into the chuck as i m workng on it.  Hopefully this picture will show you how I use it. 

Mike


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## Lenny (Jun 2, 2011)

Wow! That's an incredible piece of work! Super job!

Thanks for taking the time to share your methods.


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## TheRealSmith (Jun 2, 2011)

*so cool*

That is awesome great job! it reminds me of the all wood motorcycle that was on Pawn Stars last year.


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## JAZNCARR (Jun 2, 2011)

+2000000 to what Phunky 2003 said...  very nice


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## hilltopper46 (Jun 2, 2011)

Very, very nice, AND an inspiration.


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## johncrane (Jun 2, 2011)

Great job Mike! looks really good.


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## Pete275 (Jun 2, 2011)

If that is what simple is I'd hate to see complicated. Totally cool pen, very inspirational.

Wayne


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## boxerman (Jun 2, 2011)

Wow nice pen. I would love to have pen like that. Thanks for showing.


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## Pen&FishingCT (Jun 3, 2011)

stunning.


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## bluwolf (Jun 3, 2011)

Mike, I told you it looked great. It looks great in person too.


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