# Sculpted Stainless Steel Slimline



## skiprat (Aug 26, 2014)

Fresh off the angle grinder !!:biggrin: 

I think the only straight lines on this pen are the sides of the holes down the middle. The outside is Tri-lobe shaped with convex and concave curves. 

If the humble slim has an Achilles heel, then in my opinion it's the moving joint in the mech. To give the mech a fighting chance on a fairly heavy pen like this, I overlapped the tubes and blank halves. Also put a small tennon between the blanks. 

I spent hours with the 6 inch angle grinder and even longer with the sanding and polishing....but when I showed my dear wife....guess what she said..?

'Mmm...that's different.....looks like a medical thingy' 

LOL, I hope you like it more than the she-devil...:biggrin:


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## walshjp17 (Aug 26, 2014)

Stunning!  'nuf said.


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## seamus7227 (Aug 26, 2014)

you are a mastermind when you create something, which is shocking for a rat!! Love this style. Looks like it feels great in the hand!


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## skiprat (Aug 26, 2014)

seamus7227 said:


> Looks like it feels great in the hand!


 
Yep, it is nice to hold. The first time I saw a Tri-lobe pen was Bruce Boone's Flame Pen. ( I still love that pen !!:wink: ) 
One of the (many ) complaints the LOML has about steel pens is that they are slippery and sometimes difficult to hold. This shape makes it a lot easier. :biggrin:  Keeps 'her' quiet too...:tongue:


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## longbeard (Aug 26, 2014)

Priceless...amazing  pen skippy
Love the shape.



Harry


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## MarkD (Aug 26, 2014)

Another one of a kind beauty!


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## Si90 (Aug 26, 2014)

Liking that very much, love the shape.


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## D.Oliver (Aug 26, 2014)

I think I'm going to have to learn another language in order to find an adjective to better describe your work. "Amazing" just isn't cutting it anymore.


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## Dalecamino (Aug 26, 2014)

Gee Whiz!!! Will you STOP???:bulgy-eyes: Now I have to find out HOW you did this?:redface::laugh:

Beauty Steve!:wink::biggrin:


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## firewhatfire (Aug 26, 2014)

Skip,

Do you mind going through your process for sanding and polishing something like that?


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## Sandsini (Aug 26, 2014)

That's not a pen... its a work of art!

Beautiful!


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## SteveJ (Aug 26, 2014)

That's one of the nicer kit-less pens I've seen in a while!


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## Joe S. (Aug 26, 2014)

SMJ1957 said:


> That's one of the nicer kit-less pens I've seen in a while!


Kitless? It's just another slimline!


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## skiprat (Aug 26, 2014)

firewhatfire said:


> Skip,
> 
> Do you mind going through your process for sanding and polishing something like that?


 
Not at all..:wink:
In this instance the pen was turned to a regular teardrop shape on the lathe. Both ends.
Depending how lazy I was in sharpening my HSS cutter or using a fresh insert cutter determines what grade wet'n'dry paper I can start with. 
Mostly start with 400 grit and work my way upto 1200. 
Then I started with the angle grinder making very light passes. 
The grinding actaully leaves a very nice finish and I can often start at 800 grit for a bit before just buffing. 
I wet sand just to keep the paper clear.

Three buffing wheels, but I generally just load up the first wheel with the dark gray compound. Sorry I don't know what it's called.
Sometimes it can take ages, particulary if I have a deep scratch or used files to do shaping. 
I often have blisters on my right thumb an index fingers..:redface:

Here's a couple of pics showing how I used the angle grinder. 
The lathe is off, of course and just used to hold and index the work. 

The pivot point can either be locked with the cap screws when using the carraige, or left loose to create arcs. 

Cheers for the comments:biggrin:


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## mark james (Aug 26, 2014)

That is an amazing work!  The bar is getting so high it's hard to see it anymore.


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## Janster (Aug 26, 2014)

...stunning execution!....be well....Jan


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## SteveG (Aug 26, 2014)

Many of the posters in this thread have boot marks up and down their back, from the next poster and the next... climbing over each other, to find better descriptive words and phrases to apply to your work here. I am starting to get older and cannot withstand that kind of self-imposed abuse, so I will just stand back an admire.


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## D.Oliver (Aug 26, 2014)

SteveG said:


> Many of the posters in this thread have boot marks up and down their back, from the next poster and the next... climbing over each other, to find better descriptive words and phrases to apply to your work here. I am starting to get older and cannot withstand that kind of self-imposed abuse, so I will just stand back an admire.


 
You have a point Steve.  I was just looking in the mirror at the marks on my back and I'm curious which one of you blokes is wearing the high heels?  Dalecamino, I'm looking in you dirction!


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## Gofer (Aug 26, 2014)

mark james said:


> That is an amazing work!  The bar is getting so high it's hard to see it anymore.



Bar??? What bar??? Skiprat sets a faint line in the sky that I would need an airplane to reach. An order of insperation for those of us who still have lots to learn.

Bruce


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## Cwalker935 (Aug 26, 2014)

One word-  incredible!


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## Dalepenkala (Aug 26, 2014)

skiprat said:


> Fresh off the angle grinder !!:biggrin:
> 
> I think the only straight lines on this pen are the sides of the holes down the middle. The outside is Tri-lobe shaped with convex and concave curves.
> 
> ...


 

Very cool looking pen Steve! Congrats!


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## thebillofwrites (Aug 26, 2014)

That is Amazing Skip


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## sbell111 (Aug 26, 2014)

Gofer said:


> mark james said:
> 
> 
> > That is an amazing work!  The bar is getting so high it's hard to see it anymore.
> ...


His explanations are nice and clear so that just for the briefest of seconds, you think 'Oh, I could do that'.  Then you look back at the pics of the pen and realize just how lacking your abilities truly are.


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## studioseven (Aug 26, 2014)

Skip,
I, too, was wondering how you went about polishing this.  Great work.

Seven


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## stonepecker (Aug 26, 2014)

I am speachless.


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## MikeL (Aug 26, 2014)

Yep, what everyone else is saying. Well Beyond my skills, imagination, and equipment.


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## firewhatfire (Aug 26, 2014)

Well that was not what I had pictured in my mind. :biggrin: I was thinking how am I gonna hold something still to do that.   Of course I am no mad scientist such as yourself.  

Just proves how much I have to learn.

Thanks for the quick tutorial by the way, it was very educational.

Phil 



skiprat said:


> firewhatfire said:
> 
> 
> > Skip,
> ...


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## mredburn (Aug 26, 2014)

Very nicely done Steve


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## Dale Lynch (Aug 26, 2014)

I am amazed by your creativity,that's a cool pen.


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## Jim15 (Aug 26, 2014)

Your work is amazing. Thanks for sharing it.


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## Twissy (Aug 27, 2014)

That's beautiful Steve!
It does look like a probe.........but an alien space probe, and you've probably even managed to get a cloaking device in there!


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## mikespenturningz (Aug 27, 2014)

Wow that is just beautiful..


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## OLDMAN5050 (Aug 27, 2014)

Show-off..........


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## wizard (Aug 27, 2014)

...Aren't there supposed to windows in the cockpit of that spacecraft?
LOL...Beautiful Work!!!

Doc


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## BayouPenturner (Aug 27, 2014)

Great imagination and skill.


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## OZturner (Aug 30, 2014)

Glorious Pen, Steve.
Outstanding Craftsmanship.
Brian.


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## skiprat (Aug 30, 2014)

Many thanks for all the kind comments, guys. Always very appreciated.:biggrin:


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## bluwolf (Aug 30, 2014)

That is a beauty Skip! Love the way your mind works.

Mike


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## Dan Masshardt (Aug 30, 2014)

This is on the lone between inspiring and intimidating.  .   I can only make round pens. Haha

Seriously though, thank you for sharing this great pen


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