# Our wedding pen



## gordonfraser (Oct 26, 2012)

Hello all,

I'm new here, from Scotland and I've been turning for the past 2 months.

I'm an ex model maker for what used to be one of the UK's largest architectural practices and am a product designer by education/hobby. Not currently fulfilling my education at the mo as I had to find another job due to the architectural practice going bang.

So anyway, my life isn't so bad and I now have the time to turn in the evenings instead of working my ass off for pittance.

I digress...

We're getting married on the 10th of November this year - 10-11-12 - and my fiancee and I have made pretty much everything for our wedding bar the kilts and her dress. All the bouqets, button holes, kilt-pins etc have been made by us and we've taken so much pride in being able to make all these things. So when I decided to make my brother's kiltpin and as a result bought a lathe, I never imagined I would ever be turning pens - but I stumbled upon the IAP and the rest, as they say, is history.

Went from a mandrel to TBC because of some pretty duff oval barrels. I made some Polaris pens and as I ran my finger over where the wood meets the metal once assembled, there was a lip at 2 sides and a ledge at the other. Bad news. So I got myself a 60* dead and live and I've never looked back. My pens are now perfectly cylindrical and I feel so much more pride when it goes right than getting all the way to finished pen and it's just not right...

So my wedding pen is made from a Timberbits.com Pristina Rhodium Titanium Gold kit, absolutely fantastic service from David and beautiful kits. It's absolutely crazy that it's cheaper to get my kits from the other side of the world - Australia - than the UK but I'll go to David every time than go to Axminster or other places that sell overpriced kits.

I've used a Timberbits.com Opal Pearl blank and I spent a good chunk of the time getting a lovely sweep on the main barrel and getting the finish absolutely flawless. I hope you'll agree, it's beautiful.

I'm really interested in kitless but after the splurge of summer 2012 with lathes, parts, accessories, kits, blanks lalalalalalala, I want to at least remain married for a few weeks...:biggrin: I'll get the taps, dies and FP parts next month hahaha

I love this hobby. I love how amazingly accomplishing it feels. I write with a fountain pen every day now. I love it, I love looking down and thinking I made that. Brilliant stuff.

Great forum, great pictures and advice. Thanks to the hundreds of people who have bestowed advice that I've read and learnt by. My latest stumble was drilling my blanks on my lathe and the drill bit wobbling about. I thought, why not get the skew out and face the blank off, and what do you know? Perfectly centred, perfectly round holes. It's a wonderful experience, and as I said, amazingly accomplishing.

2 weeks to go till the big day and I can't wait!

Thanks again and all the best

Gordon

My wedding pen:


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## panamag8or (Oct 26, 2012)

Congratulations, and what a beautiful pen! 
Can the nib be switched to a rollerball? I've heard people here say that guests that aren't used to writing with a FP can damage the nib. They say switch it back to the FP nib after the wedding.

I'm making a wedding pen for my step-daughter soon, and I will go that route.


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## gordonfraser (Oct 26, 2012)

Thank you very much.

This is the pen that we sign the register with on the day, hence the Registrar's/Archival Ink. The guestbook (which is actually a fingerprint tree that I sketched and we'll get the guests to print their thumbs as leaves....) will have another rollerball or permanent fibre pen.

But aye, the Pristina's come with either fountain or roller. My brother is the best man and I'm doing him a pens set with a Pristina roller and fountain set using Burr Red Mallee. That's tomorrow's task!


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## gordonfraser (Oct 26, 2012)

I should add, that apparently it's law that you need to sign with a fountain pen and archival ink in the UK. Hence the wedding pen! Why would I want to sign with someone elses pen when I can make me own!


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## Jim15 (Oct 26, 2012)

Welcome. Congratulations. The pen is beautiful.


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## wiset1 (Oct 26, 2012)

Wow, really beautiful pen!


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## alamocdc (Oct 27, 2012)

Congratulations on the upcoming event and welcome to IAP, Gordon! Very nice wedding pen!


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## Twissy (Oct 27, 2012)

Nice work Gordon! Good luck with the wedding!


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## skiprat (Oct 27, 2012)

Good luck with the wedding Gordon.  I hope it all goes perfectly and the weather holds out for you guys. 

How about a pic or two of the other wedding stuff you made? I'd really like to see the kilt pins.


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## ericofpendom (Oct 27, 2012)

Hi Gordon, all the best for the forthcoming event and really well done with the pen.


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## mrcook4570 (Oct 27, 2012)

Congrats!  And that is a beautiful pen.


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## michael j flett (Oct 27, 2012)

Pen looks great Gordon, im also from scotland good to have another scott on iapt.
Good luck have a great day


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## Wright (Oct 27, 2012)

Welcome to IAP. Beautiful work on the pen.


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## scotian12 (Oct 27, 2012)

Welcome Gordon from New Scotland ( Nova Scotia , Canada). That is a beautiful wedding pen. If you have time let us see the kilt pin that you bought your lathe for. Best wishes on your wedding day!


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## mredburn (Oct 27, 2012)

IF you havent yet discovered a "center drill"  common in metal working circles for starting drill holes, pick one up as one of your next items.  Congratulaions on getting married.


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## plano_harry (Oct 27, 2012)

Gordon,

Welcome to IAP and congratulations on your approaching wedding.  Sounds like the ceremony will be a grand and very personal event with all the work you have invested.  Beautiful work on the pen!  I am sure being a model maker, and the necessary attention to detail, is a big advantage in turning quality work so quickly.  Looking forward to seeing more of your work!

Harry


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## Dustygoose (Oct 27, 2012)

Gratz and beautiful Pen.  I like that blank too


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## MartinPens (Oct 27, 2012)

skiprat said:


> How about a pic or two of the other wedding stuff you made? I'd really like to see the kilt pins.



Congrats! And I agree, the service that David is offering from Australia is quite amazing. Beautiful pen.
I'm with Steven in wanting to see some pics of the other stuff you've turned. You would need to post in a separate thread, likely, in the "other things we make" area. 
Hope all goes well. Kitless is a whole other bankroll, so I understand about waiting a bit. Thanks for sharing!

Sent from my iPad using Forum Runner


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## ugrad (Oct 27, 2012)

Lovely pen. All the best for the 10th of November.

Regards
Peter


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## glen r (Oct 27, 2012)

Gordon, that is a lovely pen and congratulations to you and your Bride on 10-11-12.  My your lives together be long, healthy and happy.


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## Glen Schumann (Oct 27, 2012)

Marvelous looking pen and welcome from Winona.


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## John Den (Oct 28, 2012)

All the best from Devon.
What a splendid pen for the great occasion! I'm sure all will go well.
Kind regards to both of you,
John.


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## gordonfraser (Oct 28, 2012)

THank you to everyone!


I'm still finishing the kilt-pin so will upload it when done. Just finished my brother's best man gift this evening - a matched set of 2 pens, a fountain and rollerball from Burl Red Mallee, probably the hardest wood to finish that I've encountered so far. My goodness why doesn't it work with BLO/CA? Anyway, looks a lot classier in a matte finish.... :laugh:


Thanks again and 1 week 5 days to go!

Gordon


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## mikespenturningz (Oct 28, 2012)

Nice pen. Good luck with the wedding.


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## CTpenman (Oct 29, 2012)

Congratulations! The pen came out awesome. Have a great wedding and enjoy the day!


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## Robert111 (Oct 29, 2012)

Beautiful pen, beautiful photos! The workmanship is also beautiful!:good:


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## Fishinbo (Oct 30, 2012)

Looking very pristine!  Congratulations.  Warmest wishes.


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## turnaround 360 (Oct 30, 2012)

Check to make sure with the registrar before hand ,I made my daughter a fp for her wedding and on the day they would'nt let her use it so upset she was good luck and congrats.


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## gordonfraser (Dec 12, 2012)

Hi all

Thanks so much for your replies.


Here it is, in all it's glory. We had a wonderful, perfect, beautiful day and everything went to plan.


Wish we could do it again.










We never had a problem with using our own pen so long as we had the registrars ink inside it.



Thanks again all


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## ugrad (Dec 12, 2012)

gordonfraser said:


> Hi all
> 
> Thanks so much for your replies.
> 
> ...



Glad it all went well.

Regards
Peter


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## Hendu3270 (Dec 12, 2012)

Congratulations on the wedding and you've done some outstanding work with these pens.


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