# Right Idea - Poor Execution



## MartinPens (Feb 19, 2011)

This is my first time working with metal. It would have turned out if I had gotten the layers on straight. Oh well, it was a learning experience. 

Martin


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## toolcrazy (Feb 19, 2011)

Nothing wrong with it. It is supposed to be that way. :wink::biggrin:

Ya, that's it!! It's the way it supposed to be.

:wink:


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## philb (Feb 19, 2011)

That's a pretty impressive effort! Ever if the layers aren't perpendicular to the barrel, still looks stunning!


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## randywa (Feb 19, 2011)

I just thought you had allowed for windage and elevation. Looked good going by me.


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## Transam (Feb 19, 2011)

Hey, thats different !
Is that ally ?
or stainless?

I like it. 

Well done !:wink:


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## CaptG (Feb 19, 2011)

That is still one good looking pen.  Can't wait to see the next one.


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## ctubbs (Feb 19, 2011)

Hey, if you don't like it, I'll be glad to pm you my address.  That is a pretty impressive pen, especially for a first try.  That is what we call tolerance stacking.  All the slightly thick sides ended up on the same side.
Charles


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## boxerman (Feb 19, 2011)

Very cool pen.


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## steeler fan1 (Feb 19, 2011)

Looks very good. I would simply call it a desigh modification:wink:.

Thats why we call them learning experiences.

Carl


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## garrettdave (Feb 20, 2011)

toolcrazy said:


> Nothing wrong with it. It is supposed to be that way. :wink::biggrin:
> 
> :wink:



Exactly!  I think it looks pretty cool!

Dave


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## gvanweerd (Feb 20, 2011)

I think you did a awsome job on it. a real eye catcher.


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## jaeger (Feb 20, 2011)

I think you cut the acrylic with a saw. If I am right, next time round off the blanks on the lathe and cut on the lathe.


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## turningfish (Feb 20, 2011)

Looks nice. Good ideas there. It wasn't a mistake . It was a learning experince that turned out pretty darned good. 
Those colores look great together.
Fish


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## workinforwood (Feb 20, 2011)

I see that last piece of yellow, looks like maybe a piece of dirt got in the joint..glue too thick, not clamped right there..somethings up in just that one spot.  I don't blame  you for not being satisfied with that..I'm the same way. I've tossed out thousands of hours of labor I'm sure.  But...like everyone says...you live and learn, examine the mistakes and move forward.


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## Carrick (Feb 20, 2011)

I can see what you are talking about with it just being out of the perimeters you set. But, it did take me a moment to notice. Looks like a fine daily driver for a while. Good Luck on the next one.


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## MartinPens (Feb 20, 2011)

Thanks everyone. My daughter loved it and now has it. I did cut the layers on the band saw, but I have a slicing blade that I can cut veneers with, so that wasn't the issue. The aluminum was uniform. I noticed that when I started stacking from the tip side that I didn't compress the second layer evenly and that translated throughout the rest of the pen. I also goofed the last layer. If I had a block of delrin I would make a compression tool. I like the process of trying to get it to all come together. I didn't set out to do this initially - I was drilling a piece of acrylic and it broke, so I was just making things upnas I went along.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. 

For those of you that incorporate metal, where do you get your thin metal layers from?
Are there any tutorials out there on stacking or building such pens?
Am I going to ruin my tools by incorporating aluminum?
Do you use the lathe, chop saw, band saw to create layers or segments?

Thanks for sharing.


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## jaeger (Feb 20, 2011)

I like to make center bands made out of truestone with metal accents on both sides. I find brass, copper and aluminum pieces at the craft store and at the Ace Hardware store. The metal is hard on the tools so I use my cheap lathe tools for these parts. My best success with "square" pieces have been cut on the lathe.

Can you use your Irwin clamp for your compression tool?  I use a screw, washers and a wing nut for my center bands.


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## S.A.Mappin (Feb 21, 2011)

I can tell the flaws your speaking of, but I really like that pen nonetheless.

Especially your choice of colors, really a nice pen.


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## shadrach1944 (Feb 21, 2011)

Sure looks Great to me! If I think one of my pens looks a little different than I had planned, I just name it.... Modified style.


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## Rangertrek (Feb 21, 2011)

Nice looking pen regardless of the segmenting.


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## soligen (Feb 21, 2011)

Here is a sure fire way to get the layers just right. 

1) Drill your blanks and metal pieces.

2) Slice the blanks to the desired thickness on the table saw (use a sled). Slice the very first segment a little big.

3) Epoxy just the first segement onto the tube.

4) When the epoxy is fully set, trim the end and mount the tube on the lathe then use a parting tool (or your tool of choice) to square the first segment to the tube. 

5) Take all your pre-drilled segements and stack them onto the tube using a slow set epoxy and clamp until epoxy is fully cured.

Note on item 4. If you have trouble squaring on the lathe, the error can be minimized (to the point of not being visible) by first turning the first segment to be slightly larger than final dimension, then be a hair undercut in the shoulder.


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## soligen (Feb 21, 2011)

Answers to some of your other questions:

For those of you that incorporate metal, where do you get your thin metal layers from?

Some hardware stores and hobby shops have it in a variety of thicknesses.  Some people use pop cans for thin aluminum.


Are there any tutorials out there on stacking or building such pens? 

See post above :biggrin:

Am I going to ruin my tools by incorporating aluminum?

No, but you may need to sharpen more often

Do you use the lathe, chop saw, band saw to create layers or segments?

A well tuned Table saw with a sled and a good blade (I use Forrest WW II).  But I'm sure others use the other tools as well with good results.  It might be very difficult to get a band saw to cut smoothly enough .


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## MartinPens (Feb 21, 2011)

Very helpful! Thank you.
Someone also mentioned the Jim Byrnes miniature table saw. I don't have a table saw and like this idea very much. A pricey direction, but very tempting.

http://www.byrnesmodelmachines.com/tablesaw.html?id_mm=0221MM770628


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## soligen (Feb 21, 2011)

If you dont have a way to make the cuts clean and accurately parallel, here is another alternative I've used. Its more labor intensive.

DO NOT slice the blank into segments ahead of time - just drill and cut off the first segment.

Get the first segment glued on and squared as per above.

Use a loose tube and barrel trimmer on one side of the blank to square up that side.

Cut your segment from the blank a little long

Stack the one segment on the starter segment using 5 min epoxy (only one piece, no need for the slow set stuff). Make a sleeve (ahead of time) to go over the tube so you can clamp. Be careful not to glue the sleeve on, but if you do, you can turn it off and make another. Could use CA to speed things up, but I get better glue joints using epoxy, and epoxy works much better on metal. 

Once cured, Mount on the lathe and square the new segement. 

Repeat until done.

Where you want metal, you can glue the metal and next segement in one step, but note that with 5 min epoxy, its kinda iffy to get more than 2 segments on & clamped before the epoxy gets thick.


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