# Has anyone tried this?



## JRK (Feb 26, 2019)

This is an idea I had for a wood blank.

Take a darker colored wood blank and drill a hole like you would for the brass tube, but glue a light colored dowel rod in instead.  The dowel rod would have to be slightly larger than the brass tube you intend to use.  Then drill the hole for the brass tube in the center or the dowel rod.

My thought was that as you are turning the blank and get close to the bushing, you will get a color change in the pen.

Just an idea.

Jerry


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## stonepecker (Feb 26, 2019)

Jerry,
Check out the segmented pen contest.  You might find something like that there.


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## Dale Parrott (Feb 26, 2019)

I hadn't thought of that but sounds like a great experiment.  Please post your results.


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## Sly Dog (Feb 26, 2019)

I have not, but it might be an interesting result if you drill slightly off center, too.  Give it a try!


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## jttheclockman (Feb 26, 2019)

Jerry every good idea starts somewhere so give it a go. A couple things though. Not following the purpose. Wood is opaque so where would you see the light colored wood??  You would have to spin your own dowels because they do not make dowels with that tolerance, more standard sizes. Your setup would have to be dead on accurate to drill down a center of a dowel and finally the amount of material left would so minimal you probably turn down to the inner dowel. Now you run the risk of getting to glue line. Maybe that is your intention and as I said I am not following. Nothing ventured nothing gained. Good luck.


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## JRK (Feb 26, 2019)

John T.

I was afraid that I may not be able to find a dowel that will work.  As far as making my own, I'm not that skilled.  

The idea is that the thinner parts of the pen will show the dowel color instead of the blank.  So the blank and dowel would need to be contrasting colors.  You could also cut a groove to expose the dowel center.

I may still give it a try.  I planned to drill the holes on the lathe instead of the drill press.  I do not have the accessory necessary to drill pens on the lathe yet.

Jerry


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## jttheclockman (Feb 26, 2019)

JRK said:


> John T.
> 
> I was afraid that I may not be able to find a dowel that will work.  As far as making my own, I'm not that skilled.
> 
> ...



Good to see you thinking outside the box. Post photos if you go to do this or any of your work. We like photos here.


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## JRK (Feb 26, 2019)

I will document the process with photos, and show the results.

Jerry


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## leehljp (Feb 26, 2019)

JRK said:


> This is an idea I had for a wood blank.
> 
> Take a darker colored wood blank and drill a hole like you would for the brass tube, but glue a light colored dowel rod in instead.  The dowel rod would have to be slightly larger than the brass tube you intend to use.  Then drill the hole for the brass tube in the center or the dowel rod.
> 
> ...



Jerry,
Here is a link to a thread. Look at the first post and click on the spiral pen. Then Go down to the next to last post on that page and click on the pen. Tom McMillan used to do that, and did several. That was so long ago that he is not even in the members list any more, nor the the links work to that time. I think around 2007, the forum was upgraded to a different version and some of the links, pens and members did not get transferred over unless they were active members.

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f18/you-have-been-around-here-while-if-151430/index3.html

One other thing, we often come up with brilliant ideas and later found out that someone else thought of or did that years earlier. DON'T let that put a damper on your original thinking. No one else has done that, that I have seen, in more than 14 years, and your creation might have a different twist. 


Run with it.


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## Woodchipper (Feb 26, 2019)

Saw one where the blank was drilled and the dowels were inserted and glued at a right angle in the blank. Gave a polka dot effect. Contrasting woods would be interesting and eye-catching.


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## JRK (Feb 26, 2019)

Woodchipper said:


> Saw one where the blank was drilled and the dowels were inserted and glued at a right angle in the blank. Gave a polka dot effect. Contrasting woods would be interesting and eye-catching.



Yes, I saw a you tube video where someone did that.


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## JRK (Feb 26, 2019)

leehljp said:


> JRK said:
> 
> 
> > This is an idea I had for a wood blank.
> ...



I figured that someone had tried it.

I had thought about trying to get a spiral groove, but no idea how I could do that..

Put a different twist on it -- Good one!

Jerry


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## greenacres2 (Feb 26, 2019)

JRK said:


> Woodchipper said:
> 
> 
> > Saw one where the blank was drilled and the dowels were inserted and glued at a right angle in the blank. Gave a polka dot effect. Contrasting woods would be interesting and eye-catching.
> ...



I've done a few that way with colored pencils--didn't like it at the time but my wife pulls hers out every now and then, people love it and i have to admit it's growing on me 2 years later!!
earl


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## Terredax (Feb 26, 2019)

The way I did it...
I used a piece of wood and turned round (no need for dowels, and standard sizes are fine for this purpose), I drilled the center, like any other blank. Glued the tube in, and turned the blank down. Depending on the desired effect, the diameter will be different. First one, I turned to slightly larger than the diameter of the hardware. This exposes the first layer on the ends, with a bulbous shape. When turning B2B, the first layer could be turned less than the diameter of the hardware.

After the first layer is turned, I measured the diameter, and found the closest reamer size. I adjusted the diameter of the first layer to match the reamer size.
I drilled and reamed the second layer. Then I glued and inserted the wood/tube into the second layer. Then it was turned as normal. The result was what looked like a segmented blank on the ends. Not worth the effort.

If cutting a spiral or other design, like linked, the effect would probably look better. But, just exposing the first layer by turning down the second layer, it looks like it's segmented.

Maybe your idea is different than what I did.


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## magpens (Feb 26, 2019)

Hank,

Could you please check your directions in Post #9 above ... I think I followed them but don't seem to get to the desired end point.  Thanks.


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## leehljp (Feb 26, 2019)

magpens said:


> Hank,
> 
> Could you please check your directions in Post #9 above ... I think I followed them but don't seem to get to the desired end point.  Thanks.



That link worked again for me. I will try something else though:

First pict referred to in the link:
http://www.penturners.org/forum/att...u-have-been-around-here-while-if-img_0164.jpg

Second Pen referred to in the link:
http://www.penturners.org/forum/att...ve-been-around-here-while-if-tom-mcmillan.jpg

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f18/you-have-been-around-here-while-if-151430/index3.html
or
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f18/you-have-been-around-here-while-if-151430/

See if these work for you.


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## magpens (Feb 26, 2019)

I can click on all four links in your last post and they all work as I think they should.

But I still don't see what I think I should see at the end of all that.

At the intended final destination you intend, can you click on the "Permalink" and then send me the URL that appears at the very top of the browser page .... that should get me right to your intended destination.

Thanks for trying, Hank.


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## leehljp (Feb 27, 2019)

magpens said:


> I can click on all four links in your last post and they all work as I think they should.
> 
> But I still don't see what I think I should see at the end of all that.
> 
> ...



I apologize for the links. To be honest, as much as I have used the computer, "permalink" evaded me somehow. Couldn't figure out how to make it post the whole link instead of automatically truncating it when I post. So I tried it like the old email links. 

<http://www.penturners.org/forum/f18/you-have-been-around-here-while-if-151430/>

<http://www.penturners.org/forum/attachments/f18/169404d1510595034-you-have-been-around-here-while-if-img_0164.jpg>

<http://www.penturners.org/forum/attachments/f18/169411d1510611256-you-have-been-around-here-while-if-tom-mcmillan.jpg>

If there is an easier way, let please let me know - as I would like to know that little trick. Thanks!


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## jttheclockman (Feb 27, 2019)

www.penturners.org/forum/f18/you-have-been-around-here-while-if-151430

You have been around here a while if- - International Association of Penturners


www.penturners.org/forum/attachment...ve-been-around-here-while-if-tom-mcmillan.jpg


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## magpens (Feb 27, 2019)

Thanks.

I guess the final "destination view" is the BOW pen with red underlay and the cross carved in the BOW to expose the underlying red wood.

Got it. . Thanks again.


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## leehljp (Feb 27, 2019)

magpens said:


> Thanks.
> 
> I guess the final "destination view" is the BOW pen with red underlay and the cross carved in the BOW to expose the underlying red wood.
> 
> Got it. . Thanks again.



Mal, the pen with the Red Cross in it - was a pict that I saved years ago onto my computer. So it is a re-post from my computer. I can't find the original on this forum.


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## magpens (Feb 27, 2019)

Thanks, Hank .


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