# Thoughts and opinions please



## RogerC (Jan 5, 2018)

I'm making some pens for a local high-end men's store, and we're doing them from old, local barns and structures.  I'll be doing Cortona click, Atrax rollerball, and Majestic Jr. fountain.

Where I need help right now is with how to do the blanks.  These will all be old pine and douglas fir, and my initial thought was to just turn them as a normal blank.  The problem, though, is that there's not much visual interest.

Then I had a bit of an epiphany today, so I tried an experiment.  

















Using a technique I've used on guitar bodies, I was able to accentuate the grain to simulate what the board looked like when it was weathered on the side of the barn,  and I'm curious what you think of the look.  

I kinda dig it and think it would be a very cool look/feel.  I'm thinking that it brings in the history of the wood and helps it tell a story, whereas my wife said she prefers smooth pens, so she probably wouldn't like one based on that.  

What say you good folks?

Oh, and I was able to get some good coats of CA to finish and buffed out with 0000 steel wool, so finishing this technique isn't a problem.


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## gtriever (Jan 5, 2018)

I like it; that has a lot of cool factor.


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## hcpens (Jan 5, 2018)

Well done, what plating are you going to use.


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## Rockytime (Jan 5, 2018)

I like the look of open grain. I never fill the voids on a wood pen.


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## mark james (Jan 5, 2018)

I agree with Rocky - Nothing wrong with open grain, and a natural feel.

You may also want to consider some easy trim rings.  Not that much more complicated, but a bit more planning, but a nice appearance for plain grained woods:


View in Gallery


View in Gallery


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## Lucky2 (Jan 5, 2018)

Personally, I prefer a smooth wall, I'm not to into textured pens. But to each his own, I'm sure lots of members will prefer the textured look..
Len


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## robutacion (Jan 5, 2018)

First of all, those old woods can be cut at various angles to increase the grain structure and colours and you can also try making them with the finish you use on this straight grain pen and a gloss finish that way you will have 2 options on finish instead on only one, for repeated pens, the ones that will sell the most will be the ones you need to make more of, regardless what the finish or wood angle, is...!

For me, making a pen out of a "historical" (of any nature) wood should be looking as close as possible with is natural aged looks so, in this case, the technique you used in this pen is to me, one of the best finishes you could have done, however, I prefer gloss finishes generally but this is not a general pen...!:biggrin::wink:

Well done...!

Cheers
George


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## jttheclockman (Jan 5, 2018)

I am not a fan of the look. But you are the one making. Who will ever remember the story. To me when you say highend store I see $$$ in pens that scream $$$$No screaming there. Ordinary wood pen. Splintering will be a factor with that many sharp edges in wood. Just my opinion. Good luck


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## Dehn0045 (Jan 5, 2018)

I like what you've done, it keeps the story but adds a little character.  The general consensus on the story woods is that they are usually boring, but boring woods with a good story sell better than beautiful woods with no story.  I'd suggest pushing the story as much as you can - the specific building, where the wood was in the building, an old B&W photo...  In addition to your darkening technique, you could also try crosscut or angle cut blanks, this can sometimes add unique character.


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## cseymour (Jan 6, 2018)

I like the look of the pens. 
Let's people know they are wood pens. 

Great job


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## leehljp (Jan 6, 2018)

> I kinda dig it and think it would be a very cool look/feel. I'm thinking that it brings in the history of the wood and helps it tell a story, whereas my wife said she prefers smooth pens, so she probably wouldn't like one based on that.



I love the accentuated grain in that pen. Looks great!

Your wife on the other hand, shows the difference in view points and likes and dislikes! Not everyone likes flat finished grain accented wood, or how to appreciate it. (The majority don't, IMO.) People sometimes think I am a 100% proponent of shiny CA finish. I am not. But when someone says CA is ugly or plastic looking in a degrading tone, I take a stand. It is ugly to them. It is not a blanket statement. Shiny sells much better. Sure, one can build a vertical market of clientele that like one kind only, and that is good. That doesn't mean the "shiny" or "flat" or "waxed" is bad or lesser.

Great work!


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## RogerC (Jan 6, 2018)

gtriever said:


> I like it; that has a lot of cool factor.


Thanks



hcpens said:


> Well done, what plating are you going to use.


Thanks.  For the twist and rollerball, I'm using chrome.  For the Majestic, I'm using rhodium.



Rockytime said:


> I like the look of open grain. I never fill the voids on a wood pen.


Thanks, Rocky.



mark james said:


> I agree with Rocky - Nothing wrong with open grain, and a natural feel.
> 
> You may also want to consider some easy trim rings.  Not that much more complicated, but a bit more planning, but a nice appearance for plain grained woods:
> 
> ...


Thank you, Mark.  I hadn't thought of that, but it's certainly an option.  I'll do some more experimenting.



robutacion said:


> First of all, those old woods can be cut at various angles to increase the grain structure and colours and you can also try making them with the finish you use on this straight grain pen and a gloss finish that way you will have 2 options on finish instead on only one, for repeated pens, the ones that will sell the most will be the ones you need to make more of, regardless what the finish or wood angle, is...!
> 
> For me, making a pen out of a "historical" (of any nature) wood should be looking as close as possible with is natural aged looks so, in this case, the technique you used in this pen is to me, one of the best finishes you could have done, however, I prefer gloss finishes generally but this is not a general pen...!:biggrin::wink:
> 
> ...


Thank you, George.  I do have enough wood to try cutting at an angle across the grain instead of with the grain, so I'll add that to my experimentation set.



jttheclockman said:


> I am not a fan of the look. But you are the one making. Who will ever remember the story. To me when you say highend store I see $$$ in pens that scream $$$$No screaming there. Ordinary wood pen. Splintering will be a factor with that many sharp edges in wood. Just my opinion. Good luck


That's a bit of the issue I'm having as well. And that's the dilemma — how do you simultaneously let the weathered wood tell its story while also appearing high-end?  

There's no risk of splintering.  It's not like the wood is truly weathered and rough.  The best way I can describe it is textured but smooth.

As far as who will remember the story, each pen will come with a custom card with the history.



Dehn0045 said:


> I like what you've done, it keeps the story but adds a little character.  The general consensus on the story woods is that they are usually boring, but boring woods with a good story sell better than beautiful woods with no story.  I'd suggest pushing the story as much as you can - the specific building, where the wood was in the building, an old B&W photo...  In addition to your darkening technique, you could also try crosscut or angle cut blanks, this can sometimes add unique character.


Thanks, Sam.  Yeah, each pen will have a custom card detailing the history.



cseymour said:


> I like the look of the pens.
> Let's people know they are wood pens.
> 
> Great job


Thank you.



leehljp said:


> > I kinda dig it and think it would be a very cool look/feel. I'm thinking that it brings in the history of the wood and helps it tell a story, whereas my wife said she prefers smooth pens, so she probably wouldn't like one based on that.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you, Hank.  And yeah, you've kinda hit upon the crux, and that is — the wood/desired effect should dictate the finish.  This is something I deal with in the guitar world with every build.

Thanks for all the comments, everyone.  I do appreciate all the input. 
 It lets me know that, for the most part, I'm on the right track, but there are definitely some things I need to address in order to achieve what I'm looking for.


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## JimB (Jan 6, 2018)

I think you should make pens both ways and give your customers a choice! Let them decide what they like. You may also want to consider having pens from other woods/materials for the same reason. The historical woods you choose may not have any significant meaning to some/many of the customers in the men's store.


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## RogerC (Jan 6, 2018)

JimB said:


> You may also want to consider having pens from other woods/materials for the same reason. The historical woods you choose may not have any significant meaning to some/many of the customers in the men's store.



That's actually a common problem a lot of brands and small businesses make — not staying focused.  What happens is you dilute your brand image which leads to you being just white noise in the market.

The key to developing a good brand is to identify what you're about and what you want your message to be, and then to be consistent with it.  As you well know, everyone and their mother makes custom pens.  A good friend of mine here locally has his pens in a jewelry store, and there's at least one other turner with his pens in another store.  If I did what you recommend, there would be nothing that separates me from them.  If someone wants a different kind of pen than what I offer, there are lots of options available.  And that's fine.  I'm not looking to capture as much of the local pen market as possible. If I wanted to do that, I'd mark them way down as well.  

But that brings up a whole other problem that small businesses make.


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## JimB (Jan 6, 2018)

RogerC said:


> JimB said:
> 
> 
> > You may also want to consider having pens from other woods/materials for the same reason. The historical woods you choose may not have any significant meaning to some/many of the customers in the men's store.
> ...


You make some valid points but you didn't mention about building your brand in your original post. that is a completely different question than your original question and would get different responses.

On the flip side of not staying focused on your business brand is being overly narrow in your focus and having an extremely limited customer base that will not support your business. The real problem companies, large and small, have is finding the right balance.


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## jttheclockman (Jan 6, 2018)

Roger

Again I will and not should anyone here tell you what to do or what is best for you but you did bring the question to the masses and you have to be aware we all have opinions and they may differ from yours. You should put them on a pen to give us a better look at the overall package and maybe opinions will sway. Right now as I said I see a dirty old oak piece of wood with grooves. 

As mentioned you did not say anything about making this your brand. This by no means separates you from anyone who makes pens. I see  a dirty grungy wood pen. I see nothing that tells me a story. Again people who make pens that are historical rely on a card or piece of paper that tells the story. Lose the card and story is gone or is told in so many ways over the years if the pen gets passed down. It is just a point I am bringing up to you. But if you follow this path then do it all out. Have a display telling the story. Have boxes made and sell with the pen that can be made from the same wood with a card clearly attached so it is not lost. Do some promoting. 

Feeling wood of a pen can be accomplished in many different ways. You need to protect the wood from hand transferred dirt. Weather it is using CA and cutting back the shine. using a satin finish or a oil finish is all up to you but have different versions available for customers to feel is key. They will decide weather you have a winner or loser, not us. Add some details to them such as some segmenting of black rings to represent hinges from the barns or other details. I will tell you from my experiences color sells and not plain wood. Wood with pretty grain and mixture of colored grains sells big.  I mentioned splintering, by all means that design will or should say can splinter especially if dropped. The high and low cuts will allow this. I work with wood alot. I am not some street corner guy selling you a line of ____.  

But in the end if you have a business and want to add this to your line then it is fine but to base your business on just this type pen you will have a hard time unless you put above effort to promote. Do not rely on the store to promote for you. I would look hard at the clientele that visit the store also and what are they buying. Tells you what kind of person they probably are. Making the pen is the easy part, selling is the difficult part. I wish you luck and success. Please take my comments with the nature they were intended and that is suggestions not demeaning.


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## JPW062 (Jan 6, 2018)

Small grooves in things handled often generally fill with dirt.  Look at a computer mouse, pens with gaps, etc.  I wonder if tat will be an issue.

In this market you need to stand out to have success.  I have seen hundreds of smooth pens for every rough/textured one.


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## RogerC (Jan 6, 2018)

JimB said:


> You make some valid points but you didn't mention about building your brand in your original post. that is a completely different question than your original question and would get different responses.


Right, which is why my OP simply asked about what folks thought of my technique on the blanks and didn't mention anything about how many different woods I should offer or any other marketing tidbits. My brand is already pretty solid.  I've got a 2 year waiting list on custom guitars, and my straps are in over a dozen stores from Oklahoma to California :wink:



jttheclockman said:


> Roger
> 
> Again I will and not should anyone here tell you what to do or what is best for you but you did bring the question to the masses and you have to be aware we all have opinions and they may differ from yours. You should put them on a pen to give us a better look at the overall package and maybe opinions will sway. Right now as I said I see a dirty old oak piece of wood with grooves.


I get it.  You don't like it.  You've said that already.  



jttheclockman said:


> As mentioned you did not say anything about making this your brand. This by no means separates you from anyone who makes pens. I see  a dirty grungy wood pen. I see nothing that tells me a story. Again people who make pens that are historical rely on a card or piece of paper that tells the story. Lose the card and story is gone or is told in so many ways over the years if the pen gets passed down. It is just a point I am bringing up to you. But if you follow this path then do it all out. Have a display telling the story. Have boxes made and sell with the pen that can be made from the same wood with a card clearly attached so it is not lost. Do some promoting.


Right. I didn't mention needing brand-development help because that's not the info I was interested in. I was simply interested in the technique of how I "weathered" the wood.  Perhaps I could've been more clear on that part. 

I believe where you're getting confused is by trying to address things where you don't have all the information — information purposefully withheld because it didn't pertain to the question I was asking.  I'm not saying that to be rude, but simply to let you know.  If you re-read my previous posts, you'll see that these are pens for 1 local store, so there's no need to worry about separating myself from anyone else but the turners in the same town who also have their pens in different retailers.  I'm not interested in competing with anyone outside this market (my bread and butter is custom guitars).  The store is buying the pens from me and then selling them in their shop.  I've already got the display designed and worked out, including custom boxes



jttheclockman said:


> Feeling wood of a pen can be accomplished in many different ways. You need to protect the wood from hand transferred dirt. Weather it is using CA and cutting back the shine. using a satin finish or a oil finish is all up to you but have different versions available for customers to feel is key. They will decide weather you have a winner or loser, not us. Add some details to them such as some segmenting of black rings to represent hinges from the barns or other details. I will tell you from my experiences color sells and not plain wood. Wood with pretty grain and mixture of colored grains sells big.  I mentioned splintering, by all means that design will or should say can splinter especially if dropped. The high and low cuts will allow this. I work with wood alot. I am not some street corner guy selling you a line of ____.


I agree with you on color.  I'm already experimenting with adding barn red to the pens.  From my first trial, it really makes the pen pop and adds a whole new dimension.



jttheclockman said:


> But in the end if you have a business and want to add this to your line then it is fine but to base your business on just this type pen you will have a hard time unless you put above effort to promote. Do not rely on the store to promote for you. I would look hard at the clientele that visit the store also and what are they buying. Tells you what kind of person they probably are. Making the pen is the easy part, selling is the difficult part. I wish you luck and success. Please take my comments with the nature they were intended and that is suggestions not demeaning.


This is simply a particular product for a particular store.  The store owner has already identified this as the direction his clientele will appreciate (this local, old wood), so that part of the work is already done.

Thank you. You seem to have a passion for this which probably contributes to the tone in your post.  Passion is a good thing, and I'm not so stubborn or prideful that I can't acknowledge good ideas when I hear them :wink:


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## jttheclockman (Jan 6, 2018)

Roger no passion. See this is why I do not visit this site much any more. You do what ever it is you want to do then do not ask opinions. I told you this was my opinion. If you want favorable opinions only then delete mine and in fact just ignore me. I will not be answering to any of this stuff any more. Not worth my time to post. Maybe next time include more info but you won't have to worry about me answering it. Good luck in whatever you do.


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## RogerC (Jan 6, 2018)

jttheclockman said:


> Roger no passion. See this is why I do not visit this site much any more. You do what ever it is you want to do then do not ask opinions. I told you this was my opinion. If you want favorable opinions only then delete mine and in fact just ignore me. I will not be answering to any of this stuff any more. Not worth my time to post. Maybe next time include more info but you won't have to worry about me answering it. Good luck in whatever you do.








I didn't say I was only looking for favorable opinions.  I simply asked for opinions on the weathering technique.  It wasn't until folks started making irrelevant suggestions that things starting getting off track.  Here's an idea, if you don't like it when people correct your assumptions, don't make any, mmmkay?


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## Gregf (Jan 6, 2018)

I like the appearance of the texture, adds character to a fairly plain piece.  Wonder what affect it would have on the feel of the pen. Watching people buy pens at shows they frequently see how they feel. Almost like Harry Potter buying a wand. Agree with Mark James that the trim would really make them pop.

g.


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## MRDucks2 (Jan 7, 2018)

I like the look, what I would refer to as “antiquing” similar to what I would do in my leather working days. If the intent of the pen is display, the texture is fine. If it is intended for use, I would probably coat it to fill in the texture while maintaining the look. 


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## SpecialV4213 (Jan 7, 2018)

I like the look.  But I often wonder, and this is about all "high end" pens, would someone actually us this beauty as an EDC?  In the end I think you create your art, and let those that appreciate it find. Great work!


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## DJBPenmaker (Jan 7, 2018)

I like the look, I like it Lot!!! Adds character

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## Talltim (Jan 7, 2018)

I like it.  I do tend to like smooth finish better visually and for use purposes. 

I agree with mrducks2 that if it is for use smooth is better. 

In the end I have seen lots of different things that I did not like that others do.

 I was showing pens to a man once and he looked at two pens and said “I think the wood on the top of that one would look great on the bottom of that one.”  

I was thinking “you have got to be out of your mind. “ But I smiled and said, “that would be interesting, wouldn’t it.”

The customer is always right.


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## PatrickR (Jan 7, 2018)

I make a lot of things from barn wood because I have a lot and it was free. For pens I have settled on a smooth matte finish. Sometimes on open grain wood I will wire brush it and then use a colored filler to highlight it. For more interest look for boards with sapwood or worm holes. The idea of doing them both ways and let the end user decide sounds like a good one.


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## AJMwoodcrafts (Jan 7, 2018)

I like how the grain is popping out more due to your efforts. I’m just not a fan of the look in general. 


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## RogerC (Jan 7, 2018)

Ok, here's version 2.  I cut the blank on an angle as suggested earlier, and I didn't dig the grain out so deep.  There's also no dye on this one so we could focus on the technique rather than the finish. 











I'm liking this version much better. The wood definitely needs something to add character in terms of color.  I'm trying a wipe with red paint to hit the elevated grain and get it looking more like it did when it was still on the side of the barn.  I'm just using krylon spray paint sprayed onto a paper towel, but it's not giving me the color I was hoping for.  I may go ahead and get some milk paint.

Also, I think using a dremel with an abrasive sanding pad will do a better job of digging out the soft grain and leave it smoother in the low sections.


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## Dehn0045 (Jan 7, 2018)

Sandblasting might give you the desired effect, I’ve never done it myself but it’s an idea...  I like the the angle cut better too.


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## MRDucks2 (Jan 7, 2018)

You may not need to dig out the wood at all to get a highlight. I have noticed on both Oak and Chestnut barn wood that sanding at high lathe speeds will burnish the harder wood and make it darker, changing the character without digging out the softer wood as much. May achieve a look for you without as much extra work. I do like the angled cut of the second piece much better. I have also had success preserving worm holes, cracks, grain and such by putting thin CA in the hole/grain/defect then filling with medium CA until slightly proud. Once dry I sand lengthwise until back down to surface level then sand and finish the entire pen as normal. It preserves worm holes and cracks nicely but will make worm tailings and punky spots change color. 


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## thewishman (Jan 7, 2018)

I think the original blank looks awesome! The angle cut looks good, too. The texture adds extra interest, as does the color.


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## PatrickR (Jan 7, 2018)

After you mentioned wanting the look of a barn, the idea of painting and distressing came to me also. The wood should appear gray. If you go that route you’ll end up with a very rustic looking finished product.


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## Missyg15 (Jan 8, 2018)

I really like this. But then, I am a lover of antique woods. I think they would sell. 


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## JPW062 (Jan 8, 2018)

> The customer is always right.


I hate to hijack, but no!
https://www.floship.com/7-reasons-customers-are-not-right/
That attitude makes your employees miserable.


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## DJBPenmaker (Jan 13, 2018)

JPW062 said:


> > The customer is always right.
> 
> 
> I hate to hijack, but no!
> ...


They'd be even more miserable if you couldn't make enough money to pay them because of it.
[emoji848]

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## Bob Kardell (Jan 14, 2018)

I like the wood with a story!! I have been asked to make a lot of the whiskey barrel pens and that wood isn’t much in terms of grain but the story makes it.  

I would just try a stain or even bake it if you wanted more color... I baked some maple and the grain darkened and took on certain luster as I understand it is from the caramelization of the sugar in the wood ... it took a while but it looked neat.

One last thought - a lot of barns have tin roofs - add a piece of tin as an accent if you think they need it.  I wouldn’t add acrylic trim as I think it detracts from the natural look.

Ok one more thought - a local guy sells barn wood trays, tables, etc. but the card with the item has a picture of the barn it came from with a history of the barn.  He sells a lot to people looking for something from a certain county... the more detailed history the more meaningful the wood.

Just my $.02 




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## JPW062 (Jan 15, 2018)

> Ok one more thought - a local guy sells barn wood trays, tables, etc. but the card with the item has a picture of the barn it came from with a history of the barn. He sells a lot to people looking for something from a certain county... the more detailed history the more meaningful the wood.


That is a good idea.


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## Rolandranch (Jan 15, 2018)

Here's a thought for an antique look. Put some fine steel wool in a bottle of white vinegar for a day and apply it to your blanks like wood stain. I've only tried it once on a wooden gate so you may want to test it out on a scrap piece before trying a blank. I don't know if it would look good on a pen or not... just a thought.


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## RogerC (Jan 16, 2018)

Dehn0045 said:


> Sandblasting might give you the desired effect, I’ve never done it myself but it’s an idea...  I like the the angle cut better too.


Sand blasting or media blasting is just another way to do what I'm already doing and wouldn't really change the end result.



MRDucks2 said:


> You may not need to dig out the wood at all to get a highlight. I have noticed on both Oak and Chestnut barn wood that sanding at high lathe speeds will burnish the harder wood and make it darker, changing the character without digging out the softer wood as much. May achieve a look for you without as much extra work. I do like the angled cut of the second piece much better. I have also had success preserving worm holes, cracks, grain and such by putting thin CA in the hole/grain/defect then filling with medium CA until slightly proud. Once dry I sand lengthwise until back down to surface level then sand and finish the entire pen as normal. It preserves worm holes and cracks nicely but will make worm tailings and punky spots change color


I may give the burnishing a try to see what effect it has.  Thanks



Bob Kardell said:


> I like the wood with a story!! I have been asked to make a lot of the whiskey barrel pens and that wood isn’t much in terms of grain but the story makes it.
> 
> I would just try a stain or even bake it if you wanted more color... I baked some maple and the grain darkened and took on certain luster as I understand it is from the caramelization of the sugar in the wood ... it took a while but it looked neat.
> 
> ...


Thanks.  I really dig the tin idea.  I'll probably experiment with that detail for use on the highest-end pens.



Rolandranch said:


> Here's a thought for an antique look. Put some fine steel wool in a bottle of white vinegar for a day and apply it to your blanks like wood stain. I've only tried it once on a wooden gate so you may want to test it out on a scrap piece before trying a blank. I don't know if it would look good on a pen or not... just a thought.


Yep, I've got a batch brewing in the shop right now.  It usually takes at least 4 days (I like to leave it longer) to get a good concentration.  I've used that technique on a couple of guitars in the past with good results.











This was my first thought to use in terms of staining. Since it's a chemical stain, the solvent properties of CA won't disturb it.  It doesn't work equally well on every wood, though.


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## RogerC (Jan 18, 2018)

Ok, here are the latest experiments. I just took the 2 blanks from earlier, sanded them down and tried some different variations.

This is the straight grained blank with paint in the recesses, sanded back, and rubbed with the wood aging solution.  It's definitely more rustic.












And this is the angled grain blank.  Coated in red, sanded back to remove paint from the higher grain, and then CA top coat.  No aging solution.












I think these were very successful.  I'm going to pick up some variation of barn tin tomorrow to try a segmented version as well, and I'm also going to do some that are completely natural.

I figure I've got 3 different pen styles to do with 4 each of each style, so that lets me do several different finishes in each style.

Oh, and I also received my order of custom drawer boxes in which to deliver my pens.











I'll put down a bed of excelsior on which to place the pen.


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## MRDucks2 (Jan 18, 2018)

I think you will have good selection. I particularly like the aged with red paint version. I am biased though as we have 3 or 4 key pieces of furniture that have a similar aged with paint look built of reclaimed Mango. 


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## Aaturner (Jan 18, 2018)

Smooth look for me. But I am just a rookie


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## DJBPenmaker (Jan 20, 2018)

The first (rustic) one for me out of the latest photos. 

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## Bob Kardell (Jan 21, 2018)

Nice boxes!  I like how they are coming together!


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## Missyg15 (Jan 21, 2018)

The first rustic blank but I would like to see the red paint results. I like the idea but, would like to see it. Also, I really like the original blanks. The barn wood alone tells a story. Imo.  Thanks for sharing. 


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## RogerC (Jan 21, 2018)

And another experiment.  This one just had the aging solution applied, no digging out of the grain.  The grain was so tight that I thought it would detract from the overall appearance if I dig it out.







I went ahead and glued in a tube to see how things would work, and I learned a few things.

1. With these angled blanks, they do NOT like to have the ends squared.  You can see the top section with a different wood (walnut with aging/ebonizing solution).  That's due to a blow out during squaring.  I think it would be best to sand the ends square with these, but even though I've got one of Rick's offset lathe sanding jigs, I've not had much luck in getting the ends square with that method.  So I clamped the end in my vice to support the grain as best I could while squaring with my drill.

2. With the Cortona pen kits, be very careful not to trim the brass tube when squaring.  These kits are a little different from others I've turned.  The top section presses in as normal, but the tip assembly only presses in by hand.  The twist mechanism is very long and fits into the upper section to hold everything together.  While fixing my blowout issues, I shortened the brass tube which didn't leave enough length to allow for the tip section to mate with the end of the blank.  I'm curious to see how this design fares over the long haul.

3.  When using epoxy, heat is your enemy.  I used epoxy to glue on the segment at the top, and while removing excess wood on my belt sander, I got it too hot which softened the epoxy and ruined the hold.

4.  Always be willing to spend as much time as it takes to experiment with things.


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## MRDucks2 (Jan 21, 2018)

Still like the angled grain, you have some nice grain character/color to work with. I know with the American Chestnut barn wood I have, some is loaded with character and other is quite plain. Thanks for sharing the lessons learned. 


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## Bill in Buena Park (Jan 22, 2018)

Roger, looks great. Seeing your awesome grain brought this Jimmy Clewes embellishment to mind, if it works for a tool handle, maybe a pen as well.
https://youtu.be/Mjd2rP9qX5Q

Cheers.


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## RogerC (Jan 22, 2018)

Bill in Buena Park said:


> Roger, looks great. Seeing your awesome grain brought this Jimmy Clewes embellishment to mind, if it works for a tool handle, maybe a pen as well.
> https://youtu.be/Mjd2rP9qX5Q
> 
> Cheers.


That's a technique I've used on guitar bodies as well, and it works nicely. The problem with a pen is that you don't have much wood mass, so the heat will likely destroy the glue.


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## Ripper70 (Jan 23, 2018)

RogerC said:


> And another experiment.  This one just had the aging solution applied, no digging out of the grain.  The grain was so tight that I thought it would detract from the overall appearance if I dig it out.



To my eye, I think you've finally stumbled upon something that has elevated this wood to a new level of sophistication. I can't say if you're done experimenting, but I think you're definitely on the right track there.

Personally, I'd side with those who say that they would prefer the feel of the smooth vs. the rough/textured version in my hand, but as far as appearance goes, this is the version I like best. Nicely done, Roger!


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## RogerC (Jan 23, 2018)

Ripper70 said:


> To my eye, I think you've finally stumbled upon something that has elevated this wood to a new level of sophistication. I can't say if you're done experimenting, but I think you're definitely on the right track there.
> 
> Personally, I'd side with those who say that they would prefer the feel of the smooth vs. the rough/textured version in my hand, but as far as appearance goes, this is the version I like best. Nicely done, Roger!


Thanks.  I think it's really going to depend on each piece of wood as to which finish I end up using.  The stuff I was using on my earlier tests had a much wider grain and didn't react the same to the aging solution as this did.


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## Ripper70 (Jan 23, 2018)

RogerC said:


> Thanks.  I think it's really going to depend on each piece of wood as to which finish I end up using.  The stuff I was using on my earlier tests had a much wider grain and didn't react the same to the aging solution as this did.



Years ago, I worked with an outfit that made dining tables from reclaimed Douglas Fir barnwood exactly like you're using here. Our "rustic" finish was achieved by using a two-part beaching solution called Daly's. After the bleaching we used nothing but Briwax and heavy buffing. The results were stunning.

Granted, we only buffed to a matte finish, but if you can sand that wood to the finish you've achieved above, it may be a method that would work well with the wider grained wood from your earlier tests.

Full disclosure: I'm a know-nothing when it comes to pen turning and finishing but I have worked quite a bit with that exact kind of wood and it might be just another way to get great results from that material. Just sayin'.


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## mark james (Jan 24, 2018)

I apologize Roger (I had to reread the posts since the initial)....  I like _*each*_ of your trials!  

Well done and please continue!  Each has its appeal.


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## RogerC (Jan 29, 2018)

I was able to get 2 more pens turned this weekend, and I think I've got my technique down, at least for this particular plank of wood.  It reacts very nicely to the aging solution.  I've found that I do have to put some accent rings on the ends, though, because every blank ended up with blowouts at the ends because of the angled grain.

The bad news — I really don't like the Cortona pen kits at all. I'm not a fan of how they go together.  I was very careful not to trim the brass tube when squaring the ends, and I still ended up with tubes that were too short, causing a gap at the tip assembly.  Also, I just don't think the design will hold up over time with the tip assembly simply pushing in by hand rather than it having a section that's permanently inserted into the tube.  

So for now, it's back to finding an acceptable twist pen kit for the right price.


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## gtriever (Jan 29, 2018)

With an aged or well - figured wood blank, I'm a big fan of the Knurl GT Twist Pen in either Gunmetal or Antique Brass.


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## RogerC (Jan 29, 2018)

gtriever said:


> With an aged or well - figured wood blank, I'm a big fan of the Knurl GT Twist Pen in either Gunmetal or Antique Brass.



Yeah, I've turned quite a few of the Knurl GTs and really am a fan as well. They're just a bit too expensive for the price point we're shooting for on this pen, especially the brass.  I've been looking at kits all morning and haven't found anything that fits my requirements, so I may talk to my guy and see if we want to increase the retail price on this one so we can do it, though.


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## RogerC (Mar 3, 2018)

I think I've finally got my process worked out and settled on a finish.  

The wood is 90 year old douglas fir.  The segment on the cap is walnut set off with a piece of vintage plastic from 100 year old piano keys.  Not sure if it's acetate or celluloid, but it definitely wanted to catch fire when I was sanding it .
















I had to correct a lot of problems with my process in order to avoid blowouts during squaring and turning, but I think I've got it nailed down now.  The segmenting on the cap on this one was the result of a large blowout when I tried to square the end with my mill.  I finally got my technique perfected for Rick's sanding jig, and it worked perfectly.

The wood was treated with my vinegar/steel wool aging solution which also turned the walnut black.  The pen is finished with CA.


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## MRDucks2 (Mar 4, 2018)

I like the way it be nag out the grain. 


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## Mr_Fixdit (Mar 7, 2018)

Hi Roger 
Big fan of your work and have followed a few of your builds over on TDPRI

A process I had some luck with as I was sanding through the grits my last step before finish was to use some scotch brite.  It gave a polished surface and dug out some of the grain for a raised surface.   I was turning Wenge and it came out beatiful, polished shiny with a little texture to set it off.  

Sadly those two pens left faster than I could photograph them..

regards and keep up the good works

Rick


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## Bob Kardell (Mar 11, 2018)

Looks fantastic! 


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## DJBPenmaker (Mar 12, 2018)

If it looks as good in real life I reckon you're into a winner with that finish. Looks great!

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## RDH79 (Oct 25, 2019)

RogerC said:


> I was able to get 2 more pens turned this weekend, and I think I've got my technique down, at least for this particular plank of wood.  It reacts very nicely to the aging solution.  I've found that I do have to put some accent rings on the ends, though, because every blank ended up with blowouts at the ends because of the angled grain.
> 
> The bad news — I really don't like the Cortona pen kits at all. I'm not a fan of how they go together.  I was very careful not to trim the brass tube when squaring the ends, and I still ended up with tubes that were too short, causing a gap at the tip assembly.  Also, I just don't think the design will hold up over time with the tip assembly simply pushing in by hand rather than it having a section that's permanently inserted into the tube.
> 
> So for now, it's back to finding an acceptable twist pen kit for the right price.


Same here I bought 30 to make instead of the slim.
If you trim the body tube juse a hair it leaves gaps. And also the top inside tube needs to be at least a 1/4” longer so it can grip the tranny better. To close tolerances  for this pen.


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