# New use for leftover ends of pen blanks...



## TimS124 (Dec 22, 2016)

I have a hard time tossing out those little leftover chunks of pen blanks...they always look like they could be used for something.  I've used some in the past for bookmarks (there's a kit that works nicely for this) but wanted something different.

I've seen pens made from a stack of leftover pen-blank ends, but I wanted something different.

Tonight, I figured out something different...and I think the "how" is fairly self-explanatory so I'll skip the details unless anybody has specific questions. :biggrin:








The second photo has a US quarter added to give a better sense of scale...






I haven't decided what I'll do about arms (other than I know I'll add some). I'll also likely add a tiny scarf as well (eventually).


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## liljohn1368 (Dec 22, 2016)

Never thought of this. But it looks like it would work great...... Nice snowman....


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## TimS124 (Dec 23, 2016)

I recommend using a dense/heavy wood for the body.  The wood I used is very light so the snowman is a bit top heavy.  A denser wood for the body would lower the center of gravity a bit.

This was conceived as a small Christmas tree ornament so I'll likely add a small screw eye hook to the top of it so it can be hung easier.  My son says his apartment is too small to store anything so all gifts have to be tiny...figured this would be fairly easy to store. 

I'll likely add a base and paint it white (snow) for the next one so it can stand alone with risking getting lost in a tree.


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## magpens (Dec 23, 2016)

Clever and cool idea !!!! . Never saw those bookmark kits you referred to ... where do you get them ?


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## jttheclockman (Dec 23, 2016)

pipe cleaners will work nicely. Bend arms to anyway you want then.


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## TimS124 (Dec 23, 2016)

magpens said:


> Clever and cool idea !!!! . Never saw those bookmark kits you referred to ... where do you get them ?



The bookmarks are pretty cool...uses only a thin slice of a blank so they're perfect for using up the scraps of pen blanks.  A bit of double-sided tape on the mandrel (or turn your own mandrel), round the edges, give it a dome...polish and glue it onto the metal.

I've seen them at multiple vendors, but here's the one I found first while looking for them just now:

Bookmark Kits (5 pack) - WoodTurningz


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## TimS124 (Dec 23, 2016)

jttheclockman said:


> pipe cleaners will work nicely. Bend arms to anyway you want then.



Thanks, I'd forgotten about pipe cleaners (and they can add a bit of color too).  Last time I made a snowman, I used wire I had on hand for holding things for powder coating:


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## jleiwig (Dec 23, 2016)

Very nice.  

Stick it on the end of one of these:





from chefwarekits.com and I think you'd have a hot seller or gift.


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## TimS124 (Dec 23, 2016)

Interesting suggestion!  I might have to make the snowman a wee bit longer so the yang doesn't go all the way thru but that's easy to change.  Thanks for the link.




jleiwig said:


> Very nice.
> 
> Stick it on the end of one of these:
> 
> ...


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## TimS124 (Dec 24, 2016)

Found part of my stash of pen blank leftovers...looks like a herd of tiny snowmen are lurking in my future...


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## Gary Beasley (Dec 26, 2016)

Pretty cool idea! I've simply crushed a handful of resin scraps of different colors and poured the chunks into a mold and cast them together with clear resin, one I turned from it on a nickel tube looked like gift wrap. I suppose opaque color fill would be just as good too.


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## TimS124 (Dec 27, 2016)

Had a wee bit of free time Monday afternoon so I grabbed one of the Color Explosion cutoffs that were in the pile of possible snowman hats and turned it.  Made the body from some Maple pieces I caught on sale at Woodcraft a couple years ago..slightly larger diameter than the first snowman so the this second one is about a quarter inch taller.  I added seed beads to imitate tiny chunks of coal for the eyes, mouth, and chest buttons.  

This one still needs arms and a scarf....picked up materials to make those Monday evening and will likely give it a shot later this week (still pondering how I want the scarf to look).

Here's a sneak peak at tiny snowman #2.


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## jttheclockman (Dec 27, 2016)

TimS124 said:


> Had a wee bit of free time Monday afternoon so I grabbed one of the Color Explosion cutoffs that were in the pile of possible snowman hats and turned it.  Made the body from some Maple pieces I caught on sale at Woodcraft a couple years ago..slightly larger diameter than the first snowman so the this second one is about a quarter inch taller.  I added seed beads to imitate tiny chunks of coal for the eyes, mouth, and chest buttons.
> 
> This one still needs arms and a scarf....picked up materials to make those Monday evening and will likely give it a shot later this week (still pondering how I want the scarf to look).
> 
> Here's a sneak peak at tiny snowman #2.




Tim this should help you. Steve posted this yesterday.

www.penturners.org/forum/f45/snowman-ornament-144838/


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## TimS124 (Dec 27, 2016)

jttheclockman said:


> <snip>
> 
> Tim this should help you. Steve posted this yesterday.
> 
> www.penturners.org/forum/f45/snowman-ornament-144838/



Thanks...fancy paint job from Steve's fiancé...didn't see any arms on it though. :biggrin:

I'm thinking of arms like the one shown below that I posted earlier that I made for a local makerspace.

That one had a yarn scarf like the one Steve posted and this time I have something different in mind.  Just have to sit down and make it.


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## TimS124 (Jan 11, 2017)

I finally figured out what I wanted to do for a scarf...only thing left to do is sign the tiny bottom and ship it off (it's part of an overdue Christmas gift).


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## SnazzyPenz (Jan 16, 2017)

*He's Cute*

Cute Snowman - I've been trying to come up with something for cutoffs myself. When I get it figured out, I'll post something.


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