# Skips Big Adventure!



## workinforwood (May 26, 2010)

Part 1:

I was never able to join in on the fun of Skippy's World Tour because I just don't know about graphics software.  So, I am taking on the challenge in a totally different way.  I just pulled this blank out from the final pour.  It took several pours and although some of what is in the blank is still hidden below layers of resin, this gives ya'll a fun peak at a pen in progress.  There is actually 20 pieces just in the head of the rat alone. Hopefully once it's turned he will be emerging from a holey block of cheddar. Been wanting to try this for the longest time, but it took me to now to find some spare time to do so. Perhaps this will be Wisconsin Steve. :biggrin:

Looking forward to the long weekend for some fun time!


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## Brooks803 (May 26, 2010)

That is too cool! I can't wait to see the turned blank!


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## DurocShark (May 26, 2010)

Awesome!


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## skiprat (May 26, 2010)

OMG!!!! You are nuttier than a squirrels breakfast, you know that!!!???:biggrin:
Absolutely bonkers!!!:tongue:

I sure am looking forward to seeing what Part II looks like and sincerely hope you made more than just the one:wink: and that I can get hold of another one other than from Wisconsin!!!
I know that Ratty has left Wisconsin, but I reckon that delay was the beginning of the end.:frown: Maybe this can resurrect him???:wink::biggrin:

LOL !!!! Barking mad!!!! But just too damned cool too!!!!:biggrin:


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## workinforwood (May 26, 2010)

This is not a production blank Steve.  This is an all or nothing shot.  You don't truly have a big ego until you have a pen with your own picture on it! :laugh:


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## witz1976 (May 26, 2010)

That is totally insane!! I simply cannot wait for part II!!


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## bgibb42 (May 26, 2010)

That looks pretty cool.  I'm itching to see the rest of the blank.  But, what happened to his whiskers?:tongue:


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## skiprat (May 26, 2010)

workinforwood said:


> This is not a production blank Steve. This is an all or nothing shot. You don't truly have a big ego until you have a pen with your own picture on it! :laugh:


 
LOL!!!  If you make a pen out of that, then I'm gonna have to commission you to make another one!!!  My ego is alive and kicking and my good buddy Mr Bruce Robbins even made a Stirling Silver clip for me. Up till now, I've used it as a lapel badge for the rare occassion that I wear a suit, but you have to admit that with a blank like that, combined with his clip, then it would REALLY make my head big!!!:biggrin:

C'mon, be a sport and make one more................pretty please!!!!:tongue::biggrin:

You know that I'd make one for you but I don't think they make blanks big enough:tongue:


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## mbroberg (May 26, 2010)

I just can't find the words to describe how cool I think that blank is!!!  You are awesome Jeff!


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## workinforwood (May 26, 2010)

There be whiskers, but they are not visible yet.  There are several things on the blank that can't be seen because they are covered over with resin.
I think that clip is great and I've seen it before but I think it is too much to have two skippy's on one pen.

I want to see a pen too, but I've been swamped at work.  I finished working on this and poured it way early this morning before I went to work.  Tomorrow is going to be a super long day and Friday is an average day, so I can do nothing till this weekend, but then I have 3 days to play.  Ya'll just have to sit, wait and wonder.

Steve always said..if I want a Skippy pen I have to make my own.

I gotta fix that eyeball too..the black is not equal on both eyes....no big problem.  The eyes and mouth were quite a challenge..heck the pupils are probably 1/16x3/16


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## Seer (May 26, 2010)

Cool Jeff I like it and especially the IRISH Flag colors, sorry skiprat


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## bitshird (May 26, 2010)

Jeff, that is un freaking beliveable!!! you da man!!


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## BRobbins629 (May 26, 2010)

Its the rat's pajamas.


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## Jim15 (May 26, 2010)

Can't wait to see the completed pen, what you have shown is awesome as it is.


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## mrburls (May 27, 2010)

Jeff, I would have thought you had too much free time on your hands to make a blank like that. Looks and sounds like this is going to be one awesome pen when finished. If anyone could pull it off it would be you. 

Keith "mrburls"


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## Pioneerpens (May 27, 2010)

very impressive...can't wait to see it turned!!


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## broitblat (May 27, 2010)

Ditto on the "cool" (but that applies to most all Jeff does).  I'm anxious to see the finished result.

  -Barry


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## Rfturner (May 27, 2010)

Very nice I can see that you put alot of time into the blank good job, for box it could be made to look like swiss cheese as well


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## cnirenberg (May 28, 2010)

Jeff,
Well done.  I can't wait to see the end result.


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## workinforwood (May 29, 2010)

Part 2....my Skippy Pen! :laugh::laugh::laugh:

I was able to spin some guts and drill and mount the blank yesterday afternoon, then finish the pen this morning.  I absolutely love it.  Makes me smile ear to ear to have pulled it off like this!  I love the shape, proportions and weight.  I am not crazy about the girth aspect of the pen though.  It is just a little bulky for my average sized hands, but the Rat is 7/16 wide, which is 1/16 wider than I would normally dare to go, yet I could not get him to be any smaller with that many pieces in him.  I was really pushing it close to overspinning him.  Fortunately I nailed the drill hole dead center. I wouldn't use a pen like this as a daily writer anyhow..it's just an ego showpiece. :biggrin:

Hope you guys find this as funny as I do!

This pen is Alumilite, Aluminum, Parker refill with double twist tranny and finial activated, Jr Gent clip, threaded nib to change refill. All segmentation and pentarsia completed using a scroll saw.


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## jimofsanston (May 29, 2010)

cool


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## witz1976 (May 29, 2010)

That is totally INSANE!!  Awesome job Jeff!!!


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## thetalbott4 (May 29, 2010)

I'm guessing your either retired or single. LOL


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## alphageek (May 29, 2010)

thetalbott4 said:


> I'm guessing your either retired or single. LOL



He is neither!  Holy cow Jeff thats impressive! :biggrin:


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## DurocShark (May 29, 2010)

Sweet!!!


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## johnnycnc (May 29, 2010)

Freaking awesome!


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## skiprat (May 29, 2010)

Jeff, you just seem to get better and better!!!!  That is crazy cool!!!!!.:biggrin:

Mmmmmm....I think I'm gonna have to dream up a stainless steel scrolled nut and bolt pen to try and persuade you to trade:tongue:


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## workinforwood (May 29, 2010)

Nah...you know I'd just give it to you Steve. Heck...the ole lady took it with those blanks to the post office this morning..assuming they are open today.  It was fun to do and made me laugh, that's good enough for me.


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## ldb2000 (May 29, 2010)

Great job Jeff . That is just too cool !!!


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## mbroberg (May 29, 2010)

That is just out of this world!!  U DA MAN Jeff!


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## Jim15 (May 29, 2010)

Jeff you are truely a master pen maker also, awesome pen.


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## broitblat (May 29, 2010)

Fun, funny (and just a little cheesy).  A great piece -- wow.

  -Barry


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## BRobbins629 (May 29, 2010)

I might have preferred Limburger, but pretty cool technique.


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## skiprat (May 29, 2010)

Wow!!!!  Many many thanks Jeff!!!!:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

But you know that no good deed goes unpunished!!!!:biggrin::wink:

I'm plotting my revenge right now and even have a design sketch done already!!! 

Cool!!! Can't wait!!!  BTW, 3 of the Dragon blanks have already been resevered:biggrin:


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## Stevej72 (May 29, 2010)

Wow!  That is a way cool pen!


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## workinforwood (May 29, 2010)

That's cool but not really necessary Steve.  I just wanted to do it to see if I could and because the idea of it seemed really funny to me.  I do love joking around!  I sent you an extra blank, I mixed extra resin when I poured that batch so you would have an extra one of just the same color swirl in case you needed some more length for anything out of the ordinary like a closed end or whatever.  It would be real nice if you would take one of your nice quality pictures of the Skippy pen for me.

Thanks for the great feedback guys!  We're all kids till we die.


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## skiprat (May 29, 2010)

workinforwood said:


> That's cool but not really necessary Steve. ......


 
LOL  Jeff, I know it's not necessary and that's exactly why I'm gonna get my revenge. :tongue:

Of course, I'll post a pic but your's looks pretty good to me.


Now........where did I put those *really* *big* nuts and bolts?????:biggrin:


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## workinforwood (May 29, 2010)

Can't help you with the bolts, but from what I hear I ate all the nuts for breakfast!


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## Paul in OKC (Jun 1, 2010)

WOW! That is too kewl.


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## maxman400 (Jun 2, 2010)

Great Looking Pen Jeff.


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## phillywood (Jun 2, 2010)

It's a very nice and unusual pen Jeff. BTW i looked and looked at the part I, and as newbie I am I couldn't figure out what you were talking about. However, your part II posting made it clear. I have a QSn though; did you say that it took you 20 min.s to set the skippy? can youexplain how you did it? Is it like inlays. Hey rest of you guys who read this don't laugh, I am the newbie!


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## phillywood (Jun 2, 2010)

workinforwood said:


> Part 1:
> 
> I was never able to join in on the fun of Skippy's World Tour because I just don't know about graphics software. So, I am taking on the challenge in a totally different way. I just pulled this blank out from the final pour. It took several pours and although some of what is in the blank is still hidden below layers of resin, this gives ya'll a fun peak at a pen in progress. There is actually 20 pieces just in the head of the rat alone. Hopefully once it's turned he will be emerging from a holey block of cheddar. Been wanting to try this for the longest time, but it took me to now to find some spare time to do so. Perhaps this will be Wisconsin Steve. :biggrin:
> 
> Looking forward to the long weekend for some fun time!


 
You said "There is actually 20 pieces just in the head of the rat alone". I still couldn't get wher the peces come form?


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## CaptG (Jun 2, 2010)

Awesome job Jeff.  Your talent is amazing.


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## workinforwood (Jun 2, 2010)

Actually Phil..the head is only 19 pieces, then the block of cheese is several more pieces.  Each piece is acrylic.  Individual pieces of acrylic cut with a scroll saw and then glued back together. The block of cheese is like a triangle that flows right through the pen, but the skip rat is only on one side of the pen poking out one hole of the cheese.  If for some reason the pen was to suffer a scratch, then the pen could be sanded and buffed back to original condition and nothing would change, because it is not paint on a surface, but rather a deep set image.


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## skiprat (Jun 2, 2010)

I don't think that my real head has as many as 19 pieces:biggrin: In fact, if you ask my dear wife, she will tell you that it is one solid concrete block. I think that is a good thing, but I'm not sure:biggrin:


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## johncrane (Jun 2, 2010)

Your both smiling that's the main thing,awesome work Jeff, also  Jeff l think you had our master rat on his knees there for a bit.:biggrin:


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## cnirenberg (Jun 2, 2010)

Jeff,
The pen came out fantastic.  Too cool.  I would say you have too much time on your hands, but this looks like a piece of cake (cheese) for you.  I love it.


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## Rfturner (Jun 2, 2010)

That is an awesome pen and rather funny. I am not that skilled witha scroll saw


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## skiprat (Jun 7, 2010)

Aaaargh!!!! I must have been gone for less than five minutes when the postman came. 

Jeff, my missus called to say there was a package from you. 

I told her to open it and have a look cos I won't be back till Wed night.

Wanna know what she said??????:redface:

Quote ...' Oooooooooooooooh !!!  Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice !!!!!! Is this guy Jeff married?'  

*Thanks* Jeff, I can't wait to see the pen in person!!!:biggrin:


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## workinforwood (Jun 8, 2010)

Awesome...thanks Skip :redface:.  Email a reasonable size pic so I can add it to my library please.


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## JohnU (Jun 8, 2010)

Jeff that pen is Over The Top!   Awesome Job on everything!  Your talent is so inspiring.  I got a couple of your new blanks the other day.  Both have already been claimed.  Cant wait to turn them.  As ALWAYS... nice work!   

Skip, Congrats on your pen!


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## Marleb (Jun 8, 2010)

Jeff,

I've said it ever since I saw your work on the Scroll saw forum: *You are an artist!* And you keep proving me right time and again, thanks.

Keep up the nice work buddy.


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## workinforwood (Jun 8, 2010)

Thanks guys, appreciate it!  Always got your back covered too John if need be.


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## skiprat (Jun 9, 2010)

Yahoo!!!!!:biggrin::biggrin:

Just WAY too cool Jeff!!! And the other blanks are even better than the first bunch too!!!:biggrin: All that practice is starting to pay off.:tongue:

I took another pic, but I don't think it's any better than your one. I'll try again on the weekend and do an outdoor shot if this rain ever stops
I don't think any pic is going to show how cool and perfectly made this pen is. This is one of those that need to be seen in 3D to really appreciate.

Thanks again Jeff, you are a star!!!!!:biggrin:


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## seamus7227 (Jun 9, 2010)

Wow! Jeff and Steve, fantastic work! that turned out bad A$$


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## workinforwood (Jun 9, 2010)

That is not too bad a pic though Steve. It certainly reduced the reflection line that I have through the rat.  Glad you like it.  Nobody else has one but you, and although it's a tiny bit bulky, it's should be able to handle daily abuse just as good as any kit pen.


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