# Trip down memory lane (Please post your 1st pens)



## Dario (Jun 20, 2006)

I was going through my computer files to purge and saw these pics of my very first pens.  All were done the same day...about 2 years ago (well a month short actually)

Just thought I'll share it with you guys.

From the top they are:
Maple Burl
Buckeye Burl
Figured Mesquite w/ sap
Buckeye Burl

All are CA finished but 2 of them (middle ones) didn't shine...but being an eager beaver, I just went ahead and assembled them still 

They are also done without MM...I think I used 1000 grit on these.

Anybody else still have their first pen pics???


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## blodal (Jun 20, 2006)

That is extremely good for first pens.

Thanks for sharing.


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## woodmarc (Jun 20, 2006)

even your first work is impressive!


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## mick (Jun 20, 2006)

Dario, Here's my first two pens. Looking back it's amazing how much my style of as well as quality of pens has changed. For that I have a lot of folks here to thank! [] BTW they are both walnut sanded to 1500 and rubbed with Danish oil





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## PenWorks (Jun 20, 2006)

I seen my first pen the other day, gave it to my brother 4 years ago, he still has it.
It was the crappy pen kit kit that comes with the Jet mini starter kit.
Glad it is not around to photograph, might break the lens []

Must say, those are great first pens !


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## Dario (Jun 20, 2006)

Mike,

I like it ...very nice first pens!


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## Ligget (Jun 20, 2006)

Will look it out and get a picture tomorrow, if I can find it.[]


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## challagan (Jun 20, 2006)

Dario, those pens look pretty good for a beginner. Way better than mine. Here is mine, a satin nickle slimline on East Indian Rosewood. Friction polish and sanded to 600 grit or so. Notice how I totally missed the bushings. My wife carries this pen with her in the check book. I would like to have it back as a memory of my first pen but she won't give it back!!!  Oh, hasn't been that long ago either.... Jan 2006 

corey


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## Penmonkey (Jun 20, 2006)

Here's my first two, pretty scary!!!






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## johncrane (Jun 20, 2006)

very nice pens DARIO what finish did you use looks great.love the buckeye burl


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## btboone (Jun 20, 2006)

I did an aluminum one as my first one.  It was a prototype before getting into a more expensive titanium version.  I had to do some tweaks to my hole dimensions because I didn't use the brass tubes and the fit was a bit too sloppy for the transmission to turn properly. I had a little bit of drill runout that needed to be compensated for.[:I] I also found some inaccuracy due to the way it was held in the different operations.  I did a second one with the revisions, and it worked well.





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## challagan (Jun 20, 2006)

Dario, you were using cool blanks even back then!

Corey


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## dfurlano (Jun 20, 2006)




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## Dario (Jun 20, 2006)

John, They are all CA finished buit as you can see...not consistent []

Bruce, That first pen I think is the best I've seen so far []

Corey, Yes I am lucky to have a stash from the very beginning.  Actually most of these were from bowl blanks I won't dare to turn as a bowl...I became a wood miser so I turned pens instead [}]


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## Glenn McCullough (Jun 20, 2006)

heres mine, sad to say....


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## timdaleiden (Jun 21, 2006)

I think this was actually my third one. I doubt I have any pictures of my first pen that I can locate easily. Friction polish finish on this one. 

The photo editing was done long after the picture was taken.

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## angboy (Jun 21, 2006)

> _Originally posted by dfurlano_
> <br />



This was your first pen? How'd you already know how to do the inlay? It looks great!


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## jscola (Jun 21, 2006)

Great looking first pen!


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## bradh (Jun 21, 2006)

My first pen, a slimline made from a strip of red oak hardwood floorboard. Not very good fit to the nib. I am still using this pen almost two years later. Been through a half dozen refills and much of the gold plating has worn off now.






Brad Harding
HardingPens.com


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## Draken (Jun 21, 2006)

Ok, here's my first, done last October over at JimGo's house.  He let me use his shop before I invested in equipment, so I could be sure this was something I wanted to <s>spend vast amounts of money on</s> persue.




Cheers,
Draken


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## airrat (Jun 21, 2006)

This is one of my first.  I did take it apart and put the flag clip on it.


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## Dario (Jun 21, 2006)

All these first pens look very good!!!

Dan's is amazing because of the "note" inlay and the glue up.  Until now, I still can't do that!!! [][:0]


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## dfurlano (Jun 21, 2006)

This is a situation where the photo is better then reality.  

The blank rings are cuts I made with the point of the skew and then used epoxy with black dye to fill and re-sand.  The note I printed out on on my inkjet using sticky paper. I then stuck it to the pen and followed the pattern on the sticky with a dremel and filled it with the black epoxy.

It took all of fifteen minutes.


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## ken69912001 (Jun 21, 2006)

This is my first attempt ever on a lathe.


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## leehljp (Jun 21, 2006)

My Padauk pen which was my first "completed" pen:






I made two or three "turns" before this learning how NOT to use a chisel, how to NOT sand and use too much pressure, how NOT to glue, and, how to cut down on blowouts. [)][:I]


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## BigRob777 (Jun 24, 2006)

Here are my first and second pens.  Curly maple on top (my personal pen) and Tulipwood / Kingwood for my 2nd (my wife's personal pen).

I love the feel of mine.


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As for Dan, that guy's got talent oozing out of his fingers.  One of his first pens was his inlay with the initial M, in an emporer.  Wow!
Rob


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## Tanner (Jun 24, 2006)

OK, how about first attempt.[:I]

By the way have any of you stuck another tube in from the other end so they meet, then cut the tubes down to a little over correct length, then trim the ends so it measures the correct length? (Wow, sorry for the run on sentence)  I now have these BOW blanks that match and this happens.



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## DCBluesman (Jun 24, 2006)

This is my first (7-29-04) and it's still in use.  It sets by the phone for taking messages.



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Tanner--just hacksaw (or better yet, use a tube cutter) the end of the tube off and glue it in the other end.  The small unsupported section between the two tube halves, particularly on the finial end, will not cause a problem. [8D]


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## Ron in Drums PA (Jun 24, 2006)

My first seven


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## johncrane (Jun 24, 2006)

I like'm all well done


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## Ron in Drums PA (Jun 24, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Tanner_
> <br />OK, how about first attempt.[:I]
> 
> By the way have any of you stuck another tube in from the other end so they meet, then cut the tubes down to a little over correct length, then trim the ends so it measures the correct length? (Wow, sorry for the run on sentence)  I now have these BOW blanks that match and this happens.
> ...



Yup!


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