# Making 90 pens



## yorkie (Feb 28, 2015)

Time to get ready for some upcoming shows and top up my pen inventory.

Here are 90 pens I have spent the day organizing and getting ready to start cutting.  I have also included the excel spreadsheet I built for planning out and keeping track.

Wish me luck!


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## firewhatfire (Feb 28, 2015)

Whats the big hunk of wood in the 3rd pic?

CA Finish on all of em?


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## magpens (Feb 28, 2015)

You seem to be incredibly well organized !!!  Good for you !

Third pic, bottom row ... all the pen kits seem to be in the same packaging.  I can't read the name on the packaging partly because it is upside down and partly because it is obscured by blanks and other stuff.  Looks like "Accord".  Can you please tell me what it is , please .


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## Charlie_W (Feb 28, 2015)

magpens said:


> You seem to be incredibly well organized !!!  Good for you !
> 
> Third pic, bottom row ... all the pen kits seem to be in the same packaging.  I can't read the name on the packaging partly because it is upside down and partly because it is obscured by blanks and other stuff.  Looks like "Accord".  Can you please tell me what it is , please .



Accord pen kit is available from Woodcraft!


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## Charlie_W (Feb 28, 2015)

Stephen....Go Man Go! You must be running off a Duracell battery and coffee!
Can't wait to see the after pic!


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## Tom T (Feb 28, 2015)

Amazing,  lots great turning.


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## yorkie (Feb 28, 2015)

firewhatfire said:


> Whats the big hunk of wood in the 3rd pic?
> 
> CA Finish on all of em?



Big hunk of wood is USS North Carolina Teak.

Yes, all of them will have CA finish.  That's what takes a long time.


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## yorkie (Feb 28, 2015)

magpens said:


> You seem to be incredibly well organized !!!  Good for you !
> 
> Third pic, bottom row ... all the pen kits seem to be in the same packaging.  I can't read the name on the packaging partly because it is upside down and partly because it is obscured by blanks and other stuff.  Looks like "Accord".  Can you please tell me what it is , please .



They are Accord from Woodcraft. $20 a kit but fantastic qualify.


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## yorkie (Feb 28, 2015)

Charlie_W said:


> Stephen....Go Man Go! You must be running off a Duracell battery and coffee!
> Can't wait to see the after pic!



Thanks a lot.


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## WriteON (Feb 28, 2015)

Get your lathe hummin'. Have fun...$ell those pen$.


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## yorkie (Feb 28, 2015)

My process is that I cut them all-takes a day. 

Tube them all and then shave them all close to the tube-takes a day.

Mill the edges with a pen mill and then drip a little thin CA onto the tips, around the tubes, and wipe off any excess. 

After all that, they're ready to turn. 

I'll pick about 10 to 15 each weekend and turn them all on one day and then CA them the same day.  Leave them overnight to cure and then sand the tips to get off the CA overlap and square the blanks one last time (I use a Jet 9" cabinet sander for that) I then dip the tips in thin CA to seal them before I polish them and then assemble them. 

That's my system.  A little nutty in places, but it works for me and I don't have any problems with blistering, cloudiness, spotting or cracking of the finish.


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## Tom T (Feb 28, 2015)

Thank you for that run down on what you do.  I will give it a try, but not on 90 pens.  I hope the process works one at a time.


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## jfoh (Feb 28, 2015)

I finished my last large batch of pens for the local high school graduation. Just over 200 pens with the names and date engraved. Takes about a hundred hours spread out over a few months working in batches of 25 to 50 in each step. This is my last year doing it so I am both happy to be done and sad at the same time. Your system looks fairly well organized and works for you which is all that matters. Good sales.


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## Kragax (Mar 1, 2015)

jfoh said:


> I finished my last large batch of pens for the local high school graduation. Just over 200 pens with the names and date engraved. Takes about a hundred hours spread out over a few months working in batches of 25 to 50 in each step. This is my last year doing it so I am both happy to be done and sad at the same time. Your system looks fairly well organized and works for you which is all that matters. Good sales.



How do you do the engraving?


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## hcpens (Mar 1, 2015)

How are keeping track of the cost / sale / profit #'s?  Liked the spreadsheet, thanks for sharing it with us.


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## yorkie (Mar 1, 2015)

hcpens said:


> How are keeping track of the cost / sale / profit #'s?  Liked the spreadsheet, thanks for sharing it with us.



I use quicken to keep track of all sales.  

Typically, I make about 400 to 600 percent markup per pen.  I sell them between $80 to $140 And upwards of $190.


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## yorkie (Mar 9, 2015)

Here they are: Marked out, Cut, Drilled, Tubed, pen milled, reemed and tips dipped in thin CA.  By the time I was finished, it took me an hour to get them all back on the right kits.

Now, my plan is to take 15 at a time, each weekend, to the lathe and turn, sand, CA and assemble.

I should be done late April.  Then I'll be all ready for the shows and on to another project; probably a coffee table!


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## OZturner (Mar 9, 2015)

Stephen, Your Organisation is Incredible.
I think I commented last year, on how Impressed I was.
I am envious of your Organisation.
Congratulations,
Brian.


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## dartman (Mar 14, 2015)

Good luck at your shows.Sell sell sell money money money win win win....


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## yorkie (Mar 15, 2015)

*First 20 pens*

Firrst 10 of the 20...Left to right:  English Wych Elm burl with Blue Lapis stone inlay, Jerusalem Olive Wood, Chechen burl with steel powder inlay throughout, English Holly Oak, Crosscut Cocobolo, black line spalted English beech, Curly Afromosia, American Big Leaf Maple burl and curly two-tone Maple.

All are on Accord pen kit with CA finish.


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## yorkie (Mar 15, 2015)

*Here are other 10*

Second 10 of the 20...From left to right: Curacao burl, Thuya burl, Black & White Ebony (I was toying with whether or not to fill the hole in the middle but decided to leave it alone and place on the center of the pen), Crosscut Cocobolo, Cloud Figured Ziricote, Afzelia Xylay pair from the same block, Shakespeare acrylic, two-tone Red Mallee burl with brass inlay and After the Fire acrylic.

First five are Emperor kits from Woodcraft, middle two are Liberty kits, then a Inertia kit and the last two are Phoenix rising.

All are CA finish, except acrylics of course.


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## Charlie_W (Mar 15, 2015)

Great job on your pens Stephen! They should sell quickly!


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## magpens (Mar 15, 2015)

Those look beautiful !!  Thank you so much, Stephen, for posting pictures and for the kit and blank details !!


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## PenAddict (Mar 21, 2015)

I shop Woodcraft and never see such a selection of wood blanks. What's your source and do you hand pick them. It would take me forever just to collect such a wonderful collection of blanks. Great job!


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## yorkie (Mar 23, 2015)

PenAddict said:


> I shop Woodcraft and never see such a selection of wood blanks. What's your source and do you hand pick them. It would take me forever just to collect such a wonderful collection of blanks. Great job!



Sorry it's taken me a while to reply.  I've been turning all 70 blanks that are left and getting set up for the sanding and the finishing of them all.

I've been collecting blanks for years.  Mostly, I get them from Ebay and then contact the guy directly to see what else he has and if I can buy his private stash.  Mostly, be willing to pay for the best of the best.  I bought some Malaysian Blackwood burl a couple of years ago and paid $30 per blank and it is ugly wood when finished; what a waste.  I like black line spalted.


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## INSierra (Mar 23, 2015)

yorkie said:


> firewhatfire said:
> 
> 
> > Whats the big hunk of wood in the 3rd pic?
> ...





Did you order the teak from the museum?  I'm was looking at ordering one of the pieces they sell for $35 and make some blanks out of it.  I was just worried that the wood would not be good.  If you did get it from the museum, was the quality decent?

Thanks!
Brian


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## PR_Princess (Mar 23, 2015)

What a wonderful assortment of pens Stephen! I am always mesmerized by looking at your wonderful creations. You are indeed a master with wood!


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## yorkie (Mar 28, 2015)

INSierra said:


> yorkie said:
> 
> 
> > firewhatfire said:
> ...



Yes, Brian. I buy the $35 blocks. The wood is perfect but I always crosscut it. It makes it quite a challenge to drill and turn, but it gives you that nice shimmer and crosscut pattern. I save the sawdust to repair it if I need to or sometimes I fill with aluminum or brass powder.  Good luck.


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## yorkie (Mar 28, 2015)

The remaining 70 have all been turned and now everything is set up and organized for sanding and applying BLO.

I am most excited about the graduate magnetic with crosscut zebra wood and the Smoke Tree, which is bright yellow and has quilting and burl throughout.


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## yorkie (Mar 29, 2015)

All sanded and BLO applied.  Now, getting set up for the long process of Ca finish on each one.


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## Charlie_W (Mar 29, 2015)

yorkie said:


> All sanded and BLO applied.  Now, getting set up for the long process of Ca finish on each one.



Don't bump that table

Looking good! Go Stephen Go!


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## yorkie (Apr 5, 2015)

The remaining 72 pens have all been CA'd, shaved and the tips CA'd for sealing and are ready for the final fun part-polishing and assembly.

Here are the first 4.  All Celtic Cross pens with the addition of the Celtic clip.  From left to right:

Ancient Irish bog Oak
Gold Amboyna burl
Quilted Sapelle
Two tone Verawood

All are CA finish of course.


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## magpens (Apr 5, 2015)

Those are SOOOOOO nice !!!  Any problems with the Celtic transmission ?  I understand it can give trouble but maybe PSI has had that fixed.


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## yorkie (Apr 5, 2015)

magpens said:


> Those are SOOOOOO nice !!!  Any problems with the Celtic transmission ?  I understand it can give trouble but maybe PSI has had that fixed.



I did have some trouble with them. too tight when the cap is pressed on and squeaky. A little fussy to get the refill into, so finesse is advised. I added a couple of drops of fine light oil and it is now quite smooth.


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## Tom T (Apr 5, 2015)

Amazing sir.  Great work they are beautiful.  Wishing you the best in selling them all.


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## WriteON (Apr 5, 2015)

Nicely done. Thanks for posting. I'm a big fan of the Celtic.


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## Quality Pen (Apr 6, 2015)

That bog oak is gorgeous... really a fan of the texture it shows.

Do you ever have problems with it cracking though?


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## yorkie (Apr 6, 2015)

Quality Pen said:


> That bog oak is gorgeous... really a fan of the texture it shows.
> 
> Do you ever have problems with it cracking though?



First time I've ever turned it, but it went straight forward.


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## yorkie (Apr 6, 2015)

Here are tonights finished pens:

Quilted Smoke Tree burl (rarer than Hen's teeth) on full sized Statesman.  The photos do not do it justice; possibly the most exceptional piece of wood I've ever seen and a challenge to pull a blank out of the block.

Crosscut Zebra wood on Graduate RB.  Crosscut Zebra wood is so difficult to turn.  Eventurally, I just switch to 100 grit sandpaper and take it down using that.  Takes a while but well worth it.

Laminated Walnut and Cherry burl (not mine, I bought it this way) very tricky to turn.  I originally planned it for a different pen and it shattered.  I was able to recover the remainder of the blank and get a sketch pencil out of it.

All are CA finish.


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## JimB (Apr 6, 2015)

You get an amazing CA finish. Thanks for sharing your work as you progress through the stages.


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## yorkie (Apr 25, 2015)

*Last in the series: 1 of 5*

From Left to Right:

EB resin, I can't remember the name; sorry.
Black & gold resin from Woodcraft
Alien Ooze from Australia
Pirate's Gold resin from Australia
Apple burl with turquoise inlay
Harlequin I've had for years and never did anything with until now
Black line spalted maple
Black line spalted maple
Crosscut Macacauba
Ringkneck Pheasant feathers
Pheasant feathers

All wood are CA finish


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## yorkie (Apr 25, 2015)

*Last in the series: 2 of 5*

Left to right:
Redheart
Australian Rose Myrtle with Coral inlay
Buckeye burl with Turquoise inlay
Blakck line spalted Japanese Sugar Maple
Tulip wood
Cocobolo
Tambooti
Cherry burl
Cross cut Mediterranean Olive wood
Honduran Rosewood burl
Afzelia burl

All are CA finish


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## yorkie (Apr 25, 2015)

*Last in the series: 3 of 5*

From left to right:

Mission Olive wood
Antique Longleaf Pine
USS North Carolina teak
Super curly Hawaiian Koa
Black and white Ebony
Jerusalem Olive wood
Two-tone cross cut Cocobolo
Thailand Rosewood burl with brass inlay
English Holly Oak (my absolute favourite wood)
two-tone straight cut Cocobolo
Cross cut Ambrosia Maple
Lava acrylic from EB

All are CA finish


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## yorkie (Apr 25, 2015)

*Last in the series: 4 of 5*

From left to right:

Amethyst resin
purple and grey Australian resin
Japanese linen 
Redwood burl
USS North Carolina Teak
Granite pebble acrylic (reverse painted)
USS North Carolina Teak
Jack Daniels Whiskey barrel Oak
Electric Storm acrylic

All wood is CA finish


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## yorkie (Apr 25, 2015)

*Last in the series: 5 of 5*

Last of them from this series of pens.

From left to right:

Cloud figured Ziricote
Jerusalem Olive wood
Cross cut Mediterranean Olive wood
Tiger Eye acrylic from Australia
Himalayan Spruce burl
Gum Root burl.  I took my fingers and worked steel powder into all the cracks to create veins of steel running throughout the wood...well pleased with how this one turned out.
Big Leaf Maple burl with blue alumilite resin
Red dyed Box Elder burl
Cross cut Pacific Yew
Curly birdseye Maple
Teal dyed Box Elder burl
Amboyna burl with Blue Lapis inlay

All are CA finish.


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## MartinPens (Apr 25, 2015)

I really like that Gum Root pen with the silver rubbed in. Nice touch!


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## RKB (Apr 25, 2015)

WOW.  That is some kinda awesomeness.  Take a bow and a much needed break. :biggrin:

Rod


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## Sprung (Apr 26, 2015)

Those are all well done, amazing, and beautiful pens! Nice work!


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