# A simple wooden Sierra style pen



## mredburn (Jun 10, 2011)

I had to make another all wood pen. I really enjoyed making the first one but it went to my pith partner and I decided to make me one. Of course I had to step it up a notch.  I decided to make a Sierra style pen out of wood. I used a PKmont kit as the donor kit for the tubes and transmission/transmission coupler. I decided to make it out of a piece of Koa I had laying around and Ebony for the contrast. 
I kept a better watch on my time since I was asked that in the first one I did. It took about 1 hour to make the nose cone. It took 20 minutes to make the center band and another 10 minutes to rough out the finial. 






I know the nose cone is about 1in (25mm) long over all and the cone is about .700 (17.7mm) +/-. The Tapered front section in Koa I cut long and then trim to 1.25in (31mm) the next pictures are of the mandrel I made to hold the nose cone so that the outer shape can be turned. 







I turned the ebony for this piece to .400 (10.2mm) and then drill the different holes for the refill. I then turn the outer wall diameter to fit in the tube and cut it off . I then Mount it on the mandrel and turn the tapered shapes. I leave the largest diameter at .400. This is not the finished diameter, that will be turned when its assembled to the front nose cone and center band as turned as one.








The center band is first turned to about .520 (13mm) drilled all the way through with a 19/64 (7.5mm) drill bit then drilled with a 5/16 (8mm) to accept the brass tube. The step that fits into the front section is cut and then the piece is cut off the stock. The three pieces are then epoxied together and turned as one unit to final dimensions. The front section has an 8mm tube in it that slides on to the mandrel I made for that. You can drill the 5/16 all the way though the smaller bit just makes a seat for the tube to fit against. I turn the tranny couple down to match the tube.




The next picture shows the 3 parts glued together with the 8mm tube and transmission coupler just slid into place I have done the final turning on the nose section yet. I use 3.200 (81.2mm) as the starting place for the length of the pen. Thats measured from the tip of the nose cone to the back shoulder of the transmission coupler. This one ended up being 3.195 (81.1)














At this point I have close to 5 hours in the pen. A few coats of CA on it and I'm ready to get serious about the finish. This is where it gets out of hand. For some reason I ended up with a white streak on the step of the finial. I bet it took me 3 tries of sanding it down and building it back up to finally get rid of that white streak. It probably isn't helping that its Midnight.
The next day I cut out the clip and shape file and sand it to final dimensions. It takes about an hour to make the clip to where i want it. I cut the hole in the upper pen body and finish the clip It takes another hour to coat it with enough CA and then hand sand it off and to polish it.












Hope you like it. As usual I left room for improvement but I'm working on it. :biggrin: All comments or questions welcome.


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## BRobbins629 (Jun 10, 2011)

That's really nice Mike.  Too bad you had to waste the rest of the parts.


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## MarkD (Jun 10, 2011)

Awesome looking pen! Excellent craftsmanship and great write up!


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## skiprat (Jun 10, 2011)

That is too cool !!! I love it!!  
Beautifully made and very well explained. :biggrin::good::good::good:


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## hewunch (Jun 10, 2011)

Home run!


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## IPD_Mr (Jun 10, 2011)

That is one of the slickest things I have seen in a long time.  Awesome job.


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## azamiryou (Jun 10, 2011)

I love seeing limits pushed like this.


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## BSea (Jun 10, 2011)

That is absolutely an amazing pen.  Thanks for explaining how you did it.  Not that it will help me much.  I'm a long ways from doing anything like that.


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## RichF (Jun 10, 2011)

Amazing work.  You can be proud of that one.


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## thewishman (Jun 10, 2011)

That is an awesome pen! Love it!


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## Rmartin (Jun 10, 2011)

Thanks for posting the process pictures.

I love the look of the Sierra, but I find the all metal taper of the Sierra hard to grip and sometimes slips in my hand. I' thinking with the wood cone that you've made makes it much more comfortable to write with.


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## TerryDowning (Jun 10, 2011)

Great work, very instructive.  Obviously you don't mind if other people use your ideas.  Thanks for the info on the stepped mandrel from your other post. I used some threaded 1/4 - 20 rod instead of brass cause that's what I had in the shop. I am going to redo with brass or stainless though, the all thread is a bit out of true.

Still not sure how you mount yours in the lathe though.


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## mredburn (Jun 11, 2011)

Thanks for the comments, Terry I mount the mandrel in either a scroll jaw chuck or a Collete on the head stock. I see you have a shop smith from one of your other posts. How do you mount your pen Mandrels?


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## Rangertrek (Jun 11, 2011)

Mike, excellent craftsmanship!  I especially like the clip.


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## Drstrangefart (Jun 11, 2011)

I vote we take up a collection to buy this man a dictionary so that one day he might learn the definition of simple.


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## mredburn (Jun 11, 2011)

I did forget one detail I would like to include. After I rough out the Finial and before I cut it off the stock I drill it wiht a 5/16 (8mm) drill bit and then glue a piece of 8mm brass tube inside it.  THe tube usually doesnt have to be longer than the wood  part that is glued inside the tube of the main body. Generally the transmission sticks out far enough it is actually up inside the finial. You Might make the tube a little longer check the fit and dimensions before cutting it off. 

I am glad to share these as I go. Hopefully it will serve as a starting place for your own pens. Sometimes we figure it out ouselves and sometimes we need a little hint to turn on that little lightbulb of creativity.   Both the first wooden pen and this one were very rewarding to make. If your not sure  your up to it yet. Get a cheap strait grained piece of wood, walnut or cherry or Oak  or pine  and have at it. Even a failed attempt will put you  one step closer to success.   Good luck and if you have questions please ask them.


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## rizaydog (Jun 11, 2011)

Great job Mike.  Very good work.


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## mredburn (Jun 11, 2011)

Drstrangefart said:


> I vote we take up a collection to buy this man a dictionary so that one day he might learn the definition of simple.


 
:biggrin: It is SImple! You simply decide your going to do it and you go out to the shop and you start.  Simple!  The hardest part is deciding which woods to use to make the pens.  I have to many choices in that respect and spent an hour trying to decide which wood


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## eldee (Jun 11, 2011)

Mike, I really love that pen. Excellent job. Do you actually use the clip? I don't think that I could ever risk it.


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## bluwolf (Jun 11, 2011)

Nice job on the pen Mike. And really nice write up. If the clip is as nice as the one on his other wood pen then yes, it's very useable. I was surprised at how well it worked.


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## IPD_Mr (Jun 11, 2011)

Mike - From a couple of the photos it looks to me like you have an insert of koa in the top flat part of the cap finial.  Are my eyes playing tricks?


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## Dalecamino (Jun 11, 2011)

Mike, I just saw this and, it floored me. Another aspiration for me to follow. This is just absolutely cool. Thanks for explaining the steps. A great looking pen, to say the least.


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## mredburn (Jun 11, 2011)

IPD_Mr said:


> Mike - From a couple of the photos it looks to me like you have an insert of koa in the top flat part of the cap finial. Are my eyes playing tricks?


 

Your eyes are not playing tricks, I put a Koa Insert into the top of the Finial. I had hoped it would have more curl in it but it was turned off in the process of making it. I dont think there was a bad choice when deciding whether or not to put an insert in. All black looked good and the inserted Koa looks good. In the end I decided the koa looked better to me. 


Thanks Chuck time for you to make one.

MIke


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## Drstrangefart (Jun 11, 2011)

mredburn said:


> Drstrangefart said:
> 
> 
> > I vote we take up a collection to buy this man a dictionary so that one day he might learn the definition of simple.
> ...



Fair enough!


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## Rick_G (Jun 11, 2011)

Beautiful job Mike.  The explanation is good as well.  I've done one all wood but it was a slim style and a lot easier to do.  That's one thing I like about this site most are willing to share how they did something and we can read, look, learn and hopefully improve our own work.


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## Dalecamino (Jun 11, 2011)

:biggrin: Looks like I'm gonna need yet another mandrel. In due time Watson...in due time. :biggrin:


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## Pete275 (Jun 11, 2011)

Mike, you've done it again, another work of art. Thanks for sharing the info about the process. This is the kind of work that gives the rest of us something to work toward. Keep up the amazing work.

Wayne


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## rogerwaskow (Jul 5, 2011)

Only one word. Brilliant.


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## gwilki (Jul 20, 2011)

I'm very late to the game, Mike, but I wanted to add my compliments, and thanks for showing how you did it.


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## mredburn (Jul 20, 2011)

Thank you Grant and the rest of you also. I like to put these pens out there. One to show it can be done and two to help push others (and myself) into stretching out past their comfort zones and trying something they may not. Or giving them the idea "I can do that".  
MIke


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