# Success!  Bright purple pens!



## woodscavenger (Apr 18, 2005)

I have been trying to do an eye-popping purple pen for a while. I have tried several things with limited success including violet BEB (to light, not attention grabbing), violet acrylic from BB (was as much blue as violet), purple crushed velvet (too dark and hard to see the colors except under bright light).  Additionally, each of these can get to be expensive after a while.

I tried something new.  This pen is a curly maple blank with a chrome streamline kit.  The color comes from a marker picked up at my local art supply for about $3.50.  The marker is prismacolor violet PM-50.  It has a broad tip and a thin tip. Here is a link to a site that shows many of their colors.  http://www.artsuppliesonline.com/catalog.cfm?cata_id=1890

Here is a picture of what the marker looks like (this is a red one, not the violet that I used.)





This is the pen. Tell me what you think. The finish is CA/BLO. 



I am going to get some more curly maple and some more markers.  Green is my next one.


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## Gregory Huey (Apr 18, 2005)

Well I would say that it is a eye popper.Nice job.


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## tipusnr (Apr 18, 2005)

Really great job.  An space saving as well!


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## Leather Man (Apr 18, 2005)

Shane, That is nice. My daughter wants a purple pen. Think I will try some of that marker. Was it easy to use? Did it penatrate the wood very far? Thanks for sharing that with us.
Ben


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## woodscavenger (Apr 18, 2005)

I am not sure about penetration but I doubt very far.  I turned the blank and sanded to 1200.  I touched the broad tip to the wood while it was turning and slid back and forth a couple of times then buffed with a paper towel and pinched it like a friction polish to heat it up and evaporate any volatile chemicals.  Then I just added my CA/BLO just like normal.   Super easy.  In the light this thing really shimmers.  I had to beg my wife to let me take it and show it around.  She has never been so pen-possessive.


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## JimGo (Apr 18, 2005)

Shane, that looks really cool!  Have you tried Purpleheart?  If its heated, it turns a REALLY cool purple.


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## woodscavenger (Apr 18, 2005)

Tried the purple heart trick and didn't have good results. Secondly, I hate turning purple heart.  It is hard and brittle in my hands and although I have a couple of beautiful bowls and pens from the stuff, I shy away from it if I can.  Third, I have not seen purple heart with great figure in it.


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## Queso (Apr 18, 2005)

I may have to try this method.  Seems a lot safer than what I tried tonight.


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## penhead (Apr 18, 2005)

Thanks for the tip Woodscavenger,
I have had at least half dozen people ask me for a purple pen, but nothing I have tried (including aniline dye) have made them purple enough....gotta try that....

...never realized purple was that favorite a color till I started making pens..


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## JimGo (Apr 18, 2005)

I agree, the pen-size pieces are pretty plain over all, although the bigger sizes have some nice figure (as I'm sure you saw with the bowl).  I'm surprised you think of it as brittle...I've had worse times with Brazilian Rosewood and Wenge than Purpleheart, but that's just my experience.  Great tip for the markers; the Sharpies aren't bad, but I've seen those in the store and they have a much wider variety of colors.

And yes Queso, I'd recommend that you work with sealed color applicators as much as possible!


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## Peninhandrjg (Apr 19, 2005)

Shane, Nice job!  I've got a call for one that color


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## DCBluesman (Apr 19, 2005)

I'm color blind and even -I- can see that one jump off the page!  Nice job and thanks for sharing, Shane!


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## driften (Apr 19, 2005)

The pen looks great!


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## WoodChucker (Apr 19, 2005)

Nice job and thanks for the tip!


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## Daniel (Apr 19, 2005)

Great Purple there, If the other colors work as well you may have a great answer to the "How to Get School Colors" Question.


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## pastorbill1952 (Apr 19, 2005)

Great lookng pen.  Between the color and the finish the wood takes on life.


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## Fleabit (Apr 19, 2005)

Definanlty a winner if the color holds up.  The purple just jumps at you and locks your eyes in.  Very beautiful pen!  The curly maple compliments the purple nicely.


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## jdavis (Apr 19, 2005)

Like the color and design of pen.


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## Tom McMillan (Apr 19, 2005)

Very nice pen Shane---the purple looks great!!!!


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## woodwish (Apr 19, 2005)

That's difinitely Purple with a capital "P", nice looking pen!


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## opfoto (Apr 19, 2005)

I don't think there is another purple out there that would be able to compete with that one. Nice work!


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## woodscavenger (Apr 19, 2005)

The cool thing is that I think that marker comes in about 100 different colors.  Green is next on my list.


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## swm6500 (Apr 19, 2005)

Nice looking pen Shane, let's hope that the color holds up.


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## MDWine (Apr 19, 2005)

Yep... THAT'S PURPLE

I love it!  Congrats!


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## Tropical (Apr 20, 2005)

Wow!  Very nice.  I am a purple lover as well and I would definitely buy this purple pen.  Great job!!  Great! Great!  Love the colour!


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## dougle40 (Apr 20, 2005)

WOW-- Now that IS an eye-popping purple .
When you do make the green one and post a pic , just watch out for Anthony !! LOL [}][][][]


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## woodscavenger (Apr 20, 2005)

Hey Tropical, how many do you want me to send you?  I'll gladly sell you some!  []


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## dozuki (Apr 20, 2005)

that looks really cool and is just the thing for a project i have in mind.  Thanks for the hint.[]


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## rtgleck (Apr 20, 2005)

Great Coloring job, and nice looking pen.   Really stands out.


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## BigRob777 (May 1, 2005)

Verrrrry nice, I am new to turnery, does purpleheart not turn well, or show up a vibrant?


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## BigRob777 (May 1, 2005)

oops, "as vibrant"


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## KKingery (May 1, 2005)

I agree with everyone else - I think it looks great!


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## woodscavenger (May 1, 2005)

Purple heart is not near as figured and it is rock hard and in my little experience a pain to turn.  The color ranges from brown to bright purple but can change dramatically over time.  I tried this and loved it.


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## Fangar (May 1, 2005)

It really is great looking.  I will have to check my local art store for something.  That site you listed has crazy shipping rates. Thanks for sharing.

Fangar


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## jdavis (May 2, 2005)

Good job. Nice color.


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## butcherofwood (May 2, 2005)

Nice, great idea.


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## JimGo (May 2, 2005)

Rob,
In my limited experience, Purpleheart isn't as vibrant; however, it does have a really great color, which can be enhanced by heating it.  Purpleheart isn't as delicate as some of the other woods I've turned, and it really takes a finish well (i.e., even just after sandpaper and MicroMesh, it looks great).


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## MDWine (May 3, 2005)

Didn't I read somewhere that eventually Purpleheart turns brownish?


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## RPM (May 3, 2005)

Look's great and thanks for the tip.  I have a customer that is after a purple pen.  I have a piece of violet maple burl, but she wants alot of figure and I'm not sure that the burl is going to get it for her.  This is definately on my to try list.
Richard


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## Mainebowlman (May 3, 2005)

Shane (woodscavenger), thanks for the inspiration _and the information_ on coloring the wood.  I picked up four Prismacolor markers and used them on some curly maple and birdseye maple I had.  I especially like the look of the birdseye.



<br />

When my adult daughter saw the display box with these <b>four</b> and the other _natural _wood pens, her attention went right to the colors.

Thanks again.

Jack


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## darbytee (May 3, 2005)

Those look really nice Jack. I just picked up a couple of those pens yesterday and will try them out this weekend. Hope my results are as good as yours.


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## woodscavenger (May 4, 2005)

Strong work Jack!  Could you post the marker #'s here so we know which color you used.  They have so many shades that it would be nice to see which color is which.  Did you do anything different than my method?


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## arehrlich (May 4, 2005)

Jack,

Nice pens. I'm going to pick up a few markers and give it a try.

Alan


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## JimGo (May 4, 2005)

I just got a set of 12 basic colors off of eBay for $12.50 including shipping.


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## Dario (May 4, 2005)

Great looking pen!

Have you tested the lightfastedness of the color?  

I would love to know how long it can keep that color even after exposure to sunlight.  Can you report after a month or so...PLEASE!!! []


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## Mainebowlman (May 4, 2005)

Prismacolor markers for the pens posted yesterday were:
PM4    Crimson Red
PM165  Grass Green
PM45   Navy Blue
PM50   Violet

You're right about the colors.  The craft store must have had 6 reds, 6 blues, 3 greens and a few purples.  And no scrap paper to test the colors.

Jack


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## woodguy1975 (May 5, 2005)

I, like JimGo, got a set off Ebay.  I got a set of 24 for less than $20 shipped.  Much better than the price you find in the stores or buying one at a time.  

The do make a nice looking pen.  

John


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