# 2nd kitless~Polymerization



## creativewriting (May 18, 2010)

Well here is my second attempt at going kitless.  Again I used aluminum (I really like the weight) and polymer clay.  The nib is a small steel heritage from Lou.  I figured out how to polish the aluminum a little better and added a clip.

I have been trying to do Mokume with polymer for years and have never been satisfied with the results.  I have always wanted that "Pop" of color and could never find it.  Finally I stumbled upon this method after screwing up a few other pieces.  I was blown away by the color and contrast.

Thanks for looking!


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## Ankrom Exotics (May 18, 2010)

Very nice! Awesome job on the blank.


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## Brooks803 (May 18, 2010)

Whoa....thats cool!


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## ElMostro (May 18, 2010)

Beautiful pen, LOVE that blank!


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## ldb2000 (May 18, 2010)

Beautiful Keith . I love the look . Glad to see your perfecting your finish and you got your clip problem worked out , threaded ? 
I found a finish I'm going to test and see how it works , I'm waiting for it to arrive . From what they tell mne it sounds like it might just be what we are looking for . It puts on an ultra thin coat , 2 to 3 microns thick and is chip , scratch and wear resistant . It's not Epoxy but is a solvent based finish . I'll keep you updated .


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## el_d (May 19, 2010)

Very, Very Nice Keith. Great Blank.


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## Toni (May 19, 2010)

Keith!! LOVE IT!! That blue with the copper color really POP!!! 

Funny thing about Mokume Gane I feel the same way.  I havent really found a technique that I liked that didnt result in heaps of scraps. Very nicely done!!


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## skiprat (May 19, 2010)

Great work Keith!!  I really like the overall style and shape of the pen too.:good::good:


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## creativewriting (May 19, 2010)

Butch, I am all ears. It almost sounds to good to be true, but I will keep my fingers crossed. The polish that I used helps with finger prints, but it would be great to find something to help with wear. I use the faux leather one I posted everyday and it hasn't turned anything black or rotted my finger off yet:wink:!


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## creativewriting (May 19, 2010)

Toni, MG has frustrated me for years.  This one I had very few scraps and it was built right on the pen so no seems.  When I started slicing away at this one I got so excited I stayed up until midnight just to get a picture up.


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## creativewriting (May 19, 2010)

Thanks Skip.  I was really trying to stay simple so I didn't distract from the clay.  My intentions for going kitless was to find a better canvas to highlight the clay and the colors you could achieve with it.  Thanks again for looking!


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## moyehow (May 19, 2010)

you found it!!  awesome pens!


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## thewishman (May 19, 2010)

Great job! The pen is nice - the aluminum is so shiny - the threading looks very nice. Love the Mokume! Those colors work well together.

NPGJ


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## wizard (May 19, 2010)

That is one of the most beautiful pens I have ever seen. I collect very nice fountain pens. I attempt to make some myself . But this beats them all. I LOVE THIS PEN !! You and Toni should design stuff together. You are both so talented. The photography is excellent too!!! Regards, Wizard


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## creativewriting (May 19, 2010)

Thanks Wizard for the great compliments!


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## bgibb42 (May 19, 2010)

That is a spectacular piece of work!  My only tiny constructive criticism would be that it looks a little long for my tastes.  Otherwise, the clay work is stunning, and the styling is very classy!


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## creativewriting (May 19, 2010)

> _My only tiny constructive criticism would be that it looks a little long for my tastes_



Your criticism is alright by me.  If we were all the same it would be a boring site.  The pen is 6" capped.  Nib tip to end is almost 5.75".  It is slightly (.25") longer then my last, but the weight is still very nice.


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## PenMan1 (May 19, 2010)

Another nice one, Keith! How much do you charge for metal lathe lessons? It sure is a nice addition to your shop!


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## creativewriting (May 19, 2010)

I have way to many bad habits to do that. A "what not to do" video would be more up my alley!


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## glycerine (May 19, 2010)

kind of psychedelic.


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## Jim15 (May 19, 2010)

That's awesome work.


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## johncrane (May 19, 2010)

Excellent work Keith! looks really good also what size thread are you using.


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## glycerine (May 19, 2010)

By the way, after your finest grit of micromesh or whatever you're using (on the aluminum), try some plastic polish if you have not already. If you use enough of that, it should take out those "scratches" and shine it right up.


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## creativewriting (May 19, 2010)

> By the way, after your finest grit of micromesh or whatever you're using (on the aluminum), try some plastic polish if you have not already. If you use enough of that, it should take out those "scratches" and shine it right up.


 
Thanks Glycerine.  After I looked at the photos I went back and worked on it a little more.  When your holding it you don't notice, but the darn camera brought everything out.  I used Mothers (not literally, it's the brand) aluminum polish and I can see myself in it.  This afternoon I am going to put it on the buffer and see what happens.


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## creativewriting (May 19, 2010)

> what size thread are you using.


Right now I am using a .5" x 20.  It is what I had and I didn't want to invest in a bunch of taps in the begining.  I am going to start experimenting a little now that I know the basic size I am going for.


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## johncrane (May 19, 2010)

Thanks Keith! looks about 2 turns which is a good thing.


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## glycerine (May 19, 2010)

creativewriting said:


> Thanks Glycerine. After I looked at the photos I went back and worked on it a little more. When your holding it you don't notice, but the darn camera brought everything out. I used Mothers (not literally, it's the brand) aluminum polish and I can see myself in it. This afternoon I am going to put it on the buffer and see what happens.


 
Ok, yeah.  The plastic polish actually has very fine grit in it, like an auto rubbing compound, so it will continue to "sand" the finish.  I think the aluminum polish just has chemicals to get rid of any oxidation and probably want remove any more scratches, but I could be wrong.

I use the HUT brand plastic polish:


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## creativewriting (May 19, 2010)

I have some of this at the house.  I will give it a try this evening and let you know how it goes!


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## Rfturner (May 19, 2010)

I love the blank it looks great, by the way cd scatch remover is cheaper and does the same job


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## thetalbott4 (May 19, 2010)

That blank is one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time! BEAUTIFUL job.


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## Russianwolf (May 19, 2010)

Kieth, gorgeous pen. The blank is amazing. I think the cap finial looks a bit odd (too long) but that's just one of those personal opinions.


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## JohnU (May 19, 2010)

Stunning!!!!  Great work Keith!  I like it all from top to bottom.  Your efforts and hard work really show.   I hope to see this one on the Home Page!


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## creativewriting (May 19, 2010)

Thanks Mike.  This one is a little longer then the first one I made.  The first cap I made was all one piece.  The top finial on this on is threaded so I can put a clip on it.  I made it a little longer in case I screwed up (which I do often).  For the next one I will go back to the original size which is about .25" shorter then the bottom finial.


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## creativewriting (May 19, 2010)

Thanks for the vote of confidence John!


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## workinforwood (May 19, 2010)

Looks Awesome Keith.  I love the entire pen.  I don't know if it's Mokume..but who cares! Get some Aluminum Polish over at Belle Tire..it's like $5 for a jar and lasts forever.  That polish will amaze you.


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## creativewriting (May 19, 2010)

Thanks Jeff.  It's layered and manipulated much like that of metal mokume gane.  Making it out of polymer we tend to get a little crazy with our colors.  The mothers polish works really well.  The funny part was I didn't even see the scratches until I polished and took the photo.  The mirror finish shows everything.  Napa had about 10 different aluminum polishes so I went with what they recommended.  I also got some Brasso which didn't do a darn thing for me.


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## cnirenberg (May 19, 2010)

Keith,
Now that is one stunning looking pen.  I really like the polymer clay contrast with the Aluminum.  Nice threading job too.  Thanks for posting this.


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## creativewriting (May 19, 2010)

Thanks Cris!


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## workinforwood (May 19, 2010)

It's a tough pen to critique.  I love everything about it, the blank, the finish, the styling and shape and proportions.  I don't even think it looks too scratchy really.  Finally..spotted something...you have a little nipple dimple on the very center top of the cap.  Better just send that to me to fix and store away and you start practicing again. :wink::biggrin:


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## creativewriting (May 19, 2010)

Nipple dimple...that's great.  There is a small indentation in the top and I actually left it there intentionally.    I turn and file most of it off at the end, but for some odd reason I like the look of the small indentation.  It's almost like a signature for me...I know it sounds weird.......but a little nipple is good...nipple dimple that is!


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## seamus7227 (May 19, 2010)

Wow! Looks great! I really like the way it pops at ya.


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## creativewriting (May 19, 2010)

Thanks Seamus!


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## broitblat (May 19, 2010)

Very nice -- both the blank and the rest of the pen.

  -Barry


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