Making a Pen

       It all started a couple of years ago when I walked into Lowes Home Improvement store to get a part. I walked past the power tools and stopped to look. Next thing I know, my garage is my new wood shop. When I was younger I always wanted to build something. Ever since I picked up a hammer, I built things as small as a pen and as big as a house. Building has always been relaxing to me. I would rather be in my shop than to spend my time any other way. Any chance I get to be in my shop, I am there.

       Through the years I have built big and small things with all different types of tools but recently I tried something new. I was looking for something new to do in my shop and I came across a lathe.  I received the lathe as a gift for Christmas and from there on, I spent time learning how to use it. It was a lot different from using saws and drills but I got used to it. I had many barriers that stopped me from figuring it out as quickly as I normally would. It was not an easy task, from sharpening the tools to getting the wood to not break, but I learned it. I learned from many different sources such as; watching YouTube, reading books and I even joined an association. I learned very quickly to think smarter, not work harder. I found easier ways to turn wood on the lathe.

        The first thing I learned to do on my lathe would be to make pens. Making a pen is fun because I can work with all different kinds of wood and pens. When I make a pen, it starts with me picking what kind of wood or even acrylic I want to use to make the pen, known as a Blank. Not one piece is the same as they all have different colors and patterns. There are woods that are native to the area and there are exotic woods found across the world. You can also find blanks that are man made such as acrylic. Once I pick the blank there are many other choices to be made but the next in line is what kind of metal I will use and what kind of pen I can make. There are many different types of pens that can be made; the choices are endless. Once all those decisions are made the real fun begins.

        The pen blank is measured and cut to the length of the brass tube. Once those cuts are made, the blanks are drilled to make room for the brass tubes. After the holes are drilled and the tubes are glued into place with epoxy its ready to move to the lathe. The lathe spins the wood at such a fast speed while the sharp carbide cuts into the blank. The cool part of this is that the blank can be shaped to whatever my imagination can think of. I have done many different shapes and sized pens and that is what makes each pen different in its own way. Once the pen is shaped and sanded I bring out the color of the wood and give it a shine. Once all that happens the pen can be put together and is all done.

        I enjoy making pens on my lathe because I think it is cool watching a piece of wood turn into a completely different use. This is one of my many hobbies but this is one that I enjoy most. It is easy for my to go into my shop even if I have a limited amount of time. Making a pen can take me a short amount of time or a long amount of time depending on how complex I want it to be. Watching a pen take shape is like watching a piece of art coming together. Going in my shop is the best way to get away from the world and just relax.

 These are all the parts needed to make the pen.

The blank is cut to the length of the brass tubes before they are drilled.

Pen blank being drilled for the brass tubes. The vise holds the wood blank in place while it is drilled.

Each pen has a different size drill bit for the hole that has to be drilled.

The brass tubes have been epoxied and are hardening so it can be turned. The epoxy takes 5 minuets to harden so its not good to get it stuck on your hand.

This is what the pen looks like on the lathe right before it is turned. It starts as a square and becomes round, the shavings from the wood go all over the place when the blank is being turned.

This is the tool that cuts the wood, to do this the tool rests on the black bar and pressure is applied while the sharp edge of the tool cuts into the wood. The sharp edge on the tool screws onto the end and gets replaced after every 20hrs it is used because it becomes dull. When the blade is new it is very sharp so it can slice through the wood.

The machine spins the wood at 3000 RPM's which is really fast so its not good to get the tool stuck between the wood and the tool rest.

Part of the wood has been cut down and is starting to turn into the shape of the pen. As you can see there are shavings all over the place.

This is the shape the pen will be after it is finished. The silver pieces between the wood are bushings, they tell you haw far down the wood has to be cut to line up with the parts of the pen.

The wood gets sanded while the lathe is on so it is smooth.

I apply a crystal coat finish to the wood to give it a smooth glass feeling.

These are the parts after the are put through the brass tube, To do this i use a vise to push the parts together and once there in they don't come back out.

The finished Pen!