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Post by sdb777 on Mar 17, 2010 19:13:48 GMT -6
Some of you guys probably already know, but for those that don't... My back is getting worse, and I haven't been sleeping well at night due to the pain.
With that said.
Just received a call for 13 Custom Pen to be completed by the end of the month! I haven't made a pen(or anything for that matter) in the last two(2) weeks!
Six of them will be for men....Cartridge Click Pens(Parker refills)
Seven of them will be for women....?? Click Pens(Parker refills)
The wood....whew, anything I've got that will look pretty!
Got the Cartridge pen kits here already.
But the click pens for the women....I don't have those. They can not be the larger diameter pens, and they must have the Parker 'gel' type refills. What kit am I needing??
Guess I'm going to need to 'man up' and deal with the pain....
Scott (or just do a little a day) B
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Post by sachbvn on Mar 17, 2010 19:43:03 GMT -6
PSI does make a parker style 8mm kit called the Guardian Jr. - but it is still a fairly good sized pen.... I have some made - I can measure it if you like.... I will post a picture.... hmm.... some kits come with parker roller balls, and some come with parker gels - I would imagine they are totally interchangable - not sure why they wouldn't be.
Let me get you that pic.
Zac
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Post by sachbvn on Mar 17, 2010 19:43:46 GMT -6
Guardian Jr. in Box Elder Burl. Zac  |
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Post by sdb777 on Mar 17, 2010 19:51:48 GMT -6
Great looking pen for sure Zac....but I'm thinking it'll be too big in diameter. I know if it's anywhere near the same size as a Cigar, it'll be too large.
BTW, this is for my MIL(mother-in-law) to give out as early Christmas presents(or Christmas in July, only in April?) to family that lives in WI. She'll be leaving on the 1st of next month!
What do you monies do you charge for this kind of project?
Scott (why do I always get into these situations) B
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Doug B
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[b]Rescued Firewood[/b]
Posts: 1,938
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Post by Doug B on Mar 17, 2010 19:52:47 GMT -6
That's a tall order Scott. I have made a Pentel Pro pen which is supposed to be for exactly what you are wanting. You may have a different opinion on it, but I did not care for it all that much. It has the 8mm tubes so it can utilized the Parker refills, but the center band is very plain and the nib just does not look right to me. It's not bad, but its just not what I'm looking for in a nice ladies pen that uses a Parker refill.
Now, there is a Classic Click pen that is a click pen but without the push button on top - the whole upper barrel is the clicker. I have a kit, but have not tried it yet. It looks just like the Classic Twist pen.
My choices for a step up from slimlines for ladies are the Classic Twist and the Gatsby and the Wall Street II pens. Those all use Parker refills and are nice looking pens, but they are all twist pens.
As for the pretty wood, I would say that for ladies preferences Colorgrain is tops, followed by Black and White Ebony, bias cut Zebrawood, then anything bright and colorful like Purpleheart, and segmented things with multiple colors. Acrylic turnings might be really popular too, but I don't make many of those so I don't know for sure but I would bet that the plastics would be pretty popular. You might also want to look at some of the dyed burl woods that Arizona Silhouette has too - I bet they would be popular with the ladies and they come in lots of different colors and types of wood.
Good luck!
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Post by TDHofstetter on Mar 17, 2010 21:16:16 GMT -6
Tulipwood and bocote both go over really well with the ladies...
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Doug B
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[b]Rescued Firewood[/b]
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Post by Doug B on Mar 18, 2010 0:53:13 GMT -6
BTW, this is for my MIL(mother-in-law) to give out as early Christmas presents What do you monies do you charge for this kind of project?Scott (why do I always get into these situations) B MIL?!?!?! This can only lead to bad, bad problems at home...I say give them to her and let your wife decide what her mom should pay. Stay outta the pricing of this one if at all possible. ;D Seriously, family always get the best possible price. But don't skimp on the price if they are for gifts - sometimes the more the gift costs the better gift it becomes. Sure depends on what kit you end up using and what wood you use too. That can add a whole lot to the price. But, if you expect us to give you advice on what to charge mom-in-law,,,forget it bud! If we were that smart we wouldn't be making pens, we'd be rocket scientists or something even smarter!  |
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Post by boodrow on Mar 18, 2010 3:54:26 GMT -6
Amen Doug !
Boodrow
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monty
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Post by monty on Mar 18, 2010 6:57:12 GMT -6
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Post by sdb777 on Mar 18, 2010 9:20:10 GMT -6
The money thing....I'm taking your advice and letting the wife deal with the monies! I'll just keep track of the actual expenses and tell the wife to deal with it.
Made two Cartridge Click Pens today....and my back said, "You over did it by a little." So I'm going to to this reply and lay down on the couch for the rest of the morning, and maybe some of the afternoon!
I'll do pictures later, if I'm up to it. But I did one with some Bubinga that seems to have a little burl to it, and the other one is a light colored piece of Bethelem Olive Wood(doesn't have the great figuring that I'm use to seeing in it?)
Started out with the plan to cut/drill six blanks, turn one and do a Les in Red Deer finish. Well the Bubinga was the first turned, sanded, and on went the CA/BLO finish....crap, I don't know what I was thinking!?!?!? So with the plan shot to crap and some extra time. I turned the BOW, sanded it, and CA/BLO finished it too.
Might not turn anything tomorrow....just have to see how I feel in the morning. Feeling like crap know though!!!
Scott (I'm taking a nap) B
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Doug B
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[b]Rescued Firewood[/b]
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Post by Doug B on Mar 18, 2010 12:01:44 GMT -6
Rest up a bit Scott and hopefully get to feeling better. Nothing worse than back pain to screw up virtually everything you do.
I really like the way a CA/BLO finish comes out on BOW wood, but for Bubinga I think I'd try the Lacquer dipping or like you intended to do - Les' poly finish (if I had the patience for it).
Hope you get your back issues resolved soon.
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Post by sdb777 on Mar 19, 2010 4:23:04 GMT -6
Rested, drugged, and got a cup of coffee!
Seems I didn't get to any picture taking? Oh well, you guys have seen a pen before.....but if I take pictures, it'll be in the sunlight...if there is any today?
The Bubinga with a little burl in it(or crotch) is beautiful in the sunlight....according to the wife. It's the only blank I had with anything other then straight grain, so she ain't getting it! Wasn't oily feeling and the CA/BLO went on just fine.
Scott (patience, I ain't got any) B
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Post by sachbvn on Mar 19, 2010 5:46:49 GMT -6
Scott - something I've noticed regarding oily woods - a lot of time you can really tell when you go to sand.... if it seems like the paper is gunking up really fast, or in many cases - IMMEDIATELY! - it's probably pretty dang oily, no, whether you could successfully put a CA/BLO finish on it still? Guys with more experience would probably say don't even try - I've yet to have a hazy/filmy finish problem. Having said that - I've also not done CA/BLO on such oily woods - would I try? Who knows, but each piece is different - I just sanded a piece of African Blackwood - it went just fine, but the piece right before that (from the same spindle blank) was oily as heck. Go figure.
Zac
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Doug B
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[b]Rescued Firewood[/b]
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Post by Doug B on Mar 19, 2010 12:59:50 GMT -6
You are exactly right Zac. Some "oily" woods are not always too oily and will take the CA finish with no problem. Your sanding method to determine how oily a particular piece is sounds like a good way to determine it.
I just got tired of getting inconsistent results with some wood when using a CA finish and so they always get the Lacquer dipping method now.
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