4 stoppers, 3 pens, 1 keychain today!

[sachbvn]

All made today.


Pictured left to right:

Timbo, Purpleheart, Morado (thanks to Mike for the Timbo and Morado - they were great to turn!!)




Next is a Zebrawood stopper and a Snakewood keychain that was planned as a pen but the other half split while drilling. I actually LOVE this keychain! It's manly enough for a guy keychain don't you think?




Last are three pens.

Curly Maple (dyed green), Pink Ivory (a blast to turn!), and Spalted Tamarind (stabilized, from Woodturningz)




Thanks for looking guys - comment/critique - as always, I'm tough so be honest!

Oh, by the way Doug - very FEW burn lines here!


Zac

[boodrow]

Zac some real good lookin turnings. I think ur dialed in on what ur doin , I do have to agree with Doug bout the burn lines.
Looks like u been awful busy. Keep up the good work my friend and keep the post comin
Boodrow

[gomer]

Great stuff! The keychain is definitely manly enough. I really like the color of that snakewood. Do you know the region that it is native to? I've never seen it before.

[Doug B]

LMAO Zac! You have been making so many stoppers and pens lately that I think it's time for me to start having you critique my turnings. For the record, I think you got the burn lines just right.

And the Snakewood is awesome - definitely manly enough! I have never tried it because it is so expensive and I've heard that it will almost always crack. I'm sure I'll try it someday because it is really neat looking stuff!

My favorite stopper is that Timbo one - very neat looking wood! And both of the cigar pens are exceptional. That spalted Tamarind is fantastic, and the dyed Maple is really neat looking too.

OK, just so you don't think I'm going soft on you...the slimline is too fat for my liking, especially the upper blank, which I usually turn with less of a curve than the lower barrel. I always like to have some curve on slims, but I like it a little more subtle. But, it is pink, and some girl is just going to have to have it - no doubt about it

Very nice job on all of them Zac...you have been very busy lately.

[sachbvn]

Thanks guys!

I can't decide if I'm going to keep the keychain or put it on the table and make a for sure sale. The 5/8" snakewood was five bucks - I split the second half when drilling. The keychain would be marked at $7 and would cover the keychain kit and the ruined blank..... decisions decisions.... I think I may keep the keychain and put shop keys or keys for my cash box or something on it.... I wouldn't likely really care too much for a keychain because I've got remote locks on the car - that is keychain enough..... I never could figure those who had gobs of chit hanging from their keys. My keys are for unlocking stuff, driving stuff, and possible gouging out a muggers eye if the knife ain't handy - but definitely NOT fashion.... hmm.....

I like the Timbo a lot too - I wished I wouldn't have put that burn line on the top of it now..... ah well.

Doug your stuff is exceptional..... Regarding the pink demon...... uh.... "a girl is going to have to have that." The pen is for me! It could be my shop pen....better yet - I made it for you Doug - it'd be rude not to accept it! Nah, I'm pretty sure that this thing will sell FOR SURE!!! Kind wish I would have turned it a week ago so that I could have placed an order for more pink ivory.... I also wish I would have snatched that pink ivory blank from the traveling goody box!!

I'm real pleased with the cigars - I will say this - the maple is supposed to be stabilized.... I think it is - well chit, I don't know really - it turns and drilled nothing like the stabilized stuff from woodturningz. I have to say all the stabilized stuff WT has sent me has been great. I'm a little miffed that some of the wood didn't take the dye as well as the rest of it....but - that's wood for ya, no ones fault there - just would have looked a bit nicer.


Thanks - and yes, I've been busy! Still have about 10 more pens and 10 more stoppers to go.


Zac

[sachbvn]

Oh - FYI - I had a transmission that didn't work in the cigar kit.... it's not woodturningz fault, and they of course would make it right (I had a spare so I didn't even tell them, probably will just so they know, but I won't have them send a new one) - it pissed me off though. The thing didn't work at all - it twisted either direction but would not retract the ink stick at all..... put in a new part and it worked perfect....... Nice Q.C. China.

Zac

[Doug B]

LMAO Zac! I don't want to be rude, and that pink pen will go well with my pink pumps and handbag ;D

The good thing about a Cigar tranny being bad is that it screws on, so it is easy to replace...no doubt WT will make good on it if you tell them about it. I figure for the price of them, I just keep a kit for spare parts if something goes bad on it, unless it is an expensive kit. I recently had an Antique brass cigar from WT that had a problem - the nib actually dented when I assembled it - Fritz from WT told me that he takes the nib off when pressing in the connector and that solves the problem. Yeah, I do too now! LMAO! But he sent me a new nib - no charge - for the one I messed up. From now on I unscrew the nib end on the cigars before pressing them on. Just another consequence of getting the cheaper China versions of the pen kits. Can't argue about the price though.

[sachbvn]

Yeah - the price is ok - I'm just glad I have extra kits laying around usually.

I've found that I prefer to take most of the assembled parts apart before putting everything together. Easier that way, less room for damaging things during assembly.


Oh - and the pink panther pen, I pressed the trany too far in and had to disasseble - and of course the brass tubes were flared out too far for the tranny when I put it back together - I could literally (we some pressure) pull the tranny out or push it in further with my hands..... what to do, what to do..... ah - a couple dabs of medium CA!! Love that stuff!


Zac

[Doug B]

Ain't CA just the best stuff ever invented? I have seen pen assembly instructions (I can't remember which ones now) that actually say that if the parts don't fit tightly that you should use a dab of CA glue on them.

I could not believe that! But I've actually had to do that a time or two. I'm having trouble remembering what kit it was that I had to do that with...dang I hate getting old, but, it sure beats the alternative

[deepsplinter]

Good lookin' stuff there, Zac.

The green dye sure brought out the "curly" in the curly maple.

The pink ivory one (slimline?)....I think you give 'em a girly, hour glass shape, this one is just a "fuller figure". I like it.

The timbo (never heard of timbo) stopper is my favorite. Beautiful wood and I like what you did with it.

The snakewood is some interesting looking stuff, too. Nice save, but like you, I don't want anything unnecessary on my key chain (remote fob, truck key, house key, period). Somebody will jump on it for $7.

I gotta rethink my woodworking. Here you are turning out 6, 8, 10 finished products a day. I've been working on these wall units 6-8 hours a day for weeks, and have yet to see a finished product (still ain't close).

Uhh Doug.....next time you have your camera out, how 'bout a pic of those pink pumps and handbag. I can see it now, Five gallon hat, big fat stogie, pink pen clipped in the pocket of your flannel shirt, with pink pumps & handbag, hoisting a frosty mug.

[sachbvn]

Dave - look at you talking all pen-talk "slimline" - you knew what kit it was w/o me posting it!!

The posting from the other day wasn't just one day of turning - but this post was one day's worth.

That's the awesome thing about turning..... instant gratification. It's got it's troubles too - but it's got a lot of good to it. Seriously, you are a busy guy - and turning is a real FUN thing. I hope you get a lathe some day - but I hope you have the time to enjoy it...... it's an awfully great thing to have - but when you got boat loads of flatwork to do..... it's either going to keep you from it, or tempt you like hell as you try to work on flat stuff......

Thanks for the kind words - I agree, never heard of Timbo before - but I liked it a lot!


Zac

[jb34]

nice, the snakewood is my favorite as well.

[deepsplinter]

Apr 22, 2010 6:26:39 GMT -6 sachbvn said:

Dave - look at you talking all pen-talk "slimline" - you knew what kit it was w/o me posting it!!

Zac

Doug mentioned it in his response, but thanks for thinking I'm catching on.