Woodturning Pens On A Lathe From Figured Wood Pen Blanks
The ideal project for a woodturner of any level is to create a beautiful writing instrument with inlaid wood accents.
Handmade pens make beautiful gifts, and do a great job of displaying the quality of figured wood as well as the expertise and creativity of the woodworker.
Making a spindle-turned pen from a wood pen blank requires a minimum of tools, and the finished product can be obtained in just a few hours' time, with much less effort than a larger piece of art or furniture.
Even though pens are common everyday objects, a handmade writing instrument can be a real showpiece and an eye-catching display of craftsmanship.
The most common style of pen that you'll see is a "rollerball", or ballpoint, pen, and these standard hardware kits are readily available.
However, you can also find traditional fountain pen styles that are evocative of earlier times, and other, more specialty, pen hardware is available.
Many of these hardware options feature a detachable cap for the pen, which will be turned on a lathe with wood separately from the body.
Other choices represent "click-style" retractable pens, with a single body unit.
The pen hardware you select may or may not include a rubber grip or additional accents, but will require a pen blank (a wood, plastic, or acrylic block of material) to be used to cover for the larger visible surfaces of the pen.
This is where your personal woodworking artistry makes a difference! After choosing your pen hardware, the next step will be to select your wood material.
Most kits work with a standard size of 3/4" square wood blanks.
However, most typical cuts of wood will generally not make for an exciting or eye-catching pen body.
In order to create a really eye-catching piece of art, you should be working with highly figured wood, where the grain is not completely straight, but interrupted by whorls and vivid patterns that are revealed when the wood is cut.
Because figured wood is highly prized for woodworking projects, it can be in rare supply and is more costly than alternatives, but the bold patterns and colors like those found in burl wood are well worth the investment! You can find these pen blanks at online stores, or at your local brick-and-mortar woodworking and craft outlets.
Before turning your pen blank on a lathe, the first step will be to drill a hole through it and glue the metal tube from your hardware kit in place.
This will form the core of your pen, around which you will shape the wood.
After then attaching this piece to the headstock of your lathe using a pen mandrel, you'll be ready to begin turning.
Pens don't require large equipment for woodturning; a small lathe will do, and I typically recommend using a vacuum or air hose to collect the shavings during this process.
You can use a roughing gouge to initially round the pen blank into a circular form, followed by a skew and other tools to apply the finishing touches and shape the final piece.
You should feel free to experiment, and sculpt the wood into a form that shows off its unique character.
Various woodworking tools can be used to add ornamentation and decoration to the pen blank, and you should plan to follow this up with a careful sanding to prepare a comfortably smooth surface for the wood.
(Start out with rougher 180- to 220-grit sandpaper, and work your way own through finer sanding pads from there.
) This can be done easily while the pen blank is still mounted on your lathe.
When completing your pen, you can use several coats of woodturner's finish or an even heavier lacquer to give the surface a bright and shiny polish, or use less finish to retain a more matte texture.
Depending on the look and feel you're interested in for your pen, other options are using a stain to deepen the color of the wood, or rubbing with oil (such as linseed) for a more natural appearance.
Bear in mind that a well-used pen will inevitably pick up some scratches and signs of wear as a result of its use, which will also impact your choice of finish material.
The final step is assembly of the remaining hardware, and your finished product will be ready for display and use! Congratulations on completing your woodturned pen, and best wishes for future woodcraft projects.
Handmade pens make beautiful gifts, and do a great job of displaying the quality of figured wood as well as the expertise and creativity of the woodworker.
Making a spindle-turned pen from a wood pen blank requires a minimum of tools, and the finished product can be obtained in just a few hours' time, with much less effort than a larger piece of art or furniture.
Even though pens are common everyday objects, a handmade writing instrument can be a real showpiece and an eye-catching display of craftsmanship.
The most common style of pen that you'll see is a "rollerball", or ballpoint, pen, and these standard hardware kits are readily available.
However, you can also find traditional fountain pen styles that are evocative of earlier times, and other, more specialty, pen hardware is available.
Many of these hardware options feature a detachable cap for the pen, which will be turned on a lathe with wood separately from the body.
Other choices represent "click-style" retractable pens, with a single body unit.
The pen hardware you select may or may not include a rubber grip or additional accents, but will require a pen blank (a wood, plastic, or acrylic block of material) to be used to cover for the larger visible surfaces of the pen.
This is where your personal woodworking artistry makes a difference! After choosing your pen hardware, the next step will be to select your wood material.
Most kits work with a standard size of 3/4" square wood blanks.
However, most typical cuts of wood will generally not make for an exciting or eye-catching pen body.
In order to create a really eye-catching piece of art, you should be working with highly figured wood, where the grain is not completely straight, but interrupted by whorls and vivid patterns that are revealed when the wood is cut.
Because figured wood is highly prized for woodworking projects, it can be in rare supply and is more costly than alternatives, but the bold patterns and colors like those found in burl wood are well worth the investment! You can find these pen blanks at online stores, or at your local brick-and-mortar woodworking and craft outlets.
Before turning your pen blank on a lathe, the first step will be to drill a hole through it and glue the metal tube from your hardware kit in place.
This will form the core of your pen, around which you will shape the wood.
After then attaching this piece to the headstock of your lathe using a pen mandrel, you'll be ready to begin turning.
Pens don't require large equipment for woodturning; a small lathe will do, and I typically recommend using a vacuum or air hose to collect the shavings during this process.
You can use a roughing gouge to initially round the pen blank into a circular form, followed by a skew and other tools to apply the finishing touches and shape the final piece.
You should feel free to experiment, and sculpt the wood into a form that shows off its unique character.
Various woodworking tools can be used to add ornamentation and decoration to the pen blank, and you should plan to follow this up with a careful sanding to prepare a comfortably smooth surface for the wood.
(Start out with rougher 180- to 220-grit sandpaper, and work your way own through finer sanding pads from there.
) This can be done easily while the pen blank is still mounted on your lathe.
When completing your pen, you can use several coats of woodturner's finish or an even heavier lacquer to give the surface a bright and shiny polish, or use less finish to retain a more matte texture.
Depending on the look and feel you're interested in for your pen, other options are using a stain to deepen the color of the wood, or rubbing with oil (such as linseed) for a more natural appearance.
Bear in mind that a well-used pen will inevitably pick up some scratches and signs of wear as a result of its use, which will also impact your choice of finish material.
The final step is assembly of the remaining hardware, and your finished product will be ready for display and use! Congratulations on completing your woodturned pen, and best wishes for future woodcraft projects.
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