Creative Woodworks & crafts 2003-11, страница 46

SUPPLIES

Wood: Dymondwood or wood- of Jjtefce—twafcdanks 3/4"

square x 6" long foots: chop saw; drillpres§ with lOmm drift bit; pen drilling vise; pen insertion tool; pen.knife; latM with a roughing gouge and a 3/4" skew; disc iqhder; handheld ©lectric drill wfth padded, sanding discs and assorted abrasives; Puffing system Danish oil

PK-1008 Pen Assemoly Press, $38.95* PK-1301 Pen DriilihgJig, $42.95* PK-1064 lOrrnrv-Sirih gir. PK-1007 Pen Insertion Too!, $9.40*

PK-1196 Roferbalf Pen Kit. S5.80* (the one used for article} -PK-1197 Fountain Pen Kit, $6.85*

PK-1194 Poilertoall Pen Kit, $5.80" (the one with the end caps)

PK-1193 Fountain Pen Kit. $7.90"

PK-1065 3-Sleo Bushing Set, $9,00*

PK-1005 #2 Morse Taper Mandrel, $ 15 75*

PK-1110 Dymondwood Assortment, $16.70*

P8-1640 fro picai Wood Assortment, $8.20*

SG-THIC< Thick Supergloe, $3.95*

*Ava>!coie frortr Steebar Corp., {973) 383-',026. www.penmcrkingsypplies.CQrn. Steebar charges $149.95 for all of the above,items, pius shipping. Order PEN-KIT-1. This is a savings of $26.35 over purchasing them all individually.

Executive Writing Instruments

itollerhall a§?W^untmm Penss

by Joseph M. Herrmann of Timber Treasures

IBftjjflB B£ m When you consider the actual time and the little money involved

■pB B«yfl| i|| in making each of the pens, you realize that you can turn a very

wmm B§ healthy profit with a minimal investment in both time and materials. I

mmm HPh Bp sell the rollerballs for $35.00 and the fountain pens for $40.00; others,

HH ■Kpllffi Mil however, are getting much more. Know your market!

^BI^b Hp There'is no pattern because you just turn straight from the bushings.

BUlIlM BBPaB Ip The project starts by determining from what material you are going to

■gH§iXi ^ImSs Wt^S^ make your pen. Choices literally range from bone to stone, with

BHB| It It wfw wood being the obvious first choice. Deciding upon which specie of

HH SI I! I f » ^: wood to use is a little more difficult, however.

v.Rffll a w! | |1 8' I have found that the exotics-especially those in the rosewood

MBpjlil Kg .SIS mi; family-sell much better than most of the domestic species. The

exotics are hard and dense, turn easily and can be polished to a high

H W j pB B shine. They are far more colorful and their grain patterns are much aBljK WM -jmore dramatic and unusual than the "homegrown" varieties.

f^SsS WxzSs Cocobolo is my best seller for men, while tulipwood is preferred by

Zzztt^*' women.

Some "manufactured" woods are also excellent choices. One in iilitd/mmi^ti/mli particular is called Dymondwood. Hardwood veneers (usually maple) INTRODUCTION are dyed and glued up in a pattern. The material is then impregnat-I have been making and selling pens for over 10 years, ed with a resin, making it extremely durable, as well as colorful, and is They are easy to make and provide a ready source of an ideal material for making pens (see Fig. 1). additional income. People relate to their classy appearance so much that I market them as "Executive Writing Preparing the blanks

Instruments" instead of just pens. There are a variety of Dymondwood is usually sold in a pre-cut blank measuring approxi-

styles available and so many different materials to make mately 3/4" square and 6" long. Two blanks are needed for the pen

them from, so your end product is sure to please just about we are making in this article, while just one is required for the other

anyone. style. [See the cocobolo and tulipwood examples.)

This article will focus on two of the better performers: Dymondwood is somewhat temperamental in that it tends to

rollerball pens and fountain pens. If you have never tried a crack along the veneers when overheated, and it sometimes blows

rollerball pen, you are in for a treat. I have discovered that out when the drill bit exits the bottom of the blank. Therefore, I like to

if I can get a potential customer to just try the rollerball cut my blanks about 3/8" longer than necessary to provide a little

pen, they will probably purchase it. insurance [see Fig. 2).

46 • Creative Woodworks & Crafts November 9003