got a call from one of the salesmen from where i used to work asking, you still make pens ? i said sure what do you need. he wanted a couple rifle pens done with deer antler !!! i hate working with it due to the smell and it's just hard to drill the hole for the tubes because the antler is never straight but i said, yeah no problem. came out great. unless you know hunters and can get some for free it can be very expensive. lucky i had a bunch left from some antler my uncle had. no finish just sanded then wet sanded to 12000 with micro mesh. this is PSI kit PKCP80XX. but i buy my pen kits from Wood Turningz. he's always a buck or two per kit cheaper, plus i like helping out the small guy. im charging him 30 bucks each plus he's taking me to lunch so not bad.
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
Nice! I wondered about the material. Antler? Never, especially since I donated all my pen making kits and parts to Arlin Eastman. He works with disabled vets making pens and pencils.
DL- i remember arlin, i sent him some stuff a long time ago. good guy. the first pen i ever did was at a rockler event where we made a pen and they sent it to a vet. ron- thanks my friend.
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
$30.00 EA. plus lunch!, wow - not bad Pottz. The pens look pretty good too. If these antlers smell that bad, why would anyone want to carry it around?, or does the odor dissipate over time?
ross- warning, pen making is addicting ! OT- no once done no smell. it's the drilling and turning. the kits run about 17.00 bucks plus materials and time. tom-thanks.
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
Gotta admit that bullet pens (or any to do with firearms) is always a hit... even here in Aussieland where firearms are banned.
i hate working with it due to the smell and it's just hard to drill the hole for the tubes because the antler is never straight
I initially tossed a lot of blanks out because of the bends (no I'm not a diver), but then I tried a few with a hint of live edges... just a hint though one was extreme and the recipient selected it above all the others I though was better... I've parted with all the live edges and have only been left with the straight ones. This is the closest I have left to the live edged ones... some most of the roughness have been filled with my CA layers making it virtually straight and thereby not as popular.
Do you keep Sadona out of the shop when turning antler (or buffalo horn)? My daughter brought her dog around once when I was turning a pen for her husband and the dog devoured all the antler shavings... daughter was not happy as the mutt reacted to a greedy, unexpected gutful of sawdust... and yes Mokey, a very small amount of that poisonous acrylic shavings.
PS. Why do so many turners go for that middle bulge (???)... Would love to see a bullet like that try to pass down the barrel let alone fit in the chamber.
If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD
well i was waiting for you my friend. yeah rifle pens are big here with the hunters. yeah i keep sadona out when turning because dogs love antler. i was at a pet store once and saw they sold antler. i thought cool. until i saw their price !!!! rediculous. i always try to get as much live edge as possible because that speaks antler. ducks filling that in with ca glue kills the whole purpose. the middle bulge i usually do just to make it a little more interesting rather than straight ?
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
I didn't fill with CA... the live edge (in the pictured) just finished up so thin that with tha CA covering, you can feel the dimples, but harder to see without the right light. I still use 20 layers of CA (sorry about the LJ link) as my primary finish for durability. Showcase display pens, like this rifle, has the "traditional" non-CA finish. This cigar was refurbished with my CA finish after 1 year of daily wear, while I was still in Churchill . I move 15 years ago and it's still holding up with continual daily use... PITA to apply but the results speak for themselves. Yes shows a bit of wear but after 15 years, go figure... the gold plating has worn off. I agree about bulges, it does make it a tad more "interesting"... I just got turned off them when I see how people present slimlines, with their convoluted shape that you need a Thing (Wednesday video) for to hold the contorted items... easier to hold a sledge hammer in one hand... however, I do transgress with Elegant Beauties and cigars... I just feel that straight is inkeeping with the concept of a bullet... just my druthers, but you can talk yourself into calling it a rifle, which has bulges.
If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD
