Stylus Streamline for fathers day

It's fathers day tomorrow in Australia, but as usual it's the question of what to get a Dad who has everything.  Both my Father and Father-in-law love their IPads, so I thought why not knock up a stylus.  Now the stylus kits are Slimlines, but I wanted something a little more, what's the word, refined maybe.  So I decided to make a one piece Streamline, and a One piece Slim, both are essentially the same.

While I am showing the off, here is the quick tutorial! Firstly select a long enough blank, as there is no centre band this needs to taken into account when cutting.  I cut the blank to about 118mm and trim to 113mm when I stick in the tube.

You need a long drill bit (7mm).  As it is a long blank you can drill it on the lathe or drill press.  With the whole drilled we need to glue in one of the two brass tubes that are found in the standard kit.

Put the blank aside, let the glue dry and then trim the ends with the barrel trimmer.  Now it's time to turn!  Using the pen mandrel use the Streamline/Slimline bushing at one end, slide on the blank from the glued tube end.  Then slide on the spare brass tube and insert it into the blank on the mandrel.  Fix the other end bushing and secure the blank with the brass nut or mandrel saver. 

Turn the blank to the required shape. I like to leave a little curve in mine.  Once turned wet sand the acrylic from 150 wet and dry paper through to 800, then micro mesh.  For a real shine I then give it a rub with Brasso and then car polish.

Next step is to remove the barrel from the mandrel.  Now remove the lose brass tube.  Get the pen kit and squeeze the nib and mechanism into the lose brass tube with care.  

Fix the stylus and clip to the clip end where the brass tube is glued in.  Screw in the pen refil to the mechanism and push it into the barrel.  The glued brass tube will grab the end of the refil, to extend and retract the pen just twist the nib end.

Now the pen is ready to give dad

What gift are you giving dad?

Candy Cane Stylus

As we may remember I recently had a great prize pack from Timberbits.  In this pack I choose some of their newly stocked Slimline Stylus pen kits.  These are basic Slimline pen kits with a Stylus tip at the clip end for use with Ipad/Smartphones etc.  

I was very keen to turn one of these kits so I teamed it up with a Candy Cane Acrylic that I had picked up in a sale ages ago.

Being a slimline it was a quick kit to turn.  Just drill with a 7mm drill bit, cut in half and glue in the two tubes and trim.  Let the glue dry overnight and turn.

I love acrylics, so much colour and so quick to turn and no CA finish to take up time at the end (or stuff up!)

Acrylics polish up so well.  I usually work through 150 grit wet dry paper to 800 and then bring out the micro mesh pads.  That should have made it nice and smooth and removed any hairline scratches.  Now time to make it shine!  I give an over kill with some Brasso and then car polish, though the car polish is enough.  Then assembly time.

The finished article is great, and the fantastic thing about these kits (found here) is that because the stylus tip fits a 7mm tube it creates many more great possibilities (stay tuned).

Timberbits!

OK, so I love playing with wood, and one of my favourite items to make are pens.  Whenever I am in need of pen kits my first port of call is always the Timberbits website.  If I'm honest, I look at this site weekly to see what new stock or specials are on, its always a good time to buy more stuff!  Anyway recently the crew at Timberbits had a Facebook competition, just like their page for a chance to win a $200 gift pack.  Already a follower I made sure I was entered, and then completely forgot about it.  Luckily they did not forget and guess who won?  Yes I was as happy as a wood turner in a forest!

Now the hard part, choosing.  With $200 to play with and Timberbits always low prices you can get a lot of bang for your buck (in this case their buck!).  I only placed my order yesterday but by this morning this was waiting at the post office.  I shouldn't have been surprised, the people their are fantastic and the delivery is always prompt, in fact fantastic service all the time!

I was very keen to get home and see my goodies, as you can see I did manage to squeeze it quite a bit for the money.

Included were Sierra, Streamline, Slimline with stylus nib, Executive clicks and European pen kits.  Add in some new bushes, glue, some great acrylics and a new stand to show off the finished pens and it was a full box.

Now I guess a few of you will look at this and say I'm getting a kick back to write this but no, until I post this they will have no idea.  In this day and age of poor people relations its good to be able to plug a small family business.  I can't wait to go and play with some of these acrylics.  If you are into pen making and wood turning check out the web site www.timberbits.com The service is always great, the prices low (I don't know how he gets them so low) and the postage rate fantastic even overseas. 

Where do you get great service?