How to Make a Slimline Pen

This is my first turned pen, I hope you enjoy.

First off collect all of your materials.

You will need,

-A pen blank or some wood approximately 120mm long and 15mm square. I used Rewarewa also known as honey suckle

-A slimline pen making kit.

-A pen turning mandrel.

-Glue

Cut your pen blank in half

Next drill a hole 7.1mm wide through your two pieces of dowel.

Then insert a glue covered piece of brass from your pen making kit into each hole.

Next cut the wood so that the brass is sitting flush with the wood, keep checking whether you have reached the brass because the brass has to be kept at it's original length.

Once completed slide onto your lathe mandrel and tighten the knob.

Start up your lathe and round your two pieces of wood.

Next shape the wood remembering to leave a little less then 1mm of height from the metal bush and your piece of wood (as your can see in the last picture). This will be left for the sand paper.

Sand up your two pieces of wood so that the wood is flush with the metal bushes. I started with 100 grit sand paper and worked my way up to a fine 600 grit.

Once you are happy with the shape of your wood your can burnish it.

Start off by giving your two pieces of wood an even coating of wax.

Next get the back of some sand paper and hold it firmly onto your wood. The wax will melt with the warmth of friction and coat the piece of wood with a pleasing finish of wax.

Line up all your pieces of pen and connect the tip to the first piece of wood. Usally you don't need to glue a pen together as a pressure fit should do, however mine was so loose that had I not glued it, the pen would have fallen apart.

I would not recommend gluing the twist mechanism to the pen, however as my hole in the wood was too large I was obliged to glue it in place. By doing this it meant I couldn't fine tune how far the tip went out by pushing the twist mechanism further into the wood.

Insert your ink cartridge and screw into place.

Push the clip onto the top wooden piece.

Complete your pen by sliding the two pieces of wood together.