A hobbyist’s guide to woodturning pens from figured wood
Here you’ll find infomation that will help you to create a beautiful writing instrument using simple woodcraft tools. Designing and building a pen by hand does not require too much experience, and the resulting piece of art does a nice job of showing off the unique style of figured wood, not to mention your own skills as a craftsman. Making a spindle-turned pen from a wood pen blank is within the reach of most hobbyists, and the finished product can be reached without spending more than an afternoon, with much less time and experience 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 standard style of pen kit represents a conventional pen-like feel with a “rollerball”, or ballpoint, design. 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 hardware options include a removable cap, which you’ll prepare using your woodturning skills on its own, independently of the pen’s body. The pen hardware you select may or may not include a rubber grip or additional decorations, but will require a pen blank (a wood, plastic, or acrylic block of material) to be used to cover the larger visible surfaces of the pen. This is where your personal woodworking artistry makes a difference!
Most kits work with a standard size of 3/4″ square wood blanks. However, most typical cuts of wood tend to be unremarkable, and do not show enough contrast as you might be wish for your handmade pen body. You’ll need to use figured wood, which emphasises a knotty and whorled grain pattern with rich colors, for a truly stunning piece. 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’ll discover a broad selection of pen blanks available from mail-order, Internet, and retail hobby stores.
Next, you’ll need to bore a hole in the block of wood you’re using to cover the pen’s body, and glue the tube (included with your hardware set) securely in place. The placement of this tube establishes the dimensional center of the piece, 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 employ an air hose to collect the shavings during this process.
When shaping your pen, 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 down through finer sanding pads from there.)
The next step is to cover the wood surface with a polished finish, to give it a nice appearance and protect it from dirt and grime. 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. Over years of use, a pen will naturally get beaten around a bit, so a sturdy finish is important.
After all this, you can finish up your pen by fastening the rest of the hardware in place, and then be ready to show it off! Congratulations on completing your woodturned pen, and best wishes for future woodcraft projects.
