Workshop
Ask a question

D.I.Y. Mallee Burl wood pens

robchin
Becoming a Leader

D.I.Y. Mallee Burl wood pens

Out in the shed this weekend. I have a friend getting married soon. As I do - I made them a couple of pens (from kits - I turned the wood and assembled them) for them to sign the wedding registry and then to keep to use after. Had this very nice piece of Mallee Burl wood. I thought they came up quite nice. Looking forward to the wedding photos :smile: 

 

 20220509_083725.jpg

  

20220509_083712.jpg

Brad
Kind of a Big Deal

Re: These pens came up OK I thought

Nice work!

What finish did you use please?

mich1972
Kind of a Big Deal

Re: D.I.Y. Malee Burl wood pens

What a beautiful gift @robchin 😊

EricL
Bunnings Team Member
Bunnings Team Member

Re: D.I.Y. Malee Burl wood pens

Hi @robchin

 

These pens look awesome and the wood you used looks so exotic. 

 

Eric

 

See something interesting? Give it the thumbs up!
KatieC
Retired Team Member
Retired Team Member

Re: D.I.Y. Malee Burl wood pens

Oh wow @robchin

 

These are absolutely stunning. Were the "rings" part of the kit? 

 

Katie

 

See something interesting? Give it the thumbs up!
MitchellMc
Bunnings Team Member
Bunnings Team Member

Re: D.I.Y. Malee Burl wood pens

Amazing work @robchin

 

What sort of lathe do you use? Any type of larger lathe is out of my price range, but I've been considering one of these smaller tabletop units which have come onto the market over the past several years. Obviously no good for larger bowls and such, but I'd imagine they would cope quite well with smaller projects like this. I've even considered building my own, which in itself would be a fun project.

 

Many thanks for sharing, and I look forward to your next project.

 

Mitchell

 

See something interesting? Give it the thumbs up!
robchin
Becoming a Leader

Re: These pens came up OK I thought

Sorry for the delay @Brad. Standard wooden pen finish for me is: 

1: Sanding sealer

2: 3 x coats of EEE Ultra Shine (Wax) and

3:  3 coats of Shellawax (friction polish, liquid) 

 

Others use CA glue - but I'm a bit old school. 

 

Re: D.I.Y. Malee Burl wood pens

Hi @MitchellMc, sorry for the delay in responding. I have a larger lathe - 1.0 length bed. It's an older Hafco Woodmaster. It's my second one. This one has speed control which is why I upgraded. I bought them both of Gumtree so were reasonably priced. You can get the smaller ones but I'd be saving up -  you will need that extra length one day and you'll regret it. If you are patient you can get some good second hand ones and some even with chucks and tools. Other buying tip is to get one with speed control, preferably on a button or a lever, not by changing belts. Worth a bit extra. Highly recommend it as a functional time waster. 

(Picture is not mine - my workshop is too messy today to show a picture :unhappy: 

 

robchin_0-1654813857827.jpeg

 

 

Why join the Bunnings Workshop community?

Workshop is a friendly place to learn, get ideas and find inspiration for your home improvement projects