Chucks Apple - Family Woodworking

Well I finally found time to turn another pen. I chose the American Flat top for which I had two kits for but had never made one. For wood I used some Apple from Chuck and the pen blank swap. It was a beautiful piece of wood and had a great tight knot that I just knew would shine. Well I get ready to turn it and find I need new bushings as well as a new mandrel as no one seemed to make bushings to fit my mandrels. So I says lets try that between center turning. So made myself a couple sets of bushings one for the small end and another set for the larger end. I made the first set from a piece of rod from an old shock absorber and that wasn't a great decision either as that steel is tough and hardened. The next set I made from some new leaded steel stock and that was much better decision.

Then I picked which part of the blank for each end and I thought the tight knot would be great for down near the tip. Again bad decision as if I would have used it for the clip end it would have stayed together, while as it was after I finished turning and was sanding it broke through, So I struggled on with super glue and saw dust.

It looks ok but doesn't really do the blank Chuck provided justice. However I did learn a bunch. My Sketchup home work suffered as I have also been helping a friend with a trailer and construction project as well as trying to exercise 30-40 minutes a day..

Here are the pictures and any advice or criticism accepted. I put the bushings I turned in the picture.

Source: http://familywoodworking.org/forums/showthread.php?26919-Chucks-Apple

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