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INTRODUCTION
I have been
making and selling pens for over 10 years. They are easy to make and provide
a ready source of additional income. People relate to their classy appearance
so much that I market them as “Executive Writing Instruments”
instead of just pens. There are a variety of styles available and so many
different materials to make them from, so your end product is sure to
please just about anyone. This article will focus on two of the better
performers: rollerball pens and fountain pens. If you have never tried
a rollerball pen, you are in for a treat. I have discovered that if I
can get a potential customer to just try the rollerball pen, they will
probably purchase it.
When you
consider the actual time and the little money involved in making each
of the pens, you realize that you can turn a very healthy profit with
a minimal investment in both time and materials. I sell the rollerballs
for $35.00 and the fountain pens for $40.00; others, however, are getting
much more. Know your market! |
SUPPLIES
Wood: Dymondwood or wood of choice—two blanks
3/4"
square x 6" long
Tools:
chop saw; drill press with 10mm drill bit; pen drilling vise; pen
insertion tool; pen knife; lathe with a roughing gouge and a 3/4"
skew; disc sander; handheld electric drill with padded sanding discs
and assorted abrasives; buffing system
Danish oil
PK-1008
Pen Assembly Press, $38.95*
PK-1301
Pen Drilling Jig, $42.95*
PK-1064
10mm Drill Bit, $4.95*
PK-1007
Pen Insertion Tool, $9.40*
PK-1196
Rollerball Pen Kit, $5.80* (the one used for article)
PK-1197
Fountain Pen Kit, $6.85*
PK-1194
Rollerball Pen Kit, $5.80* (the one with the end caps)
PK-1193
Fountain Pen Kit, $7.90*
PK-1065
3-Step Bushing Set, $9.00*
PK-1005 #2 Morse Taper Mandrel, $15.75*
PK-1110
Dymondwood Assortment, $16.70*
PB-1640
Tropical Wood Assortment, $8.20*
SG-THICK Thick
Superglue, $3.95*
No
Additional Discounts apply to this special offer...
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Getting
started
There is no pattern because you just turn straight from the bushings.
The project starts by determining from what material you are going to
make your pen. Choices literally range from bone to stone, with wood being
the obvious first choice. Deciding upon which specie of wood to use is
a little more difficult, however. I have found that the exotics–especially
those in the rosewood family– sell much better than most of the
domestic species. The exotics are hard and dense, turn easily and can
be polished to a high shine. They are far more colorful and their grain
patterns are much more dramatic and unusual than the “homegrown”
varieties. Cocobolo is my best seller for men, while tulipwood is preferred
by women.
Some “manufactured” woods are also excellent choices. One
in
particular is called Dymondwood. Hardwood veneers (usually maple) are
dyed and glued up in a pattern. The material is then impregnated with
a resin, making it extremely durable, as well as colorful, and is an ideal
material for making pens (see Fig. 1).
Preparing
the blanks
Dymondwood is usually sold in a pre-cut blank measuring approximately
3/4" square and 6" long. Two blanks are needed for the pen we
are making in this article, while just one is required for the other style.
(See the cocobolo and tulipwood examples.) Dymondwood is somewhat temperamental
in that it tends to crack along the veneers when overheated, and it sometimes
blows out when the drill bit exits the bottom of the blank. Therefore,
I like to cut my blanks about 3/8" longer than necessary to provide
a little
insurance (see Fig. 2).
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Continue |
