Patrick Sikes

Website: http://www.norskwoodshop.com Email: Patrick@norskwoodshop.com Phone: 727-515-0617 Address: 466 30th Ave N, St Petersburg, FL 33704

Abstract – “Pen turning – Beyond the Basics”

Go beyond the basics of simple kit pen turning. Learn techniques for the perfect fit and finish, using kit components to build closed end pens, and simple pen blank inlay techniques. We will also discuss tuning your kit fountain pens for the most finicky pen collectors.

Biography

Patrick Sikes grew up around woodworking, watching his father and grandfather create furniture in their garage workshops. His woodworking journey began in 2004 at a Sons of Norway Chip Carving class. A chance encounter while attending a carving class led him down the path of woodturning.

Turning since 2009 Patrick created The Norsk Woodshop where he creates functional artwork in his studio in Saint Petersburg Florida. Specializing in pens, each is an individually handcrafted work of art turned from exotic woods & resins. His pens have been purchased by collectors from around the world.

Besides writing instruments; Patrick also creates boxes and holiday ornaments featuring his unique finials, vases, as well as other functional and artistic pieces. For many of his bowls and hollow forms Patrick uses recycled and “found” woods to help reduce the strain on highly sought after exotic hardwoods.

Handout Book Materials

Specialty Suppliers

• Arizona Silhouette – www.ArizonaSilhouette.com – Closed-end mandrels for baron/navigator/tycoon, cigar, and other pen kit styles.

• Penturner Products – www.penturnersproducts.com – Bushings and 60 degree centers for turning pens between centers. Eliminates the mandrel that can cause out of round pens.

Penturning Tips, Tricks, & Inspiration

• International Association of Penturners – www.penturners.org – forums and photo albums with lots of great advice and techniques plus many people that sell blanks & kits.

• Pen Makers Guild – www.penmakersguild.com – photo galleries & a few tutorials • Use aluminum roof flashing (from Lowes or Home Depot) and sheet brass from hobby shops for cool

inlays in straight lines, criss-cross, or curves for different effects. Make sure you match the saw kerf to your inlay thickness.

• Mother of Pearl & Abalone shells can be purchased in round sizes (I like the 4mm) can be used for inlays. Partially turn the pen barrel, drill a matching sized hole to the brass tube then glue in the inlay with epoxy.

• Try making blanks by mixing cut offs from other pens and gluing them up with ca or epoxy. Mixing wood, acrylic, and TruStone can make some really cool pens!

Patrick’s CA Pen Finish

• Sand to 600 and then clean with denatured alcohol (optional, only really needed for oily woods like Cocobolo).

• Use a paper towel (I use the white shop towels from Lowes) and put a bit of medium CA glue (pea sized drop) and wipe on to the spinning blank quickly with the lathe running at 1200 RPM (just one or two swipes to avoid sticking).

• Give it a quick shot of aerosol type accelerator. • Repeat the CA and accelerator 7 more times. • Using Micromesh pads, wet sand through all 9 grits. • Finally use plastic polish to really shine up the finish. • For a semi-gloss finish, sand through all 9 Micromesh pads then sand back 3-4 steps to remove the

high gloss.

Basic Fountain Pen Tuning It is very important for woodturners to tune the nib on every fountain pen we create! Why you say?

When we create a new fountain pen we see it as a one of a kind work of art. And it is, however your potential customer will cruise right by unless you can provide them that one of a kind art piece that actually writes well.

With the poor writing quality fountain pen nibs in many Chinese made pen kits it is very important to know how to accurately tune a nib.

Materials

• Loupe (10x or 20x will work perfectly) • Bottled fountain pen ink • Writing paper • Brown paper lunch bag

Process

1. Dissemble the section by gently pulling the nib and feed (the black piece below the nib) from the section body. In some pens, the section is covered by a metal sleeve that can be twisted off if needed.

2. Inspect the nib with the loupe. Correct any of the following issues you may see in the nib:

1. Miss aligned tines: Ensure the tines are in alignment so that they are flat when presented to the paper.

2. Slit width: Ensure that the slit that runs from the breather hole to the tip is not pressed completely closed or is spread open wide enough that you can insert a piece of paper. The slit should fade from the widest width at the breather hole down to the tines just touching at the tip.

3. Re assemble the section by aligning the feed under the nib with the thin flat end of the feed positioned just behind the tip of the nib (make sure it is far enough back you cannot see the feed from the top of the nib). Insert the nested nib & feed into the section. The section has a key so it can only go back in to the section in one spot.

4. Using the loupe ensure that the breather hole is positioned over the groove in the feed. 5. Dip the nib in ink and try writing on the paper. How does it feel? Still a bit scratchy? Is

the ink flowing nicely? 6. If it is still scratchy, grab the brown paper bag and write do 30-40 figure eights onto the

paper, re-inking as necessary. Try writing again and repeat until the pen floats across the paper.

7. If the ink is not flowing, ensure the groove in the feed is positioned under the slit and breather hole. You also may need to adjust the amount of space between the tines.

Photos

Sea Urchins 4x6.jpg

Title: Sea Urchin Holiday Ornaments Year Made: 2012 Materials: Sputnik Sea Urchin Shells, Cocobolo, Holly Photographer: Rudy Lopez

Pens 4x6.jpg

Title: Handcrafted Wood & Resin Pens Year Made: 2012 Materials: L to R: Amboyna/Maple Burl, Spalted Apple Wood, Amboyna Burl, Puzzle Inlay, Curly English Walnut with Mother of Pearl Inlay, Blue Box Elder Burl, Italian Resin, Pheasent Feathers, Black Ash Burl Photography: Rudy Lopez

Boxes 4x6.jpg

Title: Boxes & Hollow Forms Year Made: 2011 – 2012 Materials: Cherry with Holly Finial, Camphor with Holly cap, Camphor with Ebony base & cap, Maple Burl with Holly accents Photography: Rudy Lopez