38 pens for my Daughter
Helen my daughter is a GP on the Wirral. On the 22nd April I offered to make her NHS staff some pens. Thinking that she had twenty staff this would not be a problem. Then came the text “she has increased her staff numbers to 38″ as she has quite a few part time workers.
Getting panicky, initial order was 10 pen kits then after Helen broke her news I put in a request for another 25 and ordered them. Wood supplies ok currently, but prediction initially 2023 now pulled back after stock take to 2022.
I did them in batches of 10 – cut, glue tube and trim. Turning to round with roughing gouge used like a skew then finish with a sharp skew. Sand 180 to 600- 12-15 mins. Finished with friction polish and canuba wax. Probably took about 25 mins per pen. All told in several sessions total of 16 hours.
Woods used – oak, olive, walnut, eke, zebrano, Brazilian mahogany, Somme wood, pink ivory and Paduak. All leftover bits from jobs in a box ( I never throw things away).
By the 24th 33 pens had been made and by 25th all 38 complete. I Actually did 39 as my grandson took one. I would have been faster but second order of the of kits from Axminster held up my finish line.
Vish Kini
P.S.I am not turning another pen until 2021 or 2022
