The base & funnel on this desk pen are new styles I’ve been working on. The base begins as a square slab. Then I cut it into a triangle. Then I drill a hole in the center for mounting it on the lathe with a screw chuck.

Top first:

Because it’s a triangle I have to be careful of the three spinning points! So I wrap the the points with red tap so they stands out. Then I’ll shape the outside by working from the outside toward the center. The outside edges will get weaker the thinner it gets. So I have to remove as much material as possible from the outside edges as I move inward. Once the outside profile is completed, I sand with progressive grits of sandpaper before I flip it.

Bottom next:

This was my first time making a funnel with metal accent bands. Because the top band is ‘captured’ between the acrylic, the funnel must be made in two parts. The top cap (the part above the band) was turned first, and it gets two tenons. One tenon for the band, and a second smaller glue tenon for attaching it to the main section.

After most of the main section is shaped and finished, the band and cap get installed. Then the inside is step-drilled for the pen. The final step was to flip the funnel and round over the bottom and then drill and tap it for the swivel.

Johnathon made double length pen blanks, so I took advantage of the long blanks and turned the main section of the pen from a single piece of Alumilite. Only the section is a separate piece. So whereas most desk pens have two joints, this one only has one.

The pen is a C/C, so it accepts a converter or disposable cartridges.