#290

Reserved - Blue Acrylic and Platinum Colour Ballpoint Twist Pen

Price ~ £15

Whenever I start to make a pen from an acrylic blank I always remember the negative points. Acrylic turning is messy, I really try to clear every last scrap of it up; it can also be smelly; the sharp little chips get everywhere and it can blunt the turning chisels really quickly. By the time the pen shape is turned and I start the messier job of wet sanding through about fifteen different grades I'm usually trying to convince myself that maybe its better to just concentrate on turning wooden pens.

Then the final grades of sanding and polishing start to reveal something special and I really like acrylic again... until the next time.

Having left our fellow traders after a great weekend at Burton On Trent floating market we made our way to Alrewas. Its not a long cruise, only about four hours but there are not too many mooring options if you decide to shorten your trip. Not far after the delights of Branston water park the A38 dual carriageway hugs the side of the canal for several miles until you lock up to the river Trent for a short hop up to the Alrewas visitor moorings. 

I would have loved to spend some more time looking around the village or even returning to the National Arboretum a few miles away, but I had pens to turn. I'd spent a few evenings getting ready cutting, drilling, gluing and trimming the pen blanks ready for turning so I was already ahead of the game.

#290 was turned just above the river lock on the edge of the village of Alrewas on Thursday 28th May 2015. To make the most of the good weather I decided to leave assembling the pen barrels onto the furnishings for a day or so as I can do that part of the process inside the boat.