How to Put a Finish on a Homemade Pen

Polish a wooden pen on the lathe.

Anyone who has written with a wooden pen knows the sumptuous feel that polished wood possesses. The colors and patterns of the wood grain are preserved in the surface of a wood pen, brought to life by the polishing process. Wooden pen-making requires slow and deliberate craftsmanship, right up through the finishing touches. Polishing begins after the pen has been sanded with the highest-grit sandpaper.

Things You'll Need

• Lathe
• #0000 steel wool
• Fine-grit polishing compound
• Lint-free cloth
• Lacquer friction polish

Instructions

1. Rotate the wooden pen blank in the lathe. Press #0000 steel wool to the wood and move it up and down the pen blank to remove any final scratches left from sanding.

2. Pick up some fine polishing compound on a folded lint-free cloth. Firmly press the compound-coated side of the cloth to the underside of the turning wood. Start at the centers of the pen blank and slowly move the cloth outwards to the edges of the pen blank.

3. Dampen the clean side of a folded lint-free cloth with lacquer friction polish. Touch the lacquer-dampened cloth to the underside of the wooden blank. Apply firm pressure and work the cloth back and forth on the pen blank.

4. Stop and apply more lacquer to the cloth when the heat caused by friction is felt through the cloth. The sensation of heat means that the first coat of lacquer has fully heat-cured. Continue adding subsequent coats of lacquer until a lustrous sheen develops.

References

• Kevinsbrady.net: Pen-Making 101
• Wood Central: "Russ's Corner"; Friction Polishes; Russ Fairfield