Patience is a virtue ...and I haven't found it yet!
I thought I would share a few pictures of me turning a pen. In some ways, turning a pen is not very hard, but it's sooo easy to make a mistake. Sometimes those mistakes can't be fixed, and you have to throw it away and start over. That's very frustrating!
I will also tell you that I really really really don't like African Wenge. It is a beautiful wood, but it's extremely difficult to turn successfully. So I hope I never get a request for it again.
Oh, and sanding is my least favorite thing to do. I like how it looks when I'm done, but I'm not always patient enough as I work through 19 levels of sanding. I sand from 150 grit to 12,000 grit. 12,000 grit is the same grit as a paper bag. Dad says I need to be patient...I say Grrrrrrrrr!