A few pens

I really like Craft Supplies in Utah. Get their free catalog. It is really nice.

I use Mylands friction polish on my wood pens. Sometimes I will use CA (super glue).

I also will use sanding sealer if needed and sometimes EEE Paste wax.

I also prefer large pens. Some of my favorites are made with 3/4 corian. I use sanding pads to finish these as well as pens made with plastics or finsihed with CA.

Elk and deer antler also makes great pens. I finish these with CA.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Thanks for the links Wayne,

How do you apply the CA?

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

With the pen in the lathe, I place a small piece of plywood over the bed of the lathe for protection. I apply a little CA directly on the pen and spread evenly over the body of the pen. I use a quetip to spread the ca. Once I have an even coat, I use the accellerator to set it. I then sand lightly with 400 grit sandpaper to remove any extra CA. I then switch to the pads above to polish up to 12,000 grit.

Process on antlers is the similar. Drill the antler, flood hole with thin CA to fill voids in antlers. Then apply brass tubes as normal. Set with accellerator, mill the ends, Turn surface off and take to rough dimensions. Flood with CA as above. Then turn to final dimension. Flood a second time if surface is not covered with CA and finish as above.

Oh and watch out for CA fumes if the temperature is warm where you are.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

A recommendation from my friend, Vic, if you ever decide to sell pens…

Avoid the slim-line pens. You’ll never be able to get more than $20 for one in most cases. You’ll spend the same amount of time turning a larger pen, and you can sell them for a lot more money (his regularly sell for upwards of $120 to $140).

Another thing… once you start with a company and the kits they sell, it might be hard to switch companies without having to buy all new bushings and such, as theirs sizes aren’t always the same.

That said, pen turning is about as close as you can get to instant gratification in woodworking.

Great pens, Scott!

As a writer, I would caution against getting any crazier with the grips. Personally, I prefer an absolutely smooth transition between the metal cap and the first few inches of the pen. Anything else starts hurting if I write for very long (which, if you can imagine, I’m prone to do).

-- Ethan, http://greystonegreen.blogspot.com/

I would add to what Ethan recommends.

Use great materials and good quality plating as well. The craft supplies site does a good job of showing materials and pen plating options.

Desert Ironwood and Buckeye Burl are some of my favorites.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Also this is the best book on the subject bar none.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Thanks, and thanks again!

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

Oh, and there are 2 DVDs by the authors of the TURNING PENS AND PENCILS book I referenced above.

THE BASICS AND BEYOND -DVD

MORE PENS PLUS TIPS AND TRICKS -DVD

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

these are great!
So we’ll be seeing a lot more pens, “eh” Scott?

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Very nice Scott
That’s what I like about wood turning, almost instant gratification. I still haven’t tried making pens yet.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Scott – It sure is nice to be able to turn out a project in limited spare time, especially one that had been sitting for a while. Really nice pens! Mike

These look great… I have a neighbor who makes a zillion of these and he heard I was getting this new LS200 delta midi lathe (for $129 with the chisels I though why the heck not) and is planning to rush over as soon as it arrives to help me make some. He is more excited about it than I am… He is a retired school teacher so I think Ill get a good education with it. Let me ask. Are there any specific tools other than the lathe and some basic turning tools you have found helpful? The pens look VERY good for your first go at them. I am very impressed… I figured the learning curve was such that you would loose several as you began… Looks like that is not the case at all… (or you are unusually talented which I hope is not the case as I am not and will be a beginner with pens and turning small things like this…)

Drew

-- Drew, Pleasant Grove, Utah

here’s my two cents…

I like the cigar pens. it’s quite a bit bigger than the slim-line and the natural design of the pen takes away from the urge to make crazy shapes that, as Ethan mentioned, just aren’t that comfortable.

As far as suppliers go, I started out using www.woodturningz.com. Ryan is a great guy to work with. However, I do feel the kits offered by Woodcraft are a bit better in the quality department. Though they do cost a little more, I feel they are worth the extra money.

-- www.darrylmasterson.com ~ www.darrylmasterson.etsy.com

Drew, you could say I’m unusually talented! but, fortunately not in the way you mean :)

I did take a 5 week turning class over a year ago, where we primarily used the skew chisel – a very cruel master indeed! (dealt with lots of catches or dig ins) many turners (I’m told) tend to use other tools, but I’m not afraid of mine (I also don’t have a lot of options.)
a three hour class was also rough on the hands for the first couple classes (kinda like using chopsticks at first – learning to use “new” muscles) but fine since then.

I think pens would make a great learning project as you don’t spend too much time turning down to the final size, and don’t have to learn beads and coves right off. Just practice on a few scrap pieces first (something to do while you’re waiting for the glue to dry on your first set of blanks). Having someone show you is even more invaluable than trying to glean from a book. Good luck… It’s fun, and really addictive.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

Scott: Most of the wood I use is lumber, boards that I get at woodcraft or other suppliers. You can get a lot of pens out of 1 BDF of lumber. Don’t forget some Bloodwood they are great for Pastors etc. Some of the wood that people really like is Maple crotch. Sometimes you see that one piece of wood where someone has cut down a tree and it had 10 branches coming out at the same spot. No own wants it because it is impossible to split. That is the best pen wood.

If you can saw / resaw on a bandsaw is 3/4” square strips then let it dry. You may get a little bow, but no problem for pens. I’ve never had any splitting. One of the best was where a branch had broken off and died and it had a hollow hole in the log. The wood had dark streaks going through the maple curls.

Walnut crotch, oak crotch, blackwood, Desert Ironwood, Pink Ivory. And for pens branch wood is great so if you see a branch with wood having a different color. Use it, Osage Orange could come to mind. I had a bush in my yard called Smoke Tree, bush or whatever the wood was yellow with red and other color streaks Beautiful. One branch died and it was then that I found out the color.

Ged a pen dis assembly kit, It allow you to remove the pen parts and then reset them again to the correct depth.

I bought a bearing press. A big old chunk of steel that looks like a capital “C” with a lever that brings the press and down. After a few time you know the exact place to stop moving the arm. You just press the tips, etc all together.

By the way I use epoxy to glue my tubes into the wood, some of the woods are oily and I found that it works best. Some 5 min epoxy and you can glue up 4 – 5 sets.

Get a drill block guide. The easiest one is one that you can make. It’s got a hinge at one end and some “V” groves cut in one side of the block. You put the blank in and squeeze the handles with your 1 hand and drill with the other hand. I’ll try to find mine and take a picture.

Trimmers

Get some Teacher Pens kits also.

At the Penn State / MLCS store in northern Philadelphia, you walk in and pick up what you want. They also have bins of wood chunks that you buy by the LB.

I use Shellwax from down Don’s way in Australia for a finish

Sign up for Penn States e-mail, and they send you specials every month. MLCS has one also.

-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

I dont’ really like going crazy with the pens either… some of the samples in the catalogs don’t seem user friendly. I was just trying to “fix” the size issues with the slimlines (that I have a starter kits worth of). I have (or had) two cheap pens at work with a bulb shape at the bottom that I’d like to replicate, those have been the most comfortable pens for me to use.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

Thanks again all… I forsee an ocean of pens flowing out of the basement!

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

Nice Scott, thats something I have’nt tried yet, how much do you have invested in getting started? Beautiful pens. jockmike

-- Mike from Michigan - mwurm13@yahoo.com

You might try to turn some European style pens that are made on the same 7mm mandrel and 7mm tubes. You will need to buy bushings that are made for the European style pens. The pen is bigger around and heftier, it has a nice feel. I have made “spacer” bushings by cutting off 1/3 inch sections of a 7mm tube. Since I am also new to pen turning, I have tried some acrylic pen blanks….but, turn and finish them at a slower rpm. I get most of my supplies from ArizonaSilohuette…an online supplier. They offer good products at a competive rate and their service and shipments are just great.

-- WeeWilly

Lots of good info here. The pens are really nice, Scott. Thanks for a posting that generated such good information. I’ve not really been interested in turning but now I curious.

Do any of you guys have any suggestions on a midi lathe besides the one Drew mentioned? Would experiment with a midi first or should a person try to take a class with a full size lathe and then go from there. Scott, did your class have a full size lathe?

-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN

Nice stuff Scott. They are real beauts. I’m curious about the same thing Jeff is. What do experienced turners feel is a good entry level lathe to buy without getting too carried away? Seems like with all of the add-ons one has to buy, the costs of getting into turning can add up pretty quickly.

-- Better to say nothing and be thought the fool... then to speak and erase all doubt.

The Jet mini/midi lathe is not too expensive, around $250 on Amazon. Of course there are the tools and such to buy, but you can start small with just a few items. Altogether, you can get a really good set up for less than $500.

As a comparison, I have a large Jet that I really like. It was around $800 when I bought it a few years ago. I believe it is the 14×42 model. I have probably spent close to $500 on tools and accessories just for it. If I was just going to do pens and small turned items, I would consider the smaller lathe. Since I plan to do more things, I bought the bigger lathe.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

I have the VS Jet mini and am very happy with it. I also have a larger delta that does not get as much use.

You also need to consider sharpening and will need a slow speed or dual speed 8” grinder and possibly some sharpening jigs (wolverine for example). From there it depends on what you want to turn. If your tuning bowls for example, you need a good chuck.

Turning is pretty much a slippery slope as far as spending goes. There are lots of special purpose tools and accessories.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

We had full size lathes for my class, they’ve since upgraded to all Jets. I’m holding out for a biggun so I can do bowls and spindles. The guy I bought my shopsmith from didn’t use it as a lathe, so I’ve had to pick up a few things. Fortunatley my Father-in-law had chisels (good ones according to my teacher) I could borrow.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

I recently purchased the Variable Speed Jet Mini lathe on Amazon.com. It was $299 and FREE shipping. The changing of the speed is just a twist of the dial from 0 rpm to 3200 while the lathe belts are in the mid-range. This comes in handy after turning a pen and going into the finishing process, sanding at one speed, then buffing as a much slower speed. I recommend the additional cost(about $50) and buy the variable speed lathe.

-- WeeWilly

I agree with Willy. This more than any other reasion I use my Jet mini over my delta. You have to change belts to change speed on the delta.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Yeah, changing the 50+ year old belt on the shopsmith is a pain in the hiney. The first time I couldn’t manage it, so I took off the lower wheel, and didn’t realize I misaligned it when I (finally) was able to get it back on – would stop spinning if it encountered a moderate amount of resistance. Fixed now, and easier to change gears, but variable speed is on my wish list…

Thinking about the offers Drew and Willy were able to score, maybe I’ll get a mini or midi for small projects and save up for a biggun down the road.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

I’ve not regretted buying the Jet. I’ve actually thought about buying a second. Have 3 turners in the house now. I got the stand for it and it is very convienient.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

I’ve looked seriously at getting a Jet, couldn’t decide between a couple models when I found my shopsmith, too good a deal to pass up. The school I took a class at recently upgraded to Jets, the old ones were servicable, but obviously well used. The only negative comment I’d heard about Jets though was that the placement of the motor sometimes got in the way. I don’t know if that pertained to a certain model, was only about bowl turning or what. I think that was in an amazon.com review. But I can’t think that it’s true. I gather you have had no such experience?

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

It is out of the way on my lathe…

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Must have been an older model, or disgruntled reviewer. Cool. That looks like It could fit the bill. My wife couldn’t complain about the deal on it either… Not sure how to sell a biggun a few years down the road when I just “have to” make huge bowls and such. :)

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

Get her enrolled in a Woodcraft turning class or similar…. : ^ )

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Once she starts turning something, she will be hooked Scott. Then you can say you need another lathe so you each can have one.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

that’s a great plan Bill… should be under the reasons to buy a new power tool :)

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

These are so cool. I am learning to turn myself. I want to be this good some day…(Soon I hope!)

-- Carpe Lignum; Tornare Lignum (Seize the wood, to Turn the wood)

Scott. I don’t know what the price is on the Delta or Jet. But here is Penn States Version Variable speed and with an entension it 52” long. 10” bowl

-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

I have some pens in a gallery in the City of Orange that features wood products. I convinced them to carry 5 or 6 and they finally sold some. $110-$135 retail. I regularly sell them between $50 and $75 and that’s for the basic cigar pen kit with wood such as ebony, spalted maple or a burl (if you buy burl bowl blanks when you cut your stock round save your off cuts and mill them into blanks. My maple burl bowl I recently posted yeilded 6 pen blanks that craft supply sells for $5.25 each).

I stay away from the basic gold kits as it seems to wear very quickly. I am switching to the nicer kits offered by Craft Supply ( I see someone else recommended them ). It can be addictive to make these little suckers. I wish you luck with it…don’t under value your work though.

The liink I provided below seems to have the best deal on the cigar kits and has more colors than anyone I’ve seen including copper.

-- Steffen

Very nice.

-- Bud, NY, http://tpww.libsyn.com/