Getting Started in Pen Turning

[Dennis Collins]

I am thinking about getting to pen/pencil turning with my existing delta lathe and turning tools, but have none of the supplies for turning pens. What would you recommend I get and where is the best place/price to pick up these supplies?

7mm bit
7mm barrell trimmer
pen tube insertion tool
adjustable or fixed mandrel
bushing
other

Thanks

[Scott Hackler]

The tube inserstion tool is a waste of money as far as Im concerned. Either wear some gloves when inserting the tubes or get a little CA or Epoxy on your fingers. I use a bare finger and wipe it off quickly.

You will also only buy the bushings that match the kit you choose.

I would advise that unless you have a monster grip (for a hand clamp to press the parts together) get a pen press.

I would also look into the price difference of a pen mill kit that has several sizes so when and if you change to say a 10mm tube, you will already have the right size mill. I dont think the kit is overly expensive.

A couple extras would be micro mesh sanding pads and/or Hutt pen wax sticks. For finishing you might want to use BLO (boiled linseed oil) and CA (super glue) makes for a real nice easy finish.

[David E Keller]

There's not really a right or wrong way to turn a pen, but there are a bunch of different ways that will work. Here's my 2 cents.

I think if you're getting started, I would recommend the following:

-pen mandrel, standard or adjustable.
-barrel trimmer kit(get the whole kit... it's worth it)
-bushings for whatever kit you choose(slimline, cigar, and sierra kits are all pretty easy)
-micromesh pads(not a necessity, but they do make for a nice finish)
-CA glue(I use thick for gluing in the tubes and medium-thin for a finish and for dealing with punky areas in the wood)
-dental wax(I use this for sealing the ends of the tubes before gluing them in)

I don't use a tube insertion tool... I agree it's probably money better spent elsewhere. You could even turn one if you really want one(who says it can't be made out of wood?)

I don't use a pen press either... I use an old hinge bolt mounted in my drill press, and it works great. You can glue a little piece of leather over the head of the bolt if you want to keep from scratching the pens during assembly.

I order most of my kits from Bill Baumbeck at Arizona Silhouette... In fact, he carries everything on my list(and a bunch of stuff that's not). There are a number of other sources such as Penn State Industries, Craft Supply-USA, BearToothWoods, eBay, and many more. Woodcraft and Rockler both carry pen supplies as well, but their prices seem a bit high for me.

I would also make some type of clamp or vice for holding the blanks while drilling if you are going to drill them on a drill press(which I do). If you are drilling on the lathe, it's not necessary. I also use the clamp for holding blanks while using the pen mill which I also mount in my drill press.

Hope that helps. If you've got more questions, post 'em or send me a PM.

[John Terefenko]

Dennis

As David said there are many ways to turn a pen, to finish a pen, material used for a pen, places where to get pen kits and the tools we use to make them. You will develop your own method over time. There is alot of good pen turning videos on utube. Also Penn State Industries or PSI as it will become known to you over time offers a free cd on pen turning. It is worth getting it. I will leave the list of tools to others. The one thing I will disagree with in Davids list is get rid of any fixed mandrels. Do not waste your money. Get yourself an adjustable mandrel. I also disagree but it is a matter of choice in the way you glue a tube in. I prefer to use 2 part epoxy. CA has been known to fail and I read it all the time.

Next thing I highly recommend is join the pen turning site IAP. Invaluable info there. One other thing most people start with Slimline pens because they are cheap. They are cheap for a reason. The plating on them is not going to stand up to use. If you are going to do slimlines I would use the better platings available for each kit. If you are going to make them to sell you want this and you pass the expense onto the buyer. I also would start with a simplier pen and that is a Sierra.It is a one tube pen and is so easy to make but when done it is very elegant and an easy sell. There are many versions of the Sierra and every company has theirs. But as mentioned it is best to buy the bushings that go with the kit from the company you bought the kit. Later on you will find out which bushings are interchangable with each company. Most companies are resellers of kits. Good luck and welcome to the world of pen turning. Photos are also mandatory here.:) One other thing order the drill bit for the kit also. They are all not the same.

[Scot Roberge]

Dennis:

I started with Penn State's starter set:

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKSTART1F.html

This, plus your lathe, a drill and a vise is about all you need to take the plunge into pen turning. After you complete a few kits, you'll better know what else you need based on the methods you develop. There are a lot of gadgets you can buy, but quality results usually don't depent on them. It's all about technique and attention to detail . . .

[John Sanford]

I'll second the International Association of Penturners. Invaluable.

As for the tube insertion tool, I got one because I was tired of having tubes jam before fully seating, and not having a good way of pushing them home. However, I can't say whether the tool actually addresses that problem or not, since I haven't used it yet. :o

I would recommend that you go with larger pens to start with, the slimlines are fairly unforgiving in turning, as they don't leave much wood on the tube. Of course, the upside is they are an inexpensive kit, which is why so many folks choose them to start with.

[Mike Campbell KS]

I have also just started turning pens ( just finished my third one a few minutes ago). I would say that you need the mandrel ( i have an adjustable one), a barrel trimming kit (just a few bucks more and you get several sizes), and the mandrels for whatever type of pen you plan on using (they do not cost to much and you should get a lot of use out of them should you choose to continue with this hobby. I made my own insertion tube tool, and instead of a press, i have been using a 4" c-clamp (gotta find something better, but it works).

I son't have a drill press, but have been chucking the blank into a set of jaws on my chuck, and the drill bit into a chuck in the tail stock.

I have only used CA as a finish so far, but I plan on trying a few different alternatives soon. The holidays kinda limited my access to other methods.

So far I have made 2 slimline designs, and 1 Classic American (Woodcraft) style pen, and I have many more on order> Good Luck!!

[Dennis Collins]

Guys thanks for sharing your comments and experiences.

I have a questions about pen quality. Are there pens supplies or specific pens that have better (smoother) operation than for the typical pen units? Also, what about pen finish quality and durability.

I don't mind paying a little extra for a better pen unit. After all, I am sure we all want our craftsmanship to be displayed on a good pen system.

[Dennis Collins]

Another question: If I have a 10mm pen kit I assume you need a 10mm mandrel on which to turn the pen. Is this correct? If it is, I am having trouble finding a 10mm mandrel. Something tells me the 7mm mandrel may work? Is the tube for the pen have a 10mm OD and 7mm ID?

[Sid Matheny]

I have always used the inserstion tool on my pens and as far as a pen press I made my own from a cad drawing I made of Al Faul's pen press that is easy to make. Here is a link to my drawing if you want to make one.

http://www.woodturningonline.com/Tur...essPlans-1.pdf (http://www.woodturningonline.com/Turning/Turning_content/PenPressPlans-1.pdf)

Sid

[Scott Hackler]

Another question: If I have a 10mm pen kit I assume you need a 10mm mandrel on which to turn the pen. Is this correct? If it is, I am having trouble finding a 10mm mandrel. Something tells me the 7mm mandrel may work? Is the tube for the pen have a 10mm OD and 7mm ID?


No, the bushings made for a 10mm kit are 7mm ID so they slip right on the 7mm mandrel.

[David Walser]

...
I have a questions about pen quality. Are there pens supplies or specific pens that have better (smoother) operation than for the typical pen units? Also, what about pen finish quality and durability.


Dennis,

I've not used all the kits, but, in general, I'd say there is a correlation between kit price and how smoothly the kits go together and function as a pen. The higher priced kits seem to have fewer rough edges and the parts are more consistent in size and shape. Having said that, I think, in general, you get a better product (and price) from the turning supply houses (such as Arizona Silhouette and Craft Supplies USA) than you do from the "general interest" woodworking outlets. At least, when I compared the quality of the introductory kits available from the local woodworking store with Craft Supplies USA's introductory kits (their Apprentice line), the CSUSA kits were notably better and less expensive.

As for the plating on the kits, stay away from the 24kt gold, black chrome, copper, and satin plated kits (once you've learned to turn a pen). The plating on these kits will wear off quickly if the pen is used frequently. For daily use, you want a kit with titanium, rhodium, or platinum plating. 10kt gold plating will last a long time, but not as long as titanium, rhodium, or platinum.

[Harlan Coverdale]

A pencil makes a dandy tube insertion tool. ;) And a parallel clamp like a Bessey works as a pen press. I'll also second the advice for an adjustable mandrel, and for the full barrel trimming kit.

[Robert Snowden]

All the advice above is good.The best is to sing uo on IAP there so much to be learned there if you want to do a little reading.The libary has all kind's of ino there.Plating's are as good as you pay for.The slimline kit's can be fun and have many style's that come from you big,small,create your own shape.The insertion tool is not nessary,i use deer antler tine's that are to small for pen's.Good luck on your new hobby and welcome to the money pit.

[Allen Neighbors]

The only think I can add is this: I've bought three of the barrel trimmers that come in the kits, and every one of them were dull as heck, and re-dulled quickly after sharpening. Since then, I've bought Carbide barrel trimmers, and haven't had a problem yet. One sharpening lasts through many, many, antler and hardwood blanks. It's definitely worth the extra cost to go with the carbide mills.

[Bryan Morgan]

A drill press with a quill stroke of greater than 3.5" makes drilling pen blanks much easier... :)