Help with Pen Kits

[Rob Holcomb]

I would like to try making some pens but I have none of the equipment necessary. What do I need to start out with and where can I get what I need to make pens. I know PSI is one source but I don't know what comes in a kit and if it includes everything I'll need to get started. Please don't go overboard with all the bells and whistles. Just the basics. If I get good at it, then I can buy the bells and whistles then. Thanks for your help. Rob

[Paul Douglass]

First I would get the free DVD PSI offers and check it out. I tells you everything you need.

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

[Andrew Kertesz]

Rob,

Another suggestion. Go to: penturners.org and sign up there. They are a wealth of information, great and friendly people, they have an online searchable library, many different forums and it is free to join.

[David E Keller]

Ditto on both of the previous suggestions.

For starters, you need a pen mandrel than fits your headstock morse taper. You need a pen kit that you like and the bushings for that particular kit(the bushings can be reused for other pens of the same type). You need turning tools(roughing gouge and a skew for me, but you can do a pen with just about anything). You'll need some CA glue for glueing the tubes in(unless you want to use epoxy or gorilla). You need some kind of finish... I use CA, but most folks start with some kind of friction polish(you can use poly, wax, lacquer, or just about anything else).

I'd suggest that the cigar and sierra kits are relatively straight forward, but none of the kits are all that difficult. YMMV.

Good luck!

[Billy Tallant]

The above suggestions tell it all. Pen mandrel to fit your lathe, roughing gouge & skew, sand paper to finish pen out with, some type of finish. I started out using a friction polish, then tried wipe on poly. Now just use CA finish. Additional items that really help out is a pen mill to square the ends up with. Pen press is nice but you can make do without it. Slimline kits are cheap to practice on & make good gifts for your friends. The sierra's & cigars mentioned above are easy to make & make very classy looking pens.

[Karl Card]

man this brings back memories.... I had noone to help me and did not know that sawmill creek existed...

My first pen was turned without a tool rest.... yes it was hard, yes it was dumb, yes it was gratifiying...

When I got a tool rest I had no idea that it was needed that much.

But anyway if I had to do it all over again I would have stayed away from the heat activated wax like shellawax and hut. Now dont get me wrong there are pen turners on here who can make that stuff shine, I am just not one of them who has that ability..

I would have gotten a little bit better tools. My first tools were carbine, not carbide but carbon... they sucked worse than anything that has ever sucked before... but it does make upgrading fun and beneficial at the same time.

Good sand paper and dont get to far spread out in the grits.. I mean keep it at around 120, 150 or 180, 240, 320, etc.. after you hit around 600 it might be redundant on certain woods.

There are alot of companies that make good pen kits, do some research. The only one that I will warn you about is the kits from woodcraft that use a cross refill do not write as smooth as a piece of 220 grits sandpaper. Very nice looking kits however, maybe change the refill out or something. Penn state has some nice kits and as well as several other stores on the net. Maybe do a google search for pen kits etc and find the one that suits you best.

Other than that just patience and do not force the tools into the wood to fast, good luck and cant wait to see what you pull off the lathe.

[Jim Burr]

I have used CSUSA (woodturnerscatalog.com) for years now and have never had a bad kit, or service.