Considering Pen turning

[Ken Glass]

Hey All,
I have never turned a Pen, but have lately been wanting to try a few. I have no tools and without cluttering my shop with useless tools not needed to turn pens, I am asking for some advice. Here is a tool that seems that it might be very useful in pen turning. http://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKMS2SET.html?prodpage=1PK Please give me some advice on what is needed to drill blanks and then turn and finish Pens. I think I want to use the Ballpoint twist hardware to start with at least. It does look like another branch of the vortex and I hope I don't get swallowed to deeply to quickly. Your thoughts are appreciated. Thanks.

[Paul Williams]

The mandrel is helpful, but you can turn between centers if you have a fixed or drive center for your headstock. I rough out with my bowl gouge and turn with a small spindle gouge or skew. I think my point is you can turn a few pens to see if you like turning pens with almost any tool you happen to have. You can drill for the tube on the lathe, a drill press, or with a hand drill. the difference is you need a larger blank if you don't have an accurate way to drill. I normally use the bushings made for the pen kit but I don't buy bushings for an individual kit where I may only turn one.In that case I use calibers and turn to the measured diameter of the pars. If you like it and get into pen turning there are lots of accessories you can buy in the future.

[David C. Roseman]

Good advice from Paul. But I will say that the PSI "mandrel saver" you link to is pretty slick. Like any good tool, it pays for itself at the first use. ;)

David

[Joe Kieve]

Don't do it...you'll be sorry! It's a vortex from which there is no escape. Just kidding. Pens are a lot of fun and you're only limited by your imagination. BTW, I agree with all Paul said, you don't need to spend a great deal to get started turning pens.

[Ken Glass]

Paul,
Thanks for your information and comments. I believe I will start to turn pens, as I get a lot of inquiry at shows about selling Pens, and they would make great gifts, so if someone could expand on the tools necessary to turn pens with precision and accuracy, I would be most appreciative. I ran across this tool as well, and wondered if it would be useful in squaring the ends of the pen blanks.http://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKTRIM7.html?prodpage=1PK

Joe,
I'm not interested in the cost of things as much as buying tools that I will never use such as the Mortising jig I purchased and used only once on a project. Hey, I could sell it on eBay and fund my Pen Making hobby/habit. Seriously, I just want the essential tools to good pen making and then, maybe I will purchase more tools that will work with the craft if the need arises.

[philip labre]

Check out penturners dot org for a wealth of knowledge regarding pen turning. The amount of info in the library alone will keep you busy for a while.

[Ken Glass]

Thanks phillip, that looks like a treasure trove of information.

[Fred Belknap]

International Association of Penturners (IAP) is a great forum to learn about penturning.

[Ken Glass]

Fred,
I think that's the same as penturners.org if i'm not mistaken.....

[Dick Mahany]

+1 on the IAP. There is a wealth of info there including an excellent library that covers just about anything a newcomer to pen making might want to know ( I joined about a year ago and have learned so much there) You will get a lot of opinions on turning on a mandrel vs turning between centers. I do both and I have the PSI mandrel saver and like it very much. I have also recently started making my own bushings for between centers turning and like the added rigidity and reduced vibration that method provides. You asked about drilling blanks. There too are many ways and I prefer to drill/square my blanks on the lathe. I use tower/spigot jaws in my chuck and bought a morse taper drill chuck for the tail stock. Works great for my needs. Also you can make a sanding disk that fits into your headstock to square the ends of the blanks. Some prefer using a drill press and sander, but it is relatively easy and cost effective to do these steps on the lathe if you are starting out. Good luck and as mentioned earlier, penmaking can become its own vortex, but it is great fun and rewarding.

[Jon Shank]

I have that exact mandrel kit and it has worked really well for me. I agree you can turn pens without it, but it really is a good setup, especially for the price. Not a big deal, but you can also use it to realign your headstock to tailstock after turning outboard. I will say that the drill bit that comes with it isn't great, it works but I've ditched it for a better quality brad point. Just drills a nicer hole for me. It'll get you started fine though.

And don't forget that there are special bushings for alot of different pen sizes/kits. Think of the ones that come with it more as spacers, handy for that but not great for anything other than the most standard slimline type pen kits. and while your at it, the little plastic conical anti-stick finishing bushings fit this perfectly as you would expect and really are great for finishing. And in a pinch since they are conical you can use them as a bushing for a bunch of different diameter tubes. Not what they are designed for and not what you should count on, but when you realize you picked up a kit and don't have the right bushings for it and are going to lose that precious shop time to wait for the proper bushings to show up, they'll work. :) Great little accessory and cheap to boot.

Jon

[Dan Hintz]

Another +1 on IAP... info out the wazoo that will keep you busy for years to come. I started with a mandrel, but I've found working between centers is so much more efficient. To be fair, I still often use a mandrel for roughing down to size, but for finish turning I go TBC every time.

[jerry downey]

Here is a link to some really good info http://kurthertzog.com/demos.htm

Jerry

[Guy Belleman]

Recommend taking a class. Let someone else provide the tools and gain some experience before jumping in. Suggest taking the pen turning class on February 11 at the Woodcraft about 60 miles from you: http://www.woodcraft.com/stores/storeclasses.aspx?id=309&page=classes

As for the mandrel saver, I have one. Used it a couple of times and now stays in the tool box. I just haven't needed it and all of my mandrels are still in good condition. Getting good mandrels helps. I now have five of the professional pen mandrels so I can prepare, shape and finish several at a time. I just got a Whiteside pen mandrel and like it very much.

[Ken Glass]

Thanks for all the info......

[John Terefenko]

I would not get rid of the mortiser. I am going to be using mine on a couple pen designs coming up soon. I am into segmenting and creating my own blanks. It is another phase of penturning that can open many avenues. This is one of those hobbies that the sky is the limit for creation. Many people get stuck in a rut by making and using blanks that are sold commercially. But there is a whole field of imagination. You got good advice and there is not much I can add. Yes the IAP penturning site is a beginners site for sure. If you go there use the search feature and do some reading on your own. As you get familar with the jargon and the kits and tools then your questions can have more value to you. Good luck and welcome to the world of pen turning. Will be looking for your work.

[Ken Glass]

John,
Thanks, that was sage advice, although I have listed my mortiser in the classifieds just in case anyone is interested. I'll give an additional 5% discount for Penturners or any SMC member for that matter. LOL Thanks to all the great advice about Penturning.

[Steve Peterson]

Like others have said, IAP is a great site. Also, Penn State offers a free DVD on pen turning.

Steve