How Much - Pen Turning Questions

[Jak Kelly]

Hey, new member here to this forum, although I have used forums for years. Over the years I have found that some of the best information to be had is through forum knowledge and experiences. With that being said I have been tinkering with the idea of making pens and I guess my question is;

1. Where is a good place to start, as I was looking at the 7mm slimline pen kits
2. What all is needed to be adequately equipped to do this
3. How much is this going to cost me

I do realize that I will need a lathe and a few tools to get started. Some of the items I already own are; table saw, drill press, band saw, bench grinder, couple routers (one permanetly mounted in a table) numerous drills from cordless to corded, jig saw............... So I think some of the basics I already have covered, and yes I realize that cost can cover a wide range when talking about tools in general. I was looking at probably starting with a Jet mini lathe and have realized that the cost can be anywhere from $400 to over $600, so I want to get the best bang for my buck that I can, will probably make my purchase based off the idea that I am only buying a machine for turning pens at this time. I am also looking at this from a hobbyist perspective, as in I need something to do during the winter months when I can't get outside enough.
Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Lee Koepke]

Welcome to the creek. You can use the search function to get more info than you can digest !!! In general, you can get just a pen lathe but as I did, you'll end wanting to do more! ( bowls and such )

My first lathe was a used RIKON mini with a 12" swing. Learned to turn bowls on that. Then sold it to another beginner. I spent about $150 for used and it worked well. Slim lines were a good start for me too, inexpensive but still a good dimple pen. I've sold lots and are still selling them.

Sit it back and enjoy the vortex, you'll soon wonder what you got yourself into!!!!

[Dwight Rutherford]

These articles may help;
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FhpArU_3uQUILcRd7Z1sm5lDRbeL5JJHzp5KtZYIW0k/mobilebasic?pli=1&viewopt=127

http://www.nealaddy.org/node/39

[Rick Gibson]

7mm slimlines are not a bad place to start because they are generally cheaper to buy. Personally I think the Sierra style is a better place, it only uses 1 blank and there is a little more wood left on it when you finish turning. I have seen many do this so I will mention it here, don't toss a whole kit because you mess up the turning. A small scraper or parting tool will let you take the wood and glue off the brass tube and start over with a new pen blank. You also might want to check out penturners.org a forum devoted to penturning and they have a library there that will likely cover any of your questions.

[Jak Kelly]

I guess part of my question is if I buy a Jet mini lathe is it going to come with the necessary "jaws" and such so i can get started alomost immediately? I realize that I will have to purchase some turning chisels, but just wondering what else I will need for pens. I imagine eventually I will want to get into bowls and maybe some other things and have already researched enough to know that there is not going to be a "one size fits all machine", so I will cross that bridge once I get there!

[Thomas Canfield]

A good place to start is to find a local turning club and some members to talk to and visit. Pens are a starting point for many that quickly move on to larger items and the recommendation above for a used Rikon 12", Jet mini, or similar allow for doing pens and start turning larger items. After watching a new turner here, I would caution about spending a lot of dollars on expensive wood until you get down the learning curve. The pen mandrels work on most lathes and you do not need a chuck for pens. Getting a good sharp tool is critical for turning past pens, but also helps which gets into a sharpening system. I would recommend buying extra tubes when you buy kits to allow turning extra bodies and preparing the extra blanks is time and cost effective.

[Paul Williams]

You won't need "Jaws" (a chuck) to turn pens. It is unlikely that a new lathe will come with a chuck. My Delta midi came with a face plate and a live center. for pens you will either use a mandrel or a drive center. The later is to turn between centers without the mandrel.

[Rick Gibson]

till now I have mainly turned pens. I no longer use a mandrel. I get my bushings from penturners products. He makes them specifically for turning between centers so to go with them you will need a dead center to match the taper in your headstock and a live center for the tailstock. the dead centers can be got from grizzly for under $10 and the live center is in the $35 range. You need one with a 60 deg point the one that comes with the lathe will not work.

[William C Rogers]

In addition to the lathe you will need some method of sharpening. You need a slow speed grinder with the white wheels as a normal grinder will burn the chisels. Also a jig to hold the chisel. There are other methods to sharpen chisels also. Slimline is a good place to start. When I first started turning pens I bought the Shopsmith pen chisel kit. 3 chisels for under $50 and these are my favorite pen chisels. I actually turned my first pen on a Shopsmith (long gone). You will need a pen mandrel or turn between centers as Rick does. I have not tried turning between centers. I would also recommend micro mesh set 1500 through 12000. A little costly, but last forever.j I would recommend you do a friction polish as you can't mess this up before you try the CA glue finish. You want to complete something and the CA process can be a learning curve. You can use your drill press,to assemble the pens. I use a HF arbor press about $35 for mine. The pen presses I have tried do not hold up. You can make a jig to center and hold the blank for drilling. I have seen some use the wood clamps with notches for this. I have the Rockler jig and it works well. You can use CA glue for gluing the brass tube to the wood, but in like two part epoxy better. You also need a small belt or disk sander to square the wood with the tube or you can use a pen blank trimming tool that works well.

[Jak Kelly]

Now we are getting some where, thanks for all the reply's. I think one of those links said some where around $900 would be a good place to start. Sorry if this seemed like a silly question, but I was just curious about how much "out of pocket" funds this would take to actually get going. Since this will be a hobby for me, then I will have to save my spare money up for the purchase, as in it must be a cash funded endeavor, no CC!

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Welcome!

I have a Jet mini, I think it is one of the better minis on the market. I like to use a pen mandrel, get one that has a #2 taper. Get a mandrel saver, it is a live center that has a hole, so the shaft of the pen mandrel can slide in. This eliminates many of the problems that you can run into using a regular live center. Try "pen mandrel" on e-bay for both. You can at least see what they look like.

+1 on finding a local turning club.....

[Jak Kelly]

Okay, so far I have made a list, help me out if I am missing something essential;

1. Lathe
2. Lathe gouges / chisels
3. Pen mandrel #2 morse taper
4. 7mm & 3/8" bushings
5. micro mesh sanding kit
6. Barrel facing cutter
7. #2 pen mandrel saver

[Dwight Rutherford]

You will need to be able to sharpen your tools. Go back to William Rogers post, good advice!