Help making pens

[Dan Mages]

Hi all!!

I need the help of a Chicago area turner. I want to make three wood pens for my wedding. Two will be given to the witnesses that sign the Ketubah, which is a Jewish wedding contract, and one for me to sign it as well. I have never turned a pen. I don't even have a lathe to turn them on. I looked over the kits on Pen State's website and do like their Polaris line.

So, is there anyone in the Lake Country Chicago area that is willing to help me with this small project?

I greatly appreciate the help!

Dan

[Michael Robertson]

Hi Dan, Congrats! I'm not in the Chicago area but wanted to pass on the congrats to you. How long before the wedding? Do you have a Woodcraft store near you?

There is a store in Palatine,

Woodcraft Plaza
1280 East Dundee Road
Palatine, IL 60074
Phone: (847) 776-1184
Fax: (847) 776-1185

and a store in Woodridge,

7440 Woodward Avenue
Suite A 107
Woodridge, IL 60517
Phone: 630-435-9663
Fax: 630-435-0663


Their "Atlas" http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=5848 is very close to the Polaris and the WallStreet 2 is a similar style. My reason for mentioning this is that you could get the kits "off the shelf" instead of mail order. Also there should be somebody at the store to help you with making them. Have you thought about the wood/acrylic you want for the body of the pen?

Again, Congrats and I hope this has helped.

Mike

[Burt Alcantara]

Dan,
If you have some basic tools you can make pens without a lathe. Check out this site: http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/claypen.html

If you want more of this, type the following in a google search bar, exactly:
"polymer clay" +pen

This will give you a long list of site that will show you how to use the clay to make the pens. You will be surprised!

Burt

[Bob Opsitos]

As for blank material I would thinkg that getting Olivewood from Bethelhem would be significant.

www.bethlehemolivewood.net/prod02.htm

Bob

[Jon Shively]

Dan, first of all, congratulations. Second, watch out, participation on this site can cause the cost of this wedding seem small, they will have you spending your honeymoon in a Woodcrafters store turning pens or bowls. Hmmmmmm, now that I think of this, that wouldn't be all bad!!!! grin.

Dan seriously, congratulations, and there are turners that have to be near you. But if not, a pen isn't that large, it can be mailed. If you research and know what type of wood or resin you want it made from and what style, and finish, it can be ordered and payment method chosen. Email me if you have further questions or no one steps up with an alternative method you prefer. I have been married for 23 years to the same woman, we have two daughters and although it hasn't been a honeymoon each and every day, I am very happy and hope the same for you.

[Lars Thomas]

Dan, I can help you but, I'm in Kane County. If you don't intend to get into pen making, I'd be happy to let you use my stuff (mandrel, bushings glue etc..) I have the drill bit and bushings for the Woodcraft Wall Street if you go that route. I also have several others from Rockler, Woodcraft and Craft Supplies. Lars

[Rich Stewart]

Dan, Go buy a lathe, some tools, pen kits, blanks. Just do it. After the wedding there will be birthdays, anniversarys, Christmas, and a slew of other times you will want to make special gifts for somebody. Plus you will enjoy turning stuff just because, forever. Just do it.

Rich

[David Walser]

Dan,

Since it's for a wedding, you might want to go with a higher quality kit than the Polaris from Penn State. (This isn't intended as a slam against Penn State. I've bought from them in the past and most likely will in the future.) All the kits start out with brass parts that are then plated with gold or some other metal. My experience with some of the cheaper kits (including those from Penn State) is that the plating will quickly wear off -- not the kind of keepsake you want for a wedding that's supposed to last forever! The Penn State kits have an epoxy coating. If anything, that seems to make things worse. Just a few times in and out of the pocket and the epoxy starts to flake off. (Again, that's been my experience. Others may have had better luck.)

For a good primer on the various types of plating on pen kits, follow this link:

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/ca...lating101.html (http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/catalog/plating101.html)

You don't have to go expensive. A nice titanium plated kit can still be inexpensive and the plating will last a lifetime. (You can go expensive. Some of the kits from Craft Supplies USA cost more than $100! :o)

Good luck and best wishes!

[Dan Mages]

Thanks for all of the kind sentiment and help!! Dario Octaviano has a contact just up the road from me that is willing to help.

While buying a lathe and the rest of the equipment I need is tempting, I just cannot do it right now. All of my free money is going into getting my house ready for sale and moving up to Milwaukee.

And thanks for the reference to Craft Supplies USA. I was hoping for a better quality kit than that one.

Dan

[Dario Octaviano]

Dan,

If you finalize a schedule with Chris, do let me know. I will send him some wood blanks of your choice (if I have it) for your use. Just let me know your preference.

Congrats!!!

[Dan Mages]

Thanks for the offer for the blanks, but I have some really georgeous old growth black walnut that I would like to use.

I appreciate the help!!

Dan