Lathe on it's way, now I need your help.

[Matt Wachter]

Finally got my jet mini, well, it's on order, and am wanting to maybe turn some pens. Is there somebody who sells a decent "starter set"? Good mandral, pens, etc. all bundled up in one?

Also, is a chuck a need or a want? If it is a want, what are the workarounds for holding a piece of wood that would otherwise be held by a chuck?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Matt......Welcome to the Vortex! This is the "Almost Instant Gratification Zone"!

A chuck is a device that holds the wood and allows you to turn without using the tailstock. A lot of turnings can be done using a faceplate on the headstock but you have to contend with the resultant screw holes. A lot of turnings can be done using a glue block. Using a glue block attached to the faceplate, you glue the project wood to the glue block and turn.

The convenience of the chuck is you can rough out the project between centers turning a shoulder (ie. a tenon) on one end of the project wood. Place the project wood into the chuck with the chuck snugly against the shoulder and grasped by the jaws of the chuck and finish turn it. You can also turn a recess (round mortise) in a project and expand the jaws of the chuck into the recess to capture the project wood to capture it. Chucks make things faster and easier but are not an absolute necessity....though I have to admit, I'd be lost without mine!

If you are new to turning, I'd recommend joining a local turning club and you will probably find several members willing to allow you to turn on their equipment to get to use some of the accessories before you buy....take a lesson at a local Woodcraft store for the same reason.....a book that I have found highly helpful is "Wood Turning - A Foundation Course" by Keith Rowley....relatively inexpensive....very useful...written for the beginning turner ....well written and illustrated.........DVDs by Richard Raffan...."Turning Wood"........good for the beginner.....

Good luck with your turning endeavors!

[Scott Donley]

Matt, my first pens were done with this (http://www.pennstateind.com/store/pkstart1f.html) set. I had no clue what I was doing and this set along with their free dvd on pen turning made my first pens painless :) You will also need a 60 degree live center and sand paper and you will be all set. Good luck :D Ken covered the chuck issue, so start saving ;)

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Matt, I won't address the pen issue except to say that the guys at the Woodcraft store here in Houston helped me a great deal and got me set up for pens. They were customer oriented plus in my book. If you have a store near you you might give them a try. I also want to congratulate you on your jump into the Abyss with your new Jet. You're going to have sooooo much fun!!:D I'm looking forward to seeing your work. Remember, pics, lots of pics!:D :)

[Bernie Weishapl]

Ditto what Christopher said. I would also go to the AAW site and see if there is a turning club in your area. I definately would attend on of there meetings. You can learn a ton.

[Neal Addy]

Matt, congrats on the new set up. You're gonna love that lathe.

On getting a good pen starter, I'd suggest you research the world of pen kits before you buy anything. There are quite a few good suppliers out there but beware... not all kits are created equal. Aside from quality there is the 'compatibility' issue. Some kits require the most strange size drill bits, bushings, etc. I've ever seen.

One mistake I made (and there were many) was I found myself chasing bushings and bits from different sources. Before I knew it I had so many that I couldn't remember which went with which.

For the life of me I still can't understand why anyone would make a kit that requires a 15/32" drill bit. Why not just make it 1/2" (except to ensure it doesn't work with other kits).

Research pen kits, find you a supplier (or two) that you like and buy your set up to work with their kits. You'll save time and money in the long run.