Question for pen turners

[Marc Casebolt]

Hello,
My dad is turning 80 in July, and I'm thinking about getting him set up to turn pens. He has no real hobbies now, so I think this will be good for him. My question is; What do I need to get as a minimum set up to get him started?
What is a decent starter lathe?
What specific tools are needed for pens, pencils, etc.?
What supplies does he need to make a dozen or so projects start to finish.
I do some turning for furniture, and have some spare (old) turning tools he can have, but are there any specialty tools he wil need?
Is there a good book on pen turning that he should have?
I know this could be a long list of stuff, but I would like to make it as simple as posible for him until he gets the bug and tackles more challenging projects on his own.
Thanks in advance for your advice, Marc

[Joe Melton]

Penn State Industries has, or used to have, a free DVD on penturning. It is worth the price. There are a number of books on pen turning, and one can find some of them in their local library.
I would suggest finding someone locally who turns pens and getting him or her to do a demo at their home. They will probably let your pops give it a try, and he can decide if he wants to pursue the hobby. Take them some cookies.

I would do these things before I decided what is best for an 80-year old man. Most people of this age have a pretty fixed idea of what they enjoy and don't enjoy, and are often pretty stubborn.
Now, if you are geographically close to him, you could invest in enough tooling and kits to turn some pens on your own lathe, thus saving the trouble and expense of a separate setup.
Joe

[Jon Shively]

I would enroll him in a pen making class at a local WoodCraft store, he will either have the bug upon the end of class or will walk away and never look back. Could be your best investment in this gamble.

[Jonathon Spafford]

A good set up is the jet mini... I got one and it is a great lathe. Penn state sells starter sets for pen turning here (http://www.pennstateind.com/store/jmini-ss2.html). If you have any woodworking shows around your place you might be able to find a cheaper starter set... I know PSI used to have a couple different starter sets, but for some reason they only have one right now. Like the others have said you probably will want to make sure that he will want to get into it if you get him the stuff.

[Nancy Laird]

Marc, Woodtek makes a VERY GOOD midi-lathe, which is currently on sale through Woodworker's Supply. They also carry very good turning tools. Craft Supplies also carries starter sets for beginning pen-makers.

I agree with the idea of feeling him out first for his interest before investing the money---he may think you're trying to put him to work!!:rolleyes: :p

Nancy

[Alfred Clem]

I'm 80 and have been turning pens a long time. If you and your father decide this is something he would like to do, you might make a mental note now to use me as a mentor. He might like to have a coach via the internet, and I would be more than happy to answer questions, encourage him when he fails, and give advice when problems occur.

For what it's worth, I have a Jet Mini, use Sorby tools, have a Vicmarc chuck, a Delta grinding tool to keep my stuff sharp, and have made about all the mistakes you can imagine.

[Marc Casebolt]

Thanks for the replies. This is a great forum.
As usual reason wins out over my usual method of doing things, which is to jump in with both feet.
It makes sense to check with him first to find out if he will use the lathe. So much for the suprise, but it beats wasting the time and money if he's not interested.
If he is into it, then I have a starting place thanks to your suggestions.

Alfred; Thanks for your kind offer.

Marc