PEN Making

[Paul Douglass]

I would like to try to turn some pens for gifts. What is the best CD to buy to learn from? Also has anyone ever try to turn sagebrush wood for pens?

[Doug Jones]

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/_free-dvd.html

and its free, with a coupon.

[Mark Patoka]

Bill Baumbeck's DVD is also very good at http://www.arizonasilhouette.com/. He goes through several different styles of pens and finishing methods. His methods got me started successfully turning pens.

The Penn State DVD is free and also good but focuses on using the products they sell, which isn't a bad thing but I don't think it shows some of the different methods of drilling, turning, finishing, assembling, etc. It's been a while since I watched it.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I agree with the above. Penn State has a free DVD and Bill's DVD from Arizona Silhouette is great.

[Paul Douglass]

Thanks for the info. I ordered both CD's.

[John Hart]

Paul, If you do end up turning sagebrush, I would be very interested in how it goes. I bet it smells great!!

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

I'm interested in making pens as well, and I followed the links above, the Pen State link says $10 to ship outside of the US, fair enough, but the other link, the one to Arizona Silhouette, that site says the no longer ship outside of the US.

This looks like the better DVD, can someone tell me what the big deal is with shipping outside of the US? Do you have to have a strip search or something?

Really, I find, being in Japan, that there are so many companies that will not ship outside of the US, is it that hard to do?

I know when I ship stuff out of Japan, I have a little customs form to fill out, takes all of 2 minutes to do, that is if I can remember how to spell my name....

Not really a rant here, if the guy does not need the business from outside of the US, he must be doing really well, good for him, but I'm always at a loss as to why this is, are you Yanks so Xenophonic that you are afraid to ship to other countries?

Just curious is all.

Cheers!

[Bill Grumbine]

Really, I find, being in Japan, that there are so many companies that will not ship outside of the US, is it that hard to do?

Hi Stu

I ship all over the world with no problems, so I am not sure why others do not. It may be that as the size or weight of the package goes up it is a problem, but airmail is relatively inexpensive. I do know that shipping to Canada via UPS is a no no, as they add huge surcharges. But I've sent my DVD to Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada, Kenya, Belgium, France, Germany, Israel, Finland, Denmark, England, Ireland, and even one to Antarctica! Of course, I don't cover pens in mine.

Bill

[John Hart]

Not really a rant here, if the guy does not need the business from outside of the US, he must be doing really well, good for him, but I'm always at a loss as to why this is, are you Yanks so Xenophonic that you are afraid to ship to other countries?
..

This is just a guess Stu....We ship international stuff all the time and the additional paperwork has gotten pretty cumbersome...With additional Bills of Lading, Commerical Invoices, Customs documentation, along with all the usual stuff... Maybe some companies don't want to go through the hassle.

[Bob Noles]

I'm interested in making pens as well, and I followed the links above, the Pen State link says $10 to ship outside of the US, fair enough, but the other link, the one to Arizona Silhouette, that site says the no longer ship outside of the US.

This looks like the better DVD, can someone tell me what the big deal is with shipping outside of the US? Do you have to have a strip search or something?

Really, I find, being in Japan, that there are so many companies that will not ship outside of the US, is it that hard to do?

I know when I ship stuff out of Japan, I have a little customs form to fill out, takes all of 2 minutes to do, that is if I can remember how to spell my name....

Not really a rant here, if the guy does not need the business from outside of the US, he must be doing really well, good for him, but I'm always at a loss as to why this is, are you Yanks so Xenophonic that you are afraid to ship to other countries?

Just curious is all.

Cheers!

Stu,

Crazy world we live in these days for sure.

If you want, I would be glad to help by allowing you to make the purchase and have it shipped to me and I will be happy to have my wife re-ship it to you. We live across the street from the Post Office and she loves to go over there every day.

Shoot me a PM if you are interested. I know it will take a little longer and may cost a few bucks extra postage, but glad to help if I can.

[Paul Douglass]

Paul, If you do end up turning sagebrush, I would be very interested in how it goes. I bet it smells great!!

I don't know it it is possible. There is very little "wood" in sagebrush. My neighbor just tore out a big bush about 9"-10" diameter. Old growth. I want to try to do something with it. There use to be a guy lived in this area when I was a young person, made a grandfather clock out of sagebrush wood. Really different, had to salvage it in small slabs and glue the slabs together to make boards. He showed it at the county fair several years. Lots of figuration in it, almost too much.

I got permission to get the bush so I'm going to haul it home today. Be a while before I get to it but I want to save it from the fire.

[Paul Douglass]

About the mailing to Japan, I don't get it. My son and family stationed in Japan. We found at Christmas that alot of companies won't send overseas even to military (APO). It's not that big of deal.

By the way my wife and I spent 3 weeks in Japan last year touring and visiting with my son and family. What a great country and respectful people. We loved it. Their rail system is something to covet. The bullet trains are a great thrill. But boy, is it expensive there.

[John Hart]

Sagebrush has a unique quality of large elongated pores in its structure. I would think that you could fill those pores with something and make really cool stuff out of it. If I still lived in Idaho, I'd give it a try. Hmmmm, I wonder who lives in Idaho? Someone who is keenly interested in Turning?

[Ron Sardo]

I know it is not a DVD but this is good start

http://woodturnerruss.com/Pen10.html

Also Keith Rowley's (sp) "A Foundation Course" has a chapter on turning a slimline

[Curt Fuller]

I didn't ever actually turn sagebrush, but I cut some once to see if I could. It's very stringy wood with almost nothing to keep it together. The center seems to rot as the outer layers grow so there isn't any heartwood type material. The outer layers just peel off in strings. Here in Yewtah, sagebrush varies greatly depending on where it grows. Some places it's 6 or 8 feet tall, others its scubby stuff barely knee high. Maybe if you could get some of the really big stuff you could get enough wood to work with.