Newbie Pen Turning questions

[Cliff Newton]

I'm getting ready to buy all the mandrels, drill bits, bushings and other stuff I need to make pens, but I have a couple of questions.

1. I have not turned any pens yet, but I'm told the thick cigar style pens are harder to make than the slimline pens. What makes the thick pens harder to make?

2. I've seen nice pens from Woodcraft, Penn State and Woodturners Catalog. Who makes the best or are they all the same quality?

[Arvin Brown]

I'm getting ready to buy all the mandrels, drill bits, bushings and other stuff I need to make pens, but I have a couple of questions.

1. I have not turned any pens yet, but I'm told the thick cigar style pens are harder to make than the slimline pens. What makes the thick pens harder to make?

2. I've seen nice pens from Woodcraft, Penn State and Woodturners Catalog. Who makes the best or are they all the same quality?

Glad to see you making pens. It's a fun and addicting habbit! You posed a couple difficult questions - they are so up to the individual. I don't think the cigar pens are harder than the slimline - only larger in diameter which actually shows off the beauty of the wood better! As far as kits are concerned - I usually use Woodturners Catalog or Penn State. If you purchase anything out of Woodturners Catalog, use this site (he's quicker and he gives you free stuff! and excellent blanks): http://www.arizonasilhouette.com. If you buy from Penn State, use: http://www.woodturningz.com. He has by far the best price and delivery on slimline and cigar kits. Good luck!

[Daniel Yourdon]

I have often heard it said that the slimlines are easier. they are more forgiving of mistakes. many of the cigar type pens require tenons to be cut etc. which for some would be more difficult and no problem at all for others. their are other problems that can arrise with pressing the center band over the tenon etc. for some beginners they tend to experience soem problem with just about every step of the process. their are simply more steps with the large pens therfore more resons to run into problems. but you will learn all the same things trying to make a large pen as you would a slimline and then some. so it would really become a matter of your patience and willingness to presue to the end.
If you already have experience in the shop with other things it would most likely all be a mute point.

[Scott Greaves]

Hi Cliff,

I think the cigar pens are about the easiest pens to make. There is nothing tricky about how to put them together, and no fancy turning required. I personally think the cigar pen is a better kit for learning penturning than the slimline because it is more forgiving.

The slimline pen, turned with a straight, slim profile, results in pretty thin wood. It is easy to make a slip and blow out half the wood on the barrel!

If you choose to start with cigar pens, the best place to buy your kits is from Ryan at Woodturningz. He sells the Berea cigar kits, which I think are the best made, for an unbelievable price, like $2.85 each (or close). This includes the chrome finish kits, which are my personal favorites.

If you choose to go with a slimline kit to start with, my favorite slimline kit is the Titanium Gold one from Penn State (PSI), which I also buy from Ryan at Woodturningz! It is not the "best" slimline kit out there, but I believe it is the cheapest high quality kit around. Just in case you're interested, my pick for the "best" slimline kit available goes to the Platinum Father Sing pen from Craft Supplies, narrowly beating out the Streamlined Slimline from Berea in the chrome.

And just because I've given you two consecutive recommendations for Ryan doesn't mean I don't also send a good deal of my money to Bill Baumbeck at Arizona Silhouette as well! Anything from Craft Supplies I order through him, and some of the better kits from Berea I also get through him, as well as all my stabilized blanks. Using stabilized blanks from Bill is one of the surest ways I know of to increase the look and quality of your pens! Bill also has a beginning penturning video that is first rate!

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions.

Scott.

[Cliff Newton]

Hi Cliff,

I think the cigar pens are about the easiest pens to make. There is nothing tricky about how to put them together, and no fancy turning required. I personally think the cigar pen is a better kit for learning penturning than the slimline because it is more forgiving.

The slimline pen, turned with a straight, slim profile, results in pretty thin wood. It is easy to make a slip and blow out half the wood on the barrel!

If you choose to start with cigar pens, the best place to buy your kits is from Ryan at Woodturningz. He sells the Berea cigar kits, which I think are the best made, for an unbelievable price, like $2.85 each (or close). This includes the chrome finish kits, which are my personal favorites.

If you choose to go with a slimline kit to start with, my favorite slimline kit is the Titanium Gold one from Penn State (PSI), which I also buy from Ryan at Woodturningz! It is not the "best" slimline kit out there, but I believe it is the cheapest high quality kit around. Just in case you're interested, my pick for the "best" slimline kit available goes to the Platinum Father Sing pen from Craft Supplies, narrowly beating out the Streamlined Slimline from Berea in the chrome.

And just because I've given you two consecutive recommendations for Ryan doesn't mean I don't also send a good deal of my money to Bill Baumbeck at Arizona Silhouette as well! Anything from Craft Supplies I order through him, and some of the better kits from Berea I also get through him, as well as all my stabilized blanks. Using stabilized blanks from Bill is one of the surest ways I know of to increase the look and quality of your pens! Bill also has a beginning penturning video that is first rate!

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions.

Scott.

Thanks Scott. I appreciate and value the advice. I recently read your article in American Woodturner magazine and I believe you are probably as good a source of pen turning advice as anyone else. Thanks again.

[Joe Suelter]

So, how do you order something from PSI through these other guys...I'm confused here. Wouldn't it be cheaper to order it direct? How does he/she get such a good deal, do they order in mass quantities? Please, enlighten us!!!

[Daniel Yourdon]

No it is not cheaper to buy direct. at least not through Ryan. I've never ordered through pens of color and some of the others but i woudl guess at least some of them have the same situation.
I don't know how this works, My guesses are either they have found out how to
get them from the manufacturer. which I have seen some posts that leave me thinking that they are the manufacturer. or, I have seen where you can sign up for an account that has a min annual purchase but a lower price on products. I've never actually asked them how they get the lower price though.

[Scott Greaves]

What Daniel is saying is that, Yes, you can get the kits cheaper through some of the resellers! They have an agreement with the manufacturers to buy quantities at a discount, and they pass some of that savings on to us! Woodturningz is one, Pens of Color is another. Arizona Silhouette is another, though he doesn't deal in Penn State kits, just Craft Supplies and Berea.

The manufacturer makes their money, the reseller makes their money, and we get a better deal on kits! What could be better?

Scott.

[Cliff Newton]

What Daniel is saying is that, Yes, you can get the kits cheaper through some of the resellers! They have an agreement with the manufacturers to buy quantities at a discount, and they pass some of that savings on to us! Woodturningz is one, Pens of Color is another. Arizona Silhouette is another, though he doesn't deal in Penn State kits, just Craft Supplies and Berea.

The manufacturer makes their money, the reseller makes their money, and we get a better deal on kits! What could be better?

Scott.

Plus, Woodturningz and Arizona Silhouette are 10 times faster with their shipping. I ordered some supplies from Penn State last wednesday and some supplies from Ryan at woodturningz and Bill at Arizona on Friday. Ryan and Bill's stuff got here on Monday and I still had to wait 2 more days for Penn States order to get here. I'll use Ryan and Bill for all my supplies in the future.

[Jim Baker]

I ordered some supplies from Penn State last wednesday and some supplies from Ryan at woodturningz and Bill at Arizona on Friday. Ryan and Bill's stuff got here on Monday and I still had to wait 2 more days for Penn States order to get here.

For what it's worth, I ordered some stuff from Penn State Tuesday and received it Friday. I thought they did very well.