Popular Post BeautysBeast Posted October 30, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted October 30, 2016 Had a blast. Wife already claimed it. Made from scraps of cherry. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trialbyfire Posted October 30, 2016 Report Share Posted October 30, 2016 Are the two pieces from different boards or did you use two different finishes? Looks like nice pen that I'd loose about 5 minutes into my day. good job. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat60 Posted October 30, 2016 Report Share Posted October 30, 2016 Very nice looking pen. My nice pens are always the ones to walk off also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted October 31, 2016 Report Share Posted October 31, 2016 Nice job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted October 31, 2016 Report Share Posted October 31, 2016 I've been wanting to do some pens, aside from the lathe, what other stuff is needed to get going? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxerjoe04 Posted October 31, 2016 Report Share Posted October 31, 2016 3 minutes ago, wtnhighlander said: I've been wanting to do some pens, aside from the lathe, what other stuff is needed to get going? Pen mandrel, pen kits(obviously haha) and the right bushings and drill bits for the kits, I drill the blanks on my lathe which requires a chuck and jaws to hold the blanks and you need a drill bit holder for the tail stock, can't think of the actual name of that thing. You also need a barrel trimmer which takes different size, and the right size trimmer for the particular pen kit. I use super glue for finish on my pens, and accelerator to speed the process up, plus I sand with micro mesh and use plastic polish at the end. Quite a list of things just to turn a pen, of course it's not all necessary, I usually stick to a handful of different pen kits so i don't have to buy different bushings, bits and barrel trimmers, crap gets expensive. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jfitz Posted October 31, 2016 Report Share Posted October 31, 2016 (edited) This is a case where Youtube is definitely your friend. There are a lot of videos out there on penmaking. Also, if you have a Woodcraft nearby, they should offer a class or a demo. Definitely worthwhile. - Pen kit (the hardware) and a wood blank. - Pen Mandrel and bushings (which fit into the metal tube). This is to hold the pen on the lathe. I don't know of any workaround. - A way to drill a hole lengthwise in the blank. This is to insert the metal tube. There are a few ways do to this - You can do it on the lathe itself with a drilling setup (as mentioned above) or on a drill press. You can buy a special clamp that holds the plank perpendicular on the drill press, or you can make one. I chose to make one. - A way of squaring the ends of the blank after the tube is installed. You can do this with a reamer (a drilling bit which lines up with the tube and reams the end of the blank and the metal tube). I sometimes use a reamer, but often use my benchtop sander. If the tube is aligned with the sides of the blank (which should be true, with how my drilling jig works) I can just sand the end until the blank and the metal tube are all squared up. - Sandpaper of multiple grits. Woodcraft sells a box that has a number of rolls of different grits. - Finish of some type. Many people use CA (Cyanoacrylate - Super glue) because it polishes nicely and is a durable finish. - Polishing pads, depending on your choice of finish. - Super glue, and accelerant (a spray which helps the glue dry more quickly. - Most pen kits I've used need some way of pressing a piece into the finished piece. You can buy a special press for this, but I just use the small vise at the end of my bench. Just need to be careful to keep the pieces aligned and square, and also be careful not to chip the finish at the end of the finished pieces (CA glue, for instance, is durable but does chip). Edited October 31, 2016 by Jfitz spelling 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marmotjr Posted November 8, 2016 Report Share Posted November 8, 2016 There's more odds and ends dealing with pens then there is with any other lathe project IMO. Most of the stuff is specialized just for pen turning. You can get kits from PSI (and other places) that include all the gizmos you need. And as Jfiz said, there's a lot of good resources on the net. One that I used to get started was this site. He goes into quite a bit of detail, and doesn't have a "this is the only way" attitude. I based my style/system off his works, and many others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post BeautysBeast Posted November 15, 2016 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 And my second attempt. I have learned a lot by reading, such as how easy it is to modify a slimline pen, once you get past the idea of the small center ring. The second picture is a slimline pen I turned out of deer antler. Sorry for the bad picture. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffenup Posted November 30, 2016 Report Share Posted November 30, 2016 Nice pen mate welcome to an addition of pen turning Sent from my HTC 2PS5200 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
croessler Posted November 30, 2016 Report Share Posted November 30, 2016 Very nice first attempt(s) I have been turning for a few years but have never attempted pens; i'm thinking about doing a couple for gifts this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bankstick Posted December 1, 2016 Report Share Posted December 1, 2016 Good looking pens. Pen makers always comment on the odor from turning antler. We have a turner in our club that turns about 500 pens a year. Buys things in large quantities to get the big price break. Caution- it could be addictive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxerjoe04 Posted December 1, 2016 Report Share Posted December 1, 2016 I've never turned antler, but everyone I've seen comment on it says wear a respirator, real bad stuff to get in your lungs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceHoleInOne Posted December 9, 2016 Report Share Posted December 9, 2016 On 12/1/2016 at 2:19 PM, Gixxerjoe04 said: I've never turned antler, but everyone I've seen comment on it says wear a respirator, real bad stuff to get in your lungs. Conversely if you swallow it, will give you BIG muscles. Go figure! By the way, that's my six-pack in the pic -Ace- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skatergirl46 Posted December 18, 2016 Report Share Posted December 18, 2016 Nice job. Pens are fun. There are a lot of really cool acrylics out there in addition to wood. I think that I want to make one out of Buffalo horn sometime. I used it to make the tips on a long bow that I was finishing up and it was nice to work with. It takes a great shine. Definitely wear a respirator. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeautysBeast Posted January 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 Been away for a bit. Busy with holidays, and catch up, etc. I made a pen out of bullhorn, and antler. Gave it to a buddy for Christmas. (added a pic) Your absolutely right about antler and bullhorn smelling terrible. Kinda like a tooth at the dentist. I use a facemask whenever I am turning. Here are some pens I made this weekend. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Bob Posted January 17, 2017 Report Share Posted January 17, 2017 On 12/1/2016 at 10:28 AM, Bankstick said: Caution- it could be addictive! You were warned. 9 hours ago, BeautysBeast said: Here are some pens I made this weekend. It is obvious you did not listen. Well done! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Bankstick Posted January 17, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted January 17, 2017 Woodcraft had a pen turning demo this past Saturday. I signed up for a pen turning class at the Woodcraft store next week. My wife has already claimed my first pen. When I told my grandson about it, he asked if he could go. The demo guy said they have a platform for kids to stand on. My wife talked with our son and he said it would be OK for him to take a class. This would be a birthday present for him this year. Don't tell him- it is to be a surprise. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeautysBeast Posted January 29, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2017 AS Just Bob said, Warning, Warning, Warning.... Danger Will Robinson. Pen turning is HIGHLY addictive. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marmotjr Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 I've been reluctant to link this site, as it's another forum, but they deal specifically with penturning. Check out the International Association of Penturners. Super friendly site, and the wealth of information is unrivaled anywhere else on the net. Some of these guys literally wrote the book on pen turning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numenor Posted February 21, 2017 Report Share Posted February 21, 2017 Why do your first two pens look better than my 99th and 100th! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post BeautysBeast Posted July 24, 2017 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted July 24, 2017 Since this is where it all started. Monday I signed a deal to make 60 pens for a company that will give them away as closing gifts on a deal they are doing. Brazilian Walnut, Each one laser enscribed with the company name. $50.00 dollars a pen. 6 weeks to deliver. This weekend I cut 70 pen blanks, 1x1x5. Measured and cut them all to appropriate halves, drilled 35, Glued in 35 brass tubes, Barrel trimmed the ends, and then turned 15 pens. Now Im laser enscribing them. Next week I will put the finish on them, and turn 15 more. Oh god, What have I done! I will post some pictures when I get some finished. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxerjoe04 Posted July 24, 2017 Report Share Posted July 24, 2017 Nice, a woman at the company i work for emailed me awhile ago about making either 100 or 200 pens. Guess she didn't like my price, didn't even have the common courtesy to email me back, sure as hell wasn't going to give my company a discount after seeing all the money they blow on stupid crap and useless people. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeautysBeast Posted July 24, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2017 I have been a train conductor for 20 years, the last 10 has been working passenger service in and out of Chicago. The deal all started with a regular rider purchasing one of my pens. It just goes to show that the best advice you ever hear about starting out making money selling your work, is have some of your work handy all the time. You never know when it will turn into something. I hope that these sixty pens lead to other orders from other people. Each pen will come in a plastic tube, with my business card. If nothing comes out of it, I had fun, and some of my hobby paid for itself. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxerjoe04 Posted July 24, 2017 Report Share Posted July 24, 2017 I applied for years to try to be a conductor with csx or norfolk southern whenever they had jobs around here, of course never heard anything when I actually needed or wanted the job. Finally got an email being invited to their hiring session like 2 years ago, they gave like a 2 day notice for it and was busy at work so couldn't go. Always thought that would be a cool job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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