Ready to learn a new hobby

[kevnb]

Being just a few years from retirement I have signed up for a class in learning how to make wooden pens at a local wood working shop. As I love wooden pens I am considering making this a full time hobby to keep myself busy. Some questions I have if you don't mind answering.


What will it cost me to get set up?

Are there any books or magazine that you consider mandatory to have in your possesion?

Is it possible to make a little income from this hobby and can anyone reccomend reference material to help make this a small business?

How long will the learning process be till I'm pleased with what I'm making? (assuming i'm above average in intelligence and very patient)

Lastly, what questions am I not asking?


Thanks for your time.


Kevin

[Mrs Woodpecker]

My husband bought me a book yesterday, and I think it is great, It is called "Turning Pens and Pencils" by Kip Christensen and Rex Cunningham. I have not had time to read too much of it yet but there are some great tips in it. Pen Pox is sure to strike you too. Once bitten you are hooked.
Good luck.
Shirley

[Grumpy John]

Hi Kevin
Welcome to the forum
I assume from the CA that you're from California so you will also be learning a new language here (it's called strine:D ).

If you live close to a woodturning club I would advise you join as you will have access to a variety of lathes to try before you settle on one that suits your needs. Also at a club you will meet other woodturners with different interests and varying skill levels all of whom will be keen to help you improve your skills.

I was in a club for 18 monthe before I bought my first lathe and I have no regrets on what I bought because it totally suited MY needs and interests.

As for making money, honestly you'll probably be lucky to cover the costs of buying the occasional chisel or more timber, if that's all you want then great :2tsup: .


Cheers
GJ

[arose62]

What will it cost me to get set up?

Minimum would be lathe, couple of chisels, pen mandrel(s).
Ongoing consumables - sandpaper, finishing materials, pen kits, blanks.


Are there any books or magazine that you consider mandatory to have in your possesion?

No, but I'm only up to pen #20 so far.


Is it possible to make a little income from this hobby and can anyone reccomend reference material to help make this a small business?

So far the pen-making is paying for itself (although this excludes the cost of the lathe, and my time). Again, I'm only a starter here. A recent Aussie WW mag covered a guy who had made over 40,000 pens :oo:


How long will the learning process be till I'm pleased with what I'm making? (assuming i'm above average in intelligence and very patient)

Depends on you, and how picky you are with your own work. Maybe also consider how long until (potential) customers are happy with what you're making. Folks who like wooden things tend to realise that wood will have flaws and faults, that's what makes it different from metal and plastic.
My very first pen was the 2nd pen to sell.

Cheers,
Andrew

[Sebastiaan56]

How long will the learning process be till I'm pleased with what I'm making? (assuming i'm above average in intelligence and very patient) {/quote]

2years, 1 month, 6 days, 13 hours 27 minutes, 11.371 seconds +/- where you set your own bar. Im finding that there are no end points, its a bit like a road where you walk along and admire the view along the way. Every bend there is something new to explore and learn. I flatter myself that the turnings I am making are improving but really they are just an expression of what I currently know. All of this will change with a another trip to the dojo of the shed.

[quote]Lastly, what questions am I not asking?

There is so much technical information available from people on this forum that you find 99% of what you need when you need it here. Ive just finished Neil's polishing book and all of sudden my finishing has improved 1000%. Its one book I really recommend. One question I recommend is "is this fun?", if its not with what you are proposing then its just another job that probably wont pay that well.

Sebastiaan

[rsser]

Wot they said.

Expose yourself to the range of things you can do on a lathe (er, well you know what I mean) ... it's a very varied craft and each domain has some specialised tools.

For pen-making a modest outlay will do. For 1 yard diameter semi-enclosed forms, an immodest outlay will do.

Join a club or guild .. there are a number in CA. See http://www.woodturner.org/community/chapters/ . And get yourself a teacher if you want to learn fast and safe.

Welcome to the forum btw.

[reeves]

Kev, try these links for info

http://www.penmakersguild.com/
http://www.penturners.org/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/penturners/

probably just be aware there are LOTS of penturners out there, probably possible to earn a few bucks if you have a reliable outlet and yr work is good, and yr lathe can probably make lots of other things...and pens ALWAYS needs a capital outlay of hardware parts for each and every pen, some higher quality parts cost a bit so every pen will cost you money to make..
you only need a midi lathe (small one) and pens can use lot of different interesting woods

this guy is probably a good example of someone who does nice work and makes some $$ from it..

http://www.quillwoodpens.com/home.htm

http://www.quillwoodpens.com/_mg_7456.jpg

have fun !

[Allan at Wallan]

My husband bought me a book yesterday, and I think it is great, It is called "Turning Pens and Pencils" by Kip Christensen and Rex Cunningham. I have not had time to read too much of it yet but there are some great tips in it. Pen Pox is sure to strike you too. Once bitten you are hooked.
Good luck.
Shirley

Kevin,
This is just a fantastic publication with excellent photography (in colour)
and easy to read text. Read it, make a pen, then read it again and you
will find it reinforces the many varied aspects of pen making. I purchased
my copy on eBay for about $18.00 but expect to pay about $38 from
woodworking outlets, e.g. Carbotec. Good luck!

Allan

_________________________________________________

I am not at all worried about dying
... but just hope I am not there at the time.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Welcome to our addiction. Most of your questions have been pretty well covered above, but I just gotta chip in my 2c worth... :-


How long will the learning process be till I'm pleased with what I'm making? (assuming i'm above average in intelligence and very patient)

This is one of those hobbies where if you take it slowly and carefully you can be very pleased with the first one. :) A year down the line you may look back at it and think "Hmmm... I've come a long way" but that's true with any hobby.

In all likelihood the thing that will have the steepest learning curve is finishing... and that's an art in itself, independant of actual turning. It also takes time to find out which finishes work for you and which don't, as they all look acceptable fresh off the lathe, assuming you've done them properly.


And remember, it's just a hobby. Don't expect to make a living out of it... that's possible but 'tis a helluva lot of work. You'll probably find that after a while it begins to pay for itself... well... the next lot of blanks and kits, anyway.

Take your time, experiment, have fun. :2tsup:

[hughie]

to add to Skews+Erns comments,


Much of your success will be due to time and effort spent, over tools and equipment plus obsession..:U

To paraphrase Parreto:-

If we spend most of our time learning and doing our hobby we will succeed in it.

[rsser]

... obsession is the word.

Sounds like it should be treated with meds but that ain't it at all.

At the risk of sounding corny, it's a response from the heart, not the head, and you restrict yourself to the head response if your goal is making money.

Thanks again for the reminder Hughie.

So Kevin, if you can afford to retire you can and must follow the heart. Else, you wither.

Forget about earning your place in the world.

That's done.

Another challenge awaits ;-}