Thread: Making pen components

That is done all the time. Go to the IAP site and see some of the more talented people there do this. Check out Skiprat's pens. He is a master.

You also can combine kits and man made parts. The sky is the limit.

Originally Posted by lubbing5cherubs

Hi everybody, I am wondering has anyone ever thought of making their own metal components on a lathe would this doable with a mini metal lathe? And could you do wood too on metal? Looking at the winding handle rather than tools? thanks toni

You can certainly make metal pen parts on a small lathe , but there are some drawbacks mainly the fine threads needed in some cases ,and material choices, most need a protective coating or plating for lasting finish (stainless is an exception ) but can be difficult to work with . You can also turn wood and other materials ,bone stone etc, but again a bit of a learning curve , it is easy to be precise, but with a lot of pens you can only turn straight , if the blanks are tapered or curved ,you need to finish them by other means (files ,sandpaper etc) . For me ( a retired fitter & turner ) I choose a small variable speed mini lathe ( c2 ) for the bulk of my pen turning , mainly straight sided blanks , and always turned between centres for concentricity . For me it comes with the years of training and practice with metals , wood was a natural progression . Given an option of only one lathe I would choose the metal lathe as it is much more versatile in the sort of work it can do . Cheers ~ John

As has been said doable but much to consider when prices for kits are so low in general unless you want something special. You have to way up against outlay, time, materials and return.