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  1. #1
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    Default Will pen turning only ever be a hobby?

    G'day everyone.

    I have been thinking about setting up for pen turning for a while now. I have been wondering if there is any potential to make some extra coin if I can produce a quality enough product?

    I have been doing a bit of corian fabrication at work and was thinking of using offcuts for pen making. Maybe putting some timber with it...

    Anyway any advise is very welcome as I will be buying all the gear needed including machinery.

    Cheers, Andy.

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  3. #2
    Mobyturns's Avatar
    Mobyturns is offline In An Instant Your Life Can Change Forever
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    Have a search of sites like Etsy to see the range and quality of the competition. Unless you are exceptional at marketing or have a very good point of differentiation - stick with it as a hobby.
    Mobyturns

    In An Instant Your Life CanChange Forever

  4. #3
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    I'm curious about this too

    I had a look, it seems that only specialty items (segmented, burls, inlays etc) go over $80, most nice ones are around $40-$80, with many very nice looking ones at the lower end of that.

    What are the economics of a pen? I know how much the blanks cost to buy or make, also I know the basic equipment and consumables (sandpaper, finishing etc), but how much is a decent pen making kit/mechanism?
    At first glance it seems very hard to make more than a few bucks from a pen.

  5. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Muss View Post
    G'day everyone.

    I have been thinking about setting up for pen turning for a while now. I have been wondering if there is any potential to make some extra coin if I can produce a quality enough product?

    I have been doing a bit of corian fabrication at work and was thinking of using offcuts for pen making. Maybe putting some timber with it...

    Anyway any advise is very welcome as I will be buying all the gear needed including machinery.

    Cheers, Andy.
    Approach the proposition firstly to become competent then look further. Have fun on the way. A;lways a great source of gifts and presents.

    Peter.
    Nil Desperandum

  6. #5
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    In my opinion you would have to work 8 hrs a day and market exceptionally aggressively to ever achieve more than hobby level

  7. #6
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    Default

    Some people do it as a business, but they make pens during the week, and sell them at markets etc, plus there are several "high end" pen makers, mainly in the USA. When I say high end, these are selling at around the $200 plus mark, BUT they are of exceptional quality.
    I've sold a few pens at around the $80 mark, but they took me about 3 months to make the blank.
    Not continuosly, but 15 minutes per day, glue in the morning, trim in the afternoon and glue again, and so forth. One pen had around 800 pieces laminated in it, it looked like fish scales when finished. Another took me a bit over a month to do the blanks, it was done in Pau shell, then cast in clear resin. I got an order for 120 pens back in 2011, I've turned about 5 since, as there was no enjoyment in it afterwards.
    A good pen to start with is the "Slim line", they can be "customised" to suit. Some people like a bulky feel to the pen, others a slim feel. The most important thing is the finish, you can turn out a pen in 15 minutes, but spend an hour or two or more, just getting the finish right. The nib (the section that the writing part pokes out of), need to be right, I've seen some pens where the nib and pen have 1mm step, and they asked $25 for it!!!! The finish needs to be durable, not only the pen but the plating.
    I suggest that you read a few books on pen making to get some ideas, the ones I have are;
    Turning Pens and Pencils by Kip Christensen and Rex Burningham,
    Dick Sing reTurns Unique and Unusual Pens,
    The Pen Turners Workbook by Barry Goss,
    Turning Pens and Desk Accessories by Mike Cripps and
    The Pen Turners Bible the Art of Creating Custom Pens by Richard Kleinhenz.
    There are probably others out there, but these are what I have.
    As Peter said "Approach the proposition firstly to become competent then look further. Have fun on the way. A;lways a great source of gifts and presents."
    You can end up with a small fortune making pens, you start with a bg one, DAMHIKT.
    Hope this helps,
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  8. #7
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    My opinion on this subject is as follows -

    I certainly wouldn't start out making pens as a way to source income. There are hundreds of folks out there pushing boundaries and turning out exceptional pieces. Yes - some are able to make a living out of it but they are few and far between.

    I turn pens - I love to turn pens - I've even had and have a few sales now and again. I charge what I consider I want for my hard work and people seem reasonably happy to pay that. I could buy a third house with the amount I have spent on pen making, and possibly buy a 1980's Falcone in good condition with the amount I have made selling pens.

    Now, I'm not saying you can't make money.... I am not a salesman and I don't push to get my name out there....I'm simply saying that you're going to need a point of difference or some big regular clients (corporate gifts or something) in order to turn it into a money spinner

    Yes, we may make a bit by selling them.....but we have spent a lot to get there

    Just telling you to be wary about your expectations
    "All the gear and no idea"

  9. #8
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    Feb 2018
    Location
    Shepparton
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    good luck with pen making with corian I have made some and it is a beaut material to work don't know about mixing the blanks with timber getting the material to hold will be the biggest challenge. I envy you getting corian to work with I have given up on chasing it up.

  10. #9
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    Jun 2003
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    I have made a few pens out of Corian and they are a good material to work with, but as Corian is only 12 mm thick you can only make slimlines which do not attract as high a price as other type of pens.

    I found making pendants and armbands was much more suited to Corian.

    The place where I used to get my Corian from, also a fabricator, used to make a few slimlines out of the of cuts of the current job and presented them as a gift to the customer, after having loaded the job price of course .

    Peter.

  11. #10
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    Apr 2013
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    Sydney
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    As many have said, its not going to be a career changing move, and the set up costs will take quite a bit of time to re-coop. I know I have seen them at just about every markets I have been to. And some have been questionably dodgy, worst than my first ever pen, yet they were still proud to take money for his time, not so much his effort. What I have realised is that only other turners will spot a turners mistakes.

    I was asked to make one once and they asked how much, I said $50, he said ok, and then proceeded to give me $15, he was hard of hearing....... I got the $50 begrudgingly.

    Make some as gifts first, then make a few more, get a display case, then hit the pavement a speak to several local shops and ask them if its possible to sell these through them on consignment, give them a sellers commission or tell them they can have $X/pen sold, and tell them that you also take custom orders, leave them a card, and maybe a picture or 3 of some of your work and let it grow from there (not that i'm telling you my business plan). And then be prepared to take the pressure of not ballsing it up, when someone orders a JB gents - diamond encrusted, Brown Mallee burl, with CA finish. (no it didn't happen to me). I haven't done anything about my pen making ye other than friends, besides, I haven't got enough inventory yet to do as I described, due to my lovely wife knocking off my stockpile when she says "how many pens ya got?, so and so's birthday is next week"

    I wish you every success, as apart from Boating I think this is the second most expensive hobby.

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