Thread: Pen turning requirements - what are they ?

Basic tools assuming you already have a lathe and basic tools (roughing gouge, skew etc)

You need a pen mandrel, pen kit, appropriate bushings for your pen kit. Appropriate drill bits for your pen kit (along with a drill press, and some way of holding the blank as close to dead vertical as possible in the drill press). You will need some way of squaring off the ends of the blank to the tube inside. I use a pen mill. Pen mills are normally sized to suit a 7mm tube, so if you are using a larger one then you may need to make a sleeve so that the mill will fit your tube. Some people use an appropriate mandrel on a disk sander instead of a pen mill. You also need standard things like adhesive, various grades of sandpaper, and finish (I use CA glue). Be aware that the pen kits come in various different metal platings, and some are more durable than others. You need somew way to cut the blanks in half, and trim the ends close to length once the tube is glued in. I use a bandsaw, but before I got that I used a small gentleman's saw. I would suggest you practise a few before doing a nice graduation present, because you will inevitably make some mistakes to learn from.

Hey Daddler,

You're on the Gold Coast, go and see Gawdelpus and just buy one, You already have the cheapest necessity " The Lathe", pen turning will develop into a monster Beleive me. Enough silly stuff.

TimberBits (Forum Sponsor) has all the gear, Tools and kits plus books and instructions,

Gary Pye, (Forum Sponsor) is just up the road, go and see him, I think that there are Pen Turners in the Shop that could help you.

Carrolls Wood turning Supplies (Forum Sponsor) has heaps of gear, and a Starter Kit that looks interesting.

Or just ask questions here you will get a few answers in no time.

HazzaB

Hi Dabbler

The list is pretty endless , so it depends on what your interests are. You are welcome to come around my place and see many many tools and gadgets, I make a pretty good coffee too . Be warned though, it is a woodturner's bachelor pad, run by a wood addict that will chew your ear off

PM me if interested.

Cheers

hey dabler
as mentioned the lathe is the cheapest thing when turning to the dark side ( pen turning ) trust me as we all know its a bottomless pit for your funds
but its sooooo good

Hey Dabbler. Best advise is to watch & learn from David (Timberbits) instructional video's. Step 1 to step 9. Link Videos - Pen Kits, Pen blanks, Clock Kits and wood turning accessories.

A big thanks to everyone who has replied, or PM'd or both. I still have to reply to a couple of PM's and invites. Hopefully I'll be able to catch up in person with some locals and see your pen-work in real life.

I visited GPW today and picked up some pen tools, assorted blanks, cheaper kits and some general turning supplies. It was difficult but I only *looked* at the Jet gear and managed to avoid buying anything with a motor! Mind you - I still had to delve into my hidden cash supply. Next time I'll probably buy on-line.

I already had a fair idea of the basic needs from checking this forum and visiting the recommended websites before starting this thread but your collective first hand advice has really helped. Thanks again.
dabbler

just ask a question at any time even if you think its a silly one , ... we have all had that moment at one time or another you will always get a answer

dabbler
i am with Troy
your back account will be afraid, very afraid
Tony

Hi Dabbler.

It was great to meet you yesterday, please feel free to drop in any time , we have lots of guys who like to look and touch all the goodies before they buy.

Originally Posted by GPW

Hi Dabbler.

It was great to meet you yesterday, please feel free to drop in any time , we have lots of guys who like to look and touch all the goodies before they buy.

glad to see that you welcomed and looked after him

Requirements for pen turning.

Step 1 - mortgage house...

But seriously I agree with all that has been said. Gary is great for supply, and there are plenty of people down your way who know what they're doing and will be able to help you I'm sure. Also use YouTube. Lots of good demos on there.

Originally Posted by eisbaer

Requirements for pen turning.

Step 1 - mortgage house...

All this talk of over-spending is starting to worry me. Just about all of you have told me this is going to break the budget. I've already started eyeing acrylics and wondering about how they'll look when turned. So I can see the reasoning behind the advice.

When I fitted my jacob's chuck to my mortiser I discovered it didn't have a large enough stroke to drill pen blanks. I ended up doing a couple of blanks with a power drill guided by a temporary alignment jig but now I'm trying to decide if I can easily hide a dedicated drill press.

Maybe I'll just buy extra blanks instead.

If you have a 4 jaw chuck for your wood lathe you can drill quite successfully in that , keep the speed down to discourage heat ,put a drip tray under the work and use a squirt bottle of water to help the cooling and lubrication of the drilling , I am not sure what a mortiser is but there are a few different ways to drill long holes with short movements ,a hand drill can be used on one of those cheap drill press adapters you see around from time to time ( I got one at aldis a while back) The price of the addiction is not that bad as long as you stick to the basics ,stay away from casting (that's a separate addiction ) lol. Cheers ~ John

You can buy ready made presses for attaching a hand drill to. I used to use a Bosch one when I started. Not sure on price but it would be a fraction of a stand alone. They won't do a huge travel but enough for most pens.