Thread: First Attempt

Looks very well done for your first attempt!!

Nothing wrong with that! you are one the way!.

On the way to addiction, frustration, satisfaction.....

Don't be so hard on yourself, Dave. That's a great first shot! Once you get your drilling rig sorted you will have a lot more fun.

As a beginner I personally found that particular kit a little dissapointing because the bevel of the centre ring isn't allowed for by the bushings, so you end up wth a pen that isn't as flush as you think. Keep at it though, in no time your first pen will be buried under a forest of other pens.

I had a good feeling you really wanted to succeed and you did well. when I make I remove just before the final sand noting the position on the mandrel to replace in the same place and sand around the ends of the blanks to take the sharp edge off the blank and it gives a pleasing transition as you run your fingers down the pen as we all do, feels great this way and allows for minor variation of those centre bands. When I look back to all the knockers when I preached one blank at a time and makers used to say I always do the whole pen at a time, well my reasoning was so many used their fingers to help stop the whip caused by the tool pressure on the blanks while turning,never could see any sense in creating that whip that can lead to out of roundness.

Have fun shaping your pens experimenting with design and shape.

Yes the colour in timber can be captured across the grain as well either cutting at an angle or at right angles bearing in mind across the grain means end grain cutting that can lead to chipping etc. Make haste slowly and enjoy and I would lay London to a Brick that so many first pens were no where near as good as yours.

Peter

Nothing wrong with that at all!

As Penpal mentioned, at some point you might consider cutting the wood at an angle.
You'll get fewer blanks, but the ones you get will give you a chance to show off the
character of the wood.. but they're trickier to turn. Can't learn everything all at once,
just ask the other beginners, Les and Matt

Nice job!

That's a fine first pen! You will always remember your first pen. Mine was terrible. You are off to a much better start. Keep up the good work. Be aware that there will be setbacks along the way, but keep your head down and keep swinging. Best of luck to you.

David. Get a piece of 1 by and keep by the drill press. Set the table to where you can just get the blank under the bit. Drill as far as you can. Then push the blank up on the bit & stick the piece of 1 by inder it & finish drilling. That piece of 1 by will also help from getting blow outs. You made a very nice pen for starters. Most of had a blan piece of wood for our first pen, but whatta heck. Was actually afraid of messing up a nice piece of wood. That plank has some nice grain. Take a straight edge & mark off a blank at about a 15 degree angle at the edge of the darker grain. You'll have another nice pen. Just have fun.

Way to David, well done for a first effort, Amos

looks pretty darn good to me mate.

p.s. i think you need a new drill press if it wont drill camphor.

Thanks all i apreciate the encouragement.

Penpal I will give the angle cut a try when i get a bit better at sharpening, perhaps after I get a wet grinder. ATM my sharpening is dodgy at best.

Mobile, I bought a basic drill press vice today. I drilled the initial hole then added the bit of timber underneath to raise it up. It works fine thanks for that simple fix, it means my tax check goes towards a wet grider instead of a new DP.

Well done David, I started off with a drill press that would not go through a half pen blank, I had to stop and raise it too but it still done the job.

Keep up the good work!

Well done David that is a great start you are well on the way no money now.

You seem to have the drilling rig sorted for the moment so thats one thing out of the way.

As the owner of a Tormek I am not all that impressed with it as a grinder to sharpen my tool have a look around. I will be replacing my wet grinder with a 8inch dry grinder with water on the side. Some people will disagree others will agree.