Thread: Pen Turning Display

Mik
I think its a great idea what you are doing. we have just had a mens shed built in my area and all the members at our she were amazed to see some of the stuff that can be made so i dont think they will care what you make but the variety of stuff that you have picked to do should blow them away.

Well done Mik for offering to do the demo in the first place and I am sure they will enjoy the demo.

Cheers ian

Originally Posted by MBUMIK

... but what if i am doing things all wrong and they pick on me.

MIK, I don't have any formal training on turning and feel the same way when I show others how to turn or have other turners around. I guess at the end of the day, the journey could be different but the destination is the same

Best of luck with the demo, looks like a good range of turning to show off

Corbs

Might not hurt to throw a simple slimline into the mix. If they are new at pen making it is a cheap and easy start ..... then show them the more complex. Turning is also only one small component ..... are you also going to show the drilling and prep work?

Mik, if you are showing how you do it you'll never be wrong, the result is what matters.
I once saw a turner demonstrate the "proper" way to turn a mallee root bowl, a professional would've turned four or more in the same amount of time with just as good a finish.
When I'm nervous I make silly mistakes, so I'd suggest demonstrate the process in stages and show samples previously completed to each stage.

Best wishes
Steve

Mik ,don't worry about a right and wrong way, what you are showing is "Your way" we all do things the way we are comfortable with ,we take note of other methods then try and adapt it into what we do ,so many ways to do almost anything ,many pathe lead to the same destination ,whether its the long scenic route or the shortcut ,each to there own hehe. Good luck and just do what feels right to you ,cheers ~ John

thanks for the comments guys, appreciated

i was only joking about that doing it wrong bit

as an archery coach, i tell people to do as i say not as i do, we all form our own styles of doing things after we know the basics

i didn't get a chance to do the stainless steel casting but i am making a celtic knot at the moment which will hopefully turn out

i intend to drill and glue one blank, but have the rest all set up ready to go

so the updated agenda is

streamline - in a home brew resin
siera - celtic knot
jnr series or a baron - red mallee burl

could change still have another whole day to change things

i also just got a phone call from a group wanting me to teach them how to do leatherwork, not sure on this though

makes you wonder how someone becomes qualified at doing craft, you have to be qualified if the groups are to get government assistance to learn these things

MIK

Mik I think that to be any sort of "qualified" instructor you probably need to be certified in workplace and health and safety issues (Safe practices) just guessing though have fun demoing though ,cheers ~ John

Mik- the right way is the way you do it. As long as it's safe and produces good results that is.

Just to be a smart*&^% I turned a batch of slimlines with varying shapes using my trusty, well sharpened roughing gouge. All pens were, of course , perfect.

the display went pretty well

it started out with me bumping my gums about leatherwork and pens, there were about 12 people crowded around checking out the bits that i had made, letherwork and pens, i also dislayed a heap of different types of blanks, natural wood, dyed wood, stabilized wood, resins, castings.

lots of good questions from the onlookers which showed that they were very interested

when it came to the pen turning part only 4 people came to have a look and see how things came together, these guys showed a great deal of interest and asked about the turning intracasies of the different materials, only ended up with enough time to turn the one pen in the end, a baron dressed in corgutta burl

wouldn't you know it that the burl blew apart on the end just as i was about to pull out the sand paper, they all got down on their knees to help find the rascally little sucker that blew out, then they were amazed when i glued it back in and ground up a little bit of the shavings to fill a small void a couple of drops of CA, sanded off and guess what they couldn't find the chip out

i finished it off with CA and then handed the pen to their coordinator so that they could put it into a raffle they will have in a month at their craft market

they took a heap of photos and promised to give me a copy so i should have some to post in a couple of days time

i was there for around 3 hours all up, they want me to come back sometime soon to discuss another topic - Toxophily

MIK

Good to see it went well, I answered this thread along with several other but they have disappeared from the forum unsure why. posted a link to our new Mens Shed three times and t still has gone, was there for a while though!!

Originally Posted by Simomatra

Good to see it went well, I answered this thread along with several other but they have disappeared from the forum unsure why. posted a link to our new Mens Shed three times and t still has gone, was there for a while though!!

Sam the forum suffered a major breakdown at the server end ,and had to be rebuilt from a backup,about a days worth of posts and info was lost ,all good now cheers ~ John

MIK

sounds like it all went well
well done

thanks guys

Originally Posted by Sawdust Maker

MIK

sounds like it all went well
well done

my first statement was "this is the first time i have done this about pen turning so please don't hold it against me, if it was a bout archery we would just cruise on through" bad move, now they want me to come back and talk about arrow flinging

Well done, glad everything went well for you.