What do I NEED to make pens on the lathe
chillywilly
| Posted in General Discussion on
I’m interested in turning some pens on the lathe. Before I go off and buy a bunch of unnecessary accessories, what do I absoulutely need to turn a pen.
Looking for some advice from the experinced pen makers out there in an effort to avoid falling into the “gadget trap”!
This is what I’ve got that I think is useful:
– lathe (duh)
– 3/8″ spindle gouge, 1/2″ skew, parting tools
– a few pen kits
– 3/4″ x 3/4″ x 8″ hardwood blanks
– 7mm drill bits
– drill chuck for lathe and drill press – which is better?
– CA glue
Replies
Ron...You need a 7mm mandrel and the bushings for the pen kits that you have. You probably need a barrel trimmer to square the ends to the tube. You need some different grits of sandpaper up to at least 320, preferably to 400 or 600. You need some sort of finish to put on your pens when sanding is done. My lathe has a live center that the mandel fits into. You might check out Penn State Ind. You can go to the web site http://www.pennstateind.com or you can give them a call at 1-800-377-7297. You might be better off contacting the place where you got the pen kits. I have not tried drilling the blanks on a lathe, I use the drill press. Hope this helps. Rod in Appleton, WA
Edited 1/6/2004 5:34:34 PM ET by Rod
Edited 1/6/2004 5:36:02 PM ET by Rod
I started turning pens about a year ago. I bought a Jet lathe, and started by using the mandrel and tools that came with the lathe. I have since updated both the tools as well as the mandrel. You'll find that as you get into it, you'll start updating things. I agree that you'll need barrel trimmers. I wasted lots of time and some money trying other techniques. Buy a set that you can use in your drill press, and not the handled ones that you use by hand. I also started by assembling my pens with a quick grip clamp. Again, I have since updated and purchased a $30 pen press that makes it easier, as well as not damaging your pens. I have also updated from sandpaper to micromesh for a better finish, and Mylands polish instead of just Hutt wax. The only thing I can add that makes the process easier is a clamping jig for holding your blanks in place while boring out the hole. All of my attempts before buying this lead to poorly drilled holes that were off center and oversized towards the end of the blanks due to the blank wobbling. There is a dealer who I get my supplies through that sells Penn States products. He sells everything for less than what the catalog lists. His web site is http://www.woodturningz.com and his name is Ryan. His web site doesn't list much, but he can get you anything you want out of the Penn catalog for a reduced price. Hope this helps.
I started making pens on a router table with hand held pen jigs from woodworker's supply. I then graduated to a drill powered lathe. ( I was a poor) I now have a regular lathe, nova chuch, and other toys. Start making pens and then decide what you want after that. I didn't make very many thin styled pencils. I used a longer & solid piece of wood and make thicker pencils.
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