Ready to start need suggestions

John Moore

Member
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13
Location
South Central Idaho
The question I am going to ask is probably going to give me a hundred different suggestions. But if you don't ask then you never will know the answer.

I am wanting to start making pens. I would like to purchase a kit/setup that contains what is needed to begin. I am needing to start from scratch. Based upon the photos that have been posted on the forum you all make some great looking pens. So, let me know what you suggest for getting setup. Can you purchase a beginners kit that has a lathe and other items needed?

Is there a place where one can find used lathes and other items in good shape to purchase? This might be the way to start out and then purchase better equipment if I decide this is really something I want to continue with. Do items come up for sale on this forum once in a while or another forum?

Anyway, these are some questions I have for now.

Thank you in advance for any help or suggestions that you can provide me.
 
I'm not a pen turner, and although I use a midi lathe I have no experience with this particular brand ... but here's one possible answer to your question about a "beginner's kit". (Click on image to go to the webpage):

 
John,
I am a pen turner and I'd recommend you start with buying "The Pen Turner's Bible" by Richard Kleinhenz. It's a great resource and it takes you through everything you need to know and will give you some good ideas. It will also let you know what equipment you need.

I'm not sure how far you are from Boise, but there's a Woodcraft store there and someone there can walk you through everything you need to get started. You'll need a mandrel for sure.

Penn State has a variety of starter kits for pen making. You can look through them here: http://www.pennstateind.com/store/pen-kit-starter-packages.html?concept=3 . The good thing about them is that these kits come with several kits in the same style with different platings, drill bits that fit the tubes, and bushings for the pen kits (almost every pen uses different bushings, few are interchangeable). Penn State also has good prices on their kits so you can get into it fairly economically to decide if you want to keep doing it.

If you get hooked, there are several great places to get different kits, but I recommend you find a couple of them and stick with them. You'll find there are several different names for pens that look a lot alike. Each major seller seems to have its own name. Sometimes the kits are interchangeable and sometimes not. That's one good reason to stick with one retailer for a particular type of kit. Sometimes there are minor but important variations among kits.

Good luck with it. I love turning pens cause I can do it quickly and have something to show for it when I won't want to take time to make something that I then spend 3 days finishing.

Steve
 
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I'd bet there is a club in your area. See if you can hang out with those guys for a weekend and get your hands dirty. No sense in spending several hundred bucks to find out you don't like it. Woodcraft has classes all the time so catch one of those and see what you think. My first pen cost about $1600, my second was $4.95 ;)
 
Good used lathes are unusual to come by. The occasional one might turn up but rarely when you are in the market. As suggested, PSI is a good place to start with equipment and tools. However, I seriously do not like the quality of their pen kits and won't use them. For a lathe, check all the usual sources. Grizzly has a couple great small lathes, Jet is popular as are others. For pen kits CSUSA is probably my #1 'go-to' source. Don't get carried away with 'stuff'. Make a few pens then figure out where you want to go from there.
 
A STRONG SUGGESTION: Do not purchase a lathe that does not have a standard thread on the head. The standard is a 1" x 8 tpi thread. If you do not do that, WHEN (not if), you advance into other lathe things you will find that you cannot purchase the accessories you want because they won't work on your lathe. DAMHIKT.

Enjoy,
JimB
 
Here's a tip, Be careful with your mandrel, especially if you are doing a 2 piece pen and you turn both pieces at once.

It's very easy to put too much pressure on the mandrel and have it bend every so slightly. This will cause your turned tubes to not be perfectly round.

There are ways around that, such as turning between centers, using a mandrel saver, using a collet chuck. Took me quite a while to realize that and a couple of bent mandrels.
 
As far as kits and bushings go, it's also very useful to get yourself a digital caliper.

Before I blindly assume that any bushings go with any kit, I measure the bushings and the parts of the kit where the bushings are supposed to match up to make sure they are the right size. DAMHIKT:rofl:
 
Thank you all for the suggestions and information. This is going to be an ongoing learning experience until I figure out what I need to start and then I can build from there.

J Moo
 
Thank you all for the suggestions and information. This is going to be an ongoing learning experience until I figure out what I need to start and then I can build from there.

J Moo

John, I guess a better way for us to answer this for you is to know what it is you now have. For instance, any experience on a lathe? Do you own or have access to a specific lathe? Give us some background and it might be easier for us to dial in a specific answer for you.
 
Check to see if anyone within a hundred miles of you is offering a turning course, especially a course in turning pens. It will shorten your learning curve dramatically. Buy a used lathe that has a good pedigree, even if you have to spend a little more for it. Starting out with inferior equipment may seem like a good idea for a beginner, but it just leads to frustration and often to quitting the hobby. Get the best lathe you can afford, within reason. Online local classifieds are a good place to start.
 
You can check Craigslist. Every once in awhile I see good lathes listed in Spokane, or other parts of Idaho. I don't know how far you are from the Spokane area. They have a Woodcraft store there worth a visit to see what it is all about. I wouldn't buy a lathe there because you can beat their price online. My concern with 'starter kits' for pen making is they like to sell you "mini" tools for pen making and personally I think they are a waste of money. You want full sized tools. Also that lathe at Penn State have a "fair" reputation but not nearly a great lathe. A good place to start is at the International Pen Turners Assoc. forum www.penturners.org. There is tons of info there, a library with lots of great tutorials. Lathe and tool reviews, you name it. I say study, a local turners club is the best to learn from if you can get to one. Often at them members have good buys on tools, lathes etc. DO NOT RUSH. It is expensive to get set up and then the better you get at it the more you want. If you get started wrong, you may become frustrated and give up on a very rewarding hobby. If you find a lathe on Craigslist, please ask opinions on this forum before buying, there are some lathes you just do not want, and they are the ones most often for sale, ie, the older Craftsman lathe with the tube ways, or the Rigid with the tube ways.

Just some of my thoughts.
 
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