so what is it with pen turning?

Mike Gager

Member
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118
Location
Topeka KS
i mean i just dont get it, people seem to go nuts over these things. i see pens sell on ebay and such for $50-100 all the time and i see a bunch of you guys that it seems thats all you do is turn pens. so what is the draw? are you just doing them to sell or is there something more too it?
 
well, i just started turning this past fall,

why pens? because they are fun and fast to complete. For me, I look at them as a learning tool. As I learn how the tools cut wood, it gives me more confidence to approach the tool rest for more complicated turnings.

also, my daughter had a ball turning a pen, and I want her to do more while I sit back and watch.

i don't know about the others, but those are my reasons. hope this helps.

joe
 
Pens

I make them to sell.

But the real reason is that very much ingrained American desire - almost instant gratification.

Once you have the tubes glued and cured it is only a matter of minutes from rough wood to a beautiful pen without a big investment in either time or money.

Do not get me wrong. Some of my high end pens take many hours of labor which is reflected in the price.

To me the more complex and difficult the pen the more I like it. If they were as easy as they may look everyone would make them.
 
I've turned pens of over a year. It kind of grabs you. Lots of fun. I got bored just making pens from kits so I started making ones in which I make the center band, nib and finial. It is fun to figure out different material to use and it is very gratifying to see the reaction of people when you show them what you made. Give it a try, you get a lot of "friends" real fast. I have also had a thing about pens, don't know why but I always like different and comfortable pens. Mow I can make what I like.
 
I've done over 600 pens in 6-8 years. I give most of them away, but there are a few in the $300 club. I think the draw is that you can make them as simple or as ornate at you want; don't like the gold centerband? make a wood one, want inlay..what color? Want a purple one, yellow or orange one?And everyone needs a pen. I gave our checker at Trader Joe's one yesterday. Now he has 4 fellow employees that want one now. I gotta back Pete up, it's rough to spend up to 3 days on a bowl or lidded box. You can have a pen in 10 minutes or 3 hours. It's a lot of fun!! :D;):thumb:
 
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I've turned a few dozen pens...nothing like some of the other guys here. I liked turning them when I first started because of the instant gratification, and the fact that they sold pretty easily. (It helped that I got into it right before Christmas that year.) I sold enough pens that year to pay for my used Sears lathe plus some of the tools.

Not too long after though, I got kind of burned out on pens and now I only make a few here and there. I still enjoy the instant gratification, and they generally pay for themselves in time, but get tired of turning the same shape over and over. I don't really like 'wavy' pens, so there's not a lot of form options available.

I really admire the guys who make the fancy pens, and respect the amount of work they take. I just get more enjoyment out of the bowls and hollow forms. I may find myself turning more pens and other smaller utility items for sale though, since I suspect the 'art show' market for bowls and hollow forms will be a bit depressed this season. :rolleyes:
 
This is really questions

Hi,

I have wondered about all of the catalog stuff for turning pens. Questions:
Are the working part of the pens really good quality?
Do they write with little pressure?
Is the ink quality as good as an expensive pen?
When the ink runs dry can the new owner go to Staples or some place similar and purchase a new filler?
What is the minimum cost to start (tools other than the lathe and chisels) and be able to do a good job?

Nosey aren't I?!

Enjoy,

Jim
 
Here's my take...

Are the working part of the pens really good quality?

They seem to vary with the cost of the kit. The expensive kits tend to have higher quality, smoother mechanisms, but even the cheap kits are surprisingly decent.

Do they write with little pressure?

The same as any other Parker, Cross, or Schmidt pen.

Is the ink quality as good as an expensive pen?

In the kits I've made, the ink cartridges have been imported knockoffs of name-brand refills, although I've never had any problems with them.

When the ink runs dry can the new owner go to Staples or some place similar and purchase a new filler?

Yep. They typically use standard Parker, Cross, or Schmidt refills, depending on the particular kit.

What is the minimum cost to start (tools other than the lathe and chisels) and be able to do a good job?

By the time you buy a few kits, maybe a few blanks (you can use scrap hardwood, but the exotic blanks are sweet), a pen mandrel and some bushings, a small sandpaper assortment (which you may already have), you're probably looking a bit north of $50. Most of the kit suppliers have "starter kits" that include the basics for about that or a bit more. Penn State Industries has this one that looks like a pretty good deal for about $80. (The turning tools they include probably aren't anything to write home about, but even without them, it's a pretty decent price):

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKSTART1F.html

Nosey aren't I?!

Nah, just inquisitive. ;) And dangling your toes verrrry close to the edge of the Abyss. :p
 
I've turned a few pens, I see them as a nice way to make something to give away which is out of the ordinary, doesn't take too long to do and the recipient probably won't already have. Even if they Have a wooden pen, a different wood or a style of pen will probably make their day.

the folks over on the IAP (international association of penturners) site blow my mind with the complexity and diversity of their creations. I've got a pretty good stash of pen blanks now, and I'm just waiting for warmer weather to crank out a few of them as thank you gifts and mess up my shop a bit more.
 
I disagree with Pete. Often I spend more time sanding and finishing a pen than on the actual turning. With such a small item, even the tiniest imperfections in sanding or finishing ruin the effect.
Pens are fun and present special challenges. I make pens to sell and give as gifts and some to organizations to use as fund raisers.
I do not make pens by the hundreds like I see many folks do. My on-hand inventory is usually less than a dozen.
Some make pens for the challenge of making an eye-popping creation in a tiny package. There are some who do segmentation and inlays that are works of art. I don't bother with that anymore since my experience has shown that a pen I have ten or fifteen hours invested in doesn't sell for anymore than a pen with two hours.
Penmaking is just a part of my world of woodturning.
A small aside: Oddly, when discussing the time it takes to make a pen, I often put as much time into selecting a blank as it takes to actually turn, finish and assemble. I don't know if that is odd or artistic creativity at work.
 
Finish

Frank - I need to say I agree with you.

Yes you can turn a pen and put on a quick finish in a short time but I too often spend more time on the finish than I did on the turning.

Once you have the hours invested in cutting and assembling a complex pen (like a Flag or puzzle pen) you tend to take more time for every phase of completion. You spend a lot of time at a point where one slip and many hours of work goes right down the drain.
 
I started turning with pens, but it was never my aim to be a "pen turner" and I still make pens, probably over my turning career I've made several hundred. They are as has been said, instant gratification, often a quick sell thus a quick source of funds to continue this hobby and a source of pride that this is something you created.

All that aside, I have other items that I like to turn just as much or maybe more because they are different and unique and the market is getting pretty saturated with the pen turners.
 
I guess it is my turn :rolleyes:. The first thing for my students and for me originally, the degree of difficulty. It is a great instant gratification as others have said, but also the opportunity to create unique pens/work is available up to that turner's imagination. Bottom line, it is fun.
 
I started turning with pens, but it was never my aim to be a "pen turner" and I still make pens, probably over my turning career I've made several hundred. They are as has been said, instant gratification, often a quick sell thus a quick source of funds to continue this hobby and a source of pride that this is something you created.

All that aside, I have other items that I like to turn just as much or maybe more because they are different and unique and the market is getting pretty saturated with the pen turners.

Thanks Chuck. Your response is what sets FW apart from many other forums. :)
Yes, pens do sell. Not a big part of my income but the extra cash does help support the shop. Within one week of setting up my new lathe, the Grizzly G0632, I had recovered 1/3 of the cost with pen sales. For the record, that was PROFIT, not gross sales.
We think alike. :wave:
 
That's an impressive pen, Paul. :thumb: I'm not a big fan of fancy pens, but I can still recognize and admire the work and skill a piece like that involves.

(And for future reference, we welcome links to other forums here. If it's info the members can use, bring it on.) ;)
 
Paul, that is a great example of what pen turning is all about. A challenge to maximize possibilities on the smallest object. No doubt, he did a great job. But, unfortunately, in many markets, he would not be able to sell it for more than a well done Jr. Gent in burl or a shiny cast acrylic.
And, before someone says it.....I'm not only all about money. I appreciate the art as well.
 
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