# Taking a little survey



## Schroedc (Aug 25, 2014)

So I actually have a reason for asking these questions and eventually I'll tell everybody why, I'd like to hear from those folks out there that are considering turning pens or other small items but currently don't do so.

1) What is your current level of turning experience?
2) Do you have a lathe? What kind? If so, how long have you had it?
3) If you have a lathe, what is the barrier to pen turning? Materials, Mandrels, Tools, Kits, Blanks, Etc?

Thanks for your input!

Reactions: Like 3


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## woodtickgreg (Aug 25, 2014)

hmmmmm?


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## Sprung (Aug 25, 2014)

It'll be fun to see the responses on this! (I'm disqualified from answering as I finally got everything I needed together and started turning pens a little over a month ago!)

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Karl_99 (Aug 25, 2014)

1. Turning pens for 3 years
2. Craftsman 9x28 lathe (3 yrs) and Jet 10x14 (1 yr)
3. No barriers, I am fully committed and addicted!

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## ripjack13 (Aug 25, 2014)

I need to go to the dark side. I have been collecting some turning tools and kits to make pens, pencils, darts, and salt n peppa shakers. The push button type. Id also like to make some pot calls ....Assorted bowl blanks. Just looking for a deal on a start up lathe.
Not to mention I have been making room for one in my garage shop....

I had a drill style lathe a while ago but it was too cheap to make something worth while....

And sending my pen blanks off to trade is diminishing my stash....


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## Treecycle Hardwoods (Aug 26, 2014)

I have been turning for a few years now and have 2 vintage lathes. Been turning pens for almost a year but there are sooooo many different kits that getting all the bits, bushings and the miscellaneous stuff together makes it challenging to diversify the selection of kits I can produce.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950 (Aug 26, 2014)

1. 2 hrs
2 older delta-almost unused- 2 yrs
3. What would I use for shop heat if I saved all scraps down to pen blank size- hell what would I use for a shop- this one would be full................

Reactions: Funny 7


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## woodtickgreg (Aug 26, 2014)

Ok, I'll play.
I have been turning for a few years, don't know exactly how long?
I am in the process of selling my delta full size lathe so I can upgrade it. 
I just moved so my shop is not set up.
I started buying stuff to turn pens but had to pack everything up and now I don't know where the stuff is.
So I guess my barrier now is shop not set up yet, new lathe not selected, Maybe 2 lathes would be the ticket. A midi for turning pens and such and a bigger lathe for bowls and vessels and large platters. Yup, I like the sound of that.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Sprung (Aug 26, 2014)

Just to add to the answers already given, from the perspective of someone who has only recently started turning pens, the biggest barrier to getting started turning pens once I got a lathe and the tooling was (and still is) the cost of kits and bushings. There are some real nice kits that don't cost a lot, but when you start looking at $10+ per kit, it starts getting a little hard to swallow the cost - at least until I can hopefully start selling some of the pens I'm making. (I've promised my wife that I won't buy any more kits until I can hopefully sell a few and use that money to buy more kits!) The cost of some of the tooling was a barrier too until I was able to acquire what I needed over the course of a few months while I was trying to work on setting up shop after our move.

Y'all here have made sure that blanks haven't been an issue for me! And I've, thankfully, still got a few handfuls of kits to keep me going for a little while - there's one person here who's helped greatly with that too. (Besides, soon I gotta slow down on pen turning and focus on some other projects.)


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## Tclem (Aug 26, 2014)

My biggest barrier is that all these women want hair sticks so hopefully I'll get to pens one day. Lol. I actually started turned 20 months ago. Started out with a few slim lines then loaded up the fence row with black gum, cedar, pecan , cherry and whatever else I could get from a local logger. Turned a lot of bowls but due to work I ended up back to turning small stuff. A coworker and pen turner if 30 years have me an old psi turn crafter. Well, after loading to down with bowls I tore it up. Found a 15"x36" craftsman on craigslist for a couple hundred and still use it wen I'm not replacing belts on the reeves drive. Then bought a nice craftsman ( buffing lathe now ) 12" from a local but just upgraded to a jet 1221. Of course my other barrier is I have no pen blanks

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 5


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## ripjack13 (Aug 26, 2014)

@Tclem Im shippin ya some tomorrow....that should hold you over for a few hours. Lol

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Schroedc (Aug 26, 2014)

Tclem said:


> My biggest barrier is that all these women want hair sticks so hopefully I'll get to pens one day. Lol. I actually started turned 20 months ago. Started out with a few slim lines then loaded up the fence row with black gum, cedar, pecan , cherry and whatever else I could get from a local logger. Turned a lot of bowls but due to work I ended up back to turning small stuff. A coworker and pen turner if 30 years have me an old psi turn crafter. Well, after loading to down with bowls I tore it up. Found a 15"x36" craftsman on craigslist for a couple hundred and still use it wen I'm not replacing belts on the reeves drive. Then bought a nice craftsman ( buffing lathe now ) 12" from a local but just upgraded to a jet 1221. Of course my other barrier is I have no pen blanks




You'd have more if you didn't keep giving them away.....

Reactions: Funny 3


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## JR Custom Calls (Aug 27, 2014)

1) What is your current level of turning experience? I'd consider myself to be an experienced beginner

2) Do you have a lathe? What kind? If so, how long have you had it? Rikon mini lathe. Bought it in April, I think. Had a lathe since January

3) If you have a lathe, what is the barrier to pen turning? Materials, Mandrels, Tools, Kits, Blanks, Etc?

Tried one pen... failed. Turning the pen wasn't my issue, apparently I'm not smart enough to figure out how to assemble them. Joe came over the other day and explained the process to me somewhat. Biggest barrier for me, aside from assembly, would be the huge range of kits, and my lack of understanding of bushings and such. Probably just need to watch some youtube videos, but time is something I don't really have much of right now.


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## ripjack13 (Sep 17, 2014)

Any news on this survey? Just wondering....


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## Schroedc (Sep 17, 2014)

ripjack13 said:


> Any news on this survey? Just wondering....



I was looking for some specific kinds of responses and not quite getting what I was looking for......

We'll see if we get a few more and I'll announce something by the end of the week........


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## Tclem (Sep 17, 2014)

You sound like my wife with that comment " a specific kind of response" when she ask if I love her. Guess um hun doesn't work for you either.

Reactions: Funny 2


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## JR Custom Calls (Sep 17, 2014)

If you're looking for someone to say they need something for free... I need something for free.

Reactions: Funny 4


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## ripjack13 (Sep 17, 2014)

Schroedc said:


> I was looking for some specific kinds of responses and not quite getting what I was looking for...





ripjack13 said:


> _I need to go to the dark side. Just looking for a deal on a start up lathe.
> Not to mention I have been making room for one in my garage shop..._.



Darn....I had hopes n dreams, they have been shot down.


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## kweinert (Sep 17, 2014)

About 4 years ago I started out turning pens on a Jet Midi, then couldn't get rid of them. Probably because they were ugly. Moved on to doing other things. Recently made some Bolt Action pens with burl - only sold one of those. And it was 1/2 price because it was to my son-in-law. I just marvel at you folks that make pens and sell them all. Clearly I'm missing something here.

My wife's son has a Rockler lathe out in the garage that he's doing duck calls on. I've a Steel City that I'm now pretty sure has a bent shaft (not sure how that happened - could turning something too heavy have caused it?) since I just replaced the bearings last night and it still has the 'wobble' in any center I put in it. Sunday I'm picking up a larger Grizzly lathe. Now I have to rearrange the garage/shop to have a place to put it.

Reactions: Like 2


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## eaglea1 (Sep 17, 2014)

1) What is your current level of turning experience?* I guess I could say "good" "advanced"..*
2) Do you have a lathe? What kind? If so, how long have you had it? *Yes, Delta midi lathe, 2 years*
3) If you have a lathe, what is the barrier to pen turning? Materials, Mandrels, Tools, Kits, Blanks, Etc?* Haven't taken
the time to learn about pen turning, + tools (I presume) + Kits + Mandrels... I always have lots of blanks that I usually 
send out with orders as bonus items, or just keep throwing them on the pen blank shelf, in the event I would ever "get 
into that". *


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## fredito (Sep 17, 2014)

1- Complete novice. Only turning since June
2- my lathe is a turncrafter. I have had it since June as well
3- The biggest barriers are pen kits as it gets expensive to turn them and not sell them. I live in a small town so its a limited market, so I have been sticking with fun line kits as they are cheap. In regards to wood. I have a nasty habit of keeping one of each wood species I get so if I get one cool one I end up not turning it, but I am doing good wood wise, not a ton, but a box full thanks to this site and the generosity of it's members and I am jacked and thankful for every piece! Tools are okay although I wish I had a better mandrel and carbide tools but it will all come with time. I am learning how to prioritize tool purchases. Just got a slow speed grinder. Next is a different duck call mandrel since mine likes to go off center and some collets for it... Then capt eddies Blackhawk then hopefully carbides...and I wondered why they called this a rabbit hole before I got into turning........


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## justallan (Sep 19, 2014)

1- Other than a bowl in about the 7th grade, I've turned less than a dozen pens.
2- I bought a Jet midi last winter.
3- My biggest barrier is time and energy. I work for a large ranch and although I get a good bit of free time, I also saw lumber on the side plus sell firewood. Generally when the weather is good I'm outdoors. Plus my newest obsession in finding and sawing burls. BUT, winter is coming and playing in the woodshop is at the top of my list, along with building a bigger sawmill.

Reactions: Like 1


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## N & N Waterfowl (Oct 15, 2014)

1...been turning pot call and duck calls for a couple years. Would say that experience would be intermediate. 
2...I bought a Jet VS 1221 about a year ago.
3...the biggest barrier is purchasing the tooling. What is necessary...what is recommended...what can you absolutely not do without etc. I already have the turning tools, and larger equipment. It is the pen specific tools that I need and have been reluctant to purchase not know what I really need.


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## barry richardson (Oct 15, 2014)

Thread hijack alert! Colin, can you send me a link to the pic in your avatar? I have that plane, need to figure out what parts I'm missing...


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## Schroedc (Oct 15, 2014)

barry richardson said:


> Thread hijack alert! Colin, can you send me a link to the pic in your avatar? I have that plane, need to figure out what parts I'm missing...



Google Stanley 78 and look at images. I found this one in a PDF of the original manual someone uploaded. Here's a PDF of the 1955 manual

http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~flip/wood/planes/stanley-078.pdf

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Schroedc (Oct 15, 2014)

@eaglea1 @N & N Waterfowl You guys were the closest to the responses I was looking for.

Here's the deal- If you are interested, I'm willing to send out a MT2 Mandrel, some pen kits and some fun blanks to get you started on Pen turning. What I want in return is one pen from whoever gets this and the promise to at some point pay it forward and help out another new turner down the road.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1 | Way Cool 3 | +Karma 1


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## N & N Waterfowl (Oct 15, 2014)

@Schroedc ...I will take you up on the offer, and will definetly pay it forward. I really appreciate the offer, and look forward to trying my hand at some pens. Something that I have wanted to try for a long time.


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## Tclem (Oct 15, 2014)

Wish I had some pen blanks.

Reactions: Funny 2


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## eaglea1 (Oct 15, 2014)

Colin,
This is a very generous thing that you are doing and I appreciate it immensely, however , I must pass
this up due to being over busy already with my game call business. I would not be able to do it the proper
justice it deserves. I will thus " pay it forward" by letting you offer it to a new and upcoming wood worker,
that has a desire to turn pens. Although I have to say, those rifle pens are pretty cool looking.
Thank you so much again for your offer. 
Randy

Reactions: Like 1


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## fredito (Oct 15, 2014)

Colin-
Yet again, very generous of you. Who ever ends up getting your blanks will be very excited I'm sure


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## Schroedc (Oct 15, 2014)

Tclem said:


> Wish I had some pen blanks.



You keep turning them into hair sticks or giving them away.....

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Tclem (Oct 15, 2014)

Schroedc said:


> You keep turning them into hair sticks or giving them away.....


Dang you didn't fall for it. Lol


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