# So you want to start turning pens....



## Schroedc

It's come up before and with a recent question asked by a member I've decided to put together some basic information to cover most of the questions asked when someone wants to get into pen turning.

I'm not going to assume that everyone is a turner to start with but I am going to guess that here at Woodbarter most folks at least understand basic woodworking and terminology. If I miss something please ask, If I really screwed up an answer please send me a PM and I'll try to keep thinks correct. I am also not going to endorse specific brands or slam any brands with a few exceptions from personal experience where I feel it is worth it to pass along hard earned information.

Let's start with the single biggest thing you're going to need. A lathe.

Lathes are available in many sizes and features and the first questions you're going to want to ask are

1-Am I sure I'll really want to keep turning or is this just a phase?
2-How big will I want to turn on it?
3-What is my budget?

I started turning on a bench top Midi Lathe from Rockler, their Excelsior. Approximately 10 inch max diameter with a 24 inch bed. Speed was changed by a step pulley which meant you had to move a belt to change speeds. I have upgraded to a Delta Midi for my pen turning with digital variable speed which is nice for speed changes on the fly and the ability to dial in the exact speed you want. It is also nice as you can slow down quickly for sanding and speed back up on the next item you turn all by spinning a dial. this convenience does come with a price. Digital Variable Speed lathes as a rule seem to run 150-250.00 more expensive than non VS lathes but in the last year or two that gap has started to narrow. If you plan to turn bowls down the road a larger lathe might be more what you're looking for.

Personally I'd recommend looking at brands like Rikon, Jet, Older Delta lathes, Nova, Oneway, Powermatic. But even the Excelsior from Rockler and other Jet clones like the ones sold by PSI or Harbor freight can be decent lathes to start with. There are also VS upgrade kits available from PSI and other sources should you decide to do that down the road instead of upgrade to a bigger, newer lathe

Craigslist can be a good source for equipment but do your homework or take along a friend that knows these things if at all possible. The one thing I personally would recommend you avoid are the old tube style lathes such as those built by Craftsman as they are less rigid and in the long run might be more trouble than buying something beefier to start with. I'm not saying they are a bad lathe but technology has evolved since they were designed and if you want to do bowl turning in the future you'll want a beefier bed.

As far as headstock and tailstock taper are concerned I would recommend buying a lathe that takes MT2 accessories if possible as it seems most accessories are commonly available in that taper. the headstock threads for chucks and whatnot are typically 1x8tpi but most chucks do have adapters available should you buy something different. We'll get into chucks later.

You can get into a lathe like the Excelsior from Rockler or another Jet clone for about 275-300 new if you shop around up to thousands for a big lathe (My Oneway 2436 has a list price of about 5000.00 with no acessories) IIRC I paid about 700 for my VS Delta two years ago but those prices have been coming down with the Rikon VS in the 600 range when it's not on sale. And do keep an eye on your favorite suppliers, Lathes do go on sale several times a year.

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## Schroedc

Next- Mandrel or no Mandrel?

Mandrels are a shaft you mount your bushings and pen tube on. Experienced turners can create pens without using bushings by measuring with calipers as you turn but for a new pen turner I would recommend using bushings to get the feel for the process and they are less expensive than a digital calipers. 

When it comes to Mandrels there are two main types. An adjustable mandrel and a fixed length. I've found the adjustable mandrel is nice as you can slide the shaft to eliminate the need for extra spacers and a shorter mandrel shaft can reduce deflection when turning harder materials cutting down on chatter and the possibility of an out of round turning. In the photo below you can see the adjustable mandrel on top and the fixed mandrel below. You will spend more up front on the adjustable one but you can replace just the shaft should you bend it or wear it out.



 

If you choose to turn without a mandrel, that is called turning between centers. You will need a dead center for your headstock side. you use pressure from your tailstock to create friction between your bushings and the center to drive your turning. I've found that this can produce more accurate turning with less change of an oblong or out of round pen body if your ends are squared correctly due to slop in the bushings on a mandrel or over tightening a mandrel nut causing things to not be centered along the axis of the lathe. IMO this is the way to go but does take some getting used to.



 

Whether you turn between centers or use a mandrel shaft determines what type of bushings you'll want to purchase. The one on the left has a taper in the outside end to create a larger mating surface with your centers giving you a more positive drive. You can mount regular mandrel bushings between centers but they can have a tendency to slip as there is less contact area. Many bushings designed for turning between centers do have the hole in them for using on a mandrel as well but not all.

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## Schroedc

So now we've figured out what we're going to turn pens with and how we wan to turn them. Let's move on to blank preparation.

First we need to cut to length. I'm going to assume we're working with a standard pen blank 3/4 x 3/4 x 6 or so (I use a lot of 7/8 or 1 inch blanks for fatter pens) For cutting larger blocks into pen blanks you'll need a bandsaw, table saw, or a decent handsaw. Funny, Those are the exact same things you can use to cut your blank to the correct lengths for the pens you'll be making.

I started out using a 19.00 Irwin pull saw from Menards and an old Stanley miter box. Probably did 300 pens or more that way including acrylics, wood, and corian. It might not be as fast as a power saw but it gets the job done fairly cheap. You do need to be gentle with the pull saw on acrylics as they can be really hard and knock teeth of a really fine tooth saw but then again it could have just been that I was using a cheap saw.

I moved on to a bandsaw as my volume increased. For all around workshop use I'd recommend something in the 14 inch range, either an older Rockwell/Delta or one of the clones by Rikon, Grizzly, Jet, etc. If you don't plan on a ton of milling larger stock into blanks one of the little tabletop models would work well and can ocassionally be had on craigslist for 100.00 or less from time to time. For one of the 14 inch saws on a cabinet stand expect to pay 300-500 on Craigslist and for a new saw, one of the cheap Chinese Jet clones can probably be had for 450 new but I would recommend you save your pennies and buy a better brand like Jet, Rikon, Grizzly, etc When you do search craigslist enter the search both with "Bandsaw" and Band Saw" as folks will list them diferently. A bandsaw seems to be the most popular and it really is a versatile tool you can use for many things in your shop should you choose to spend the money.

You can use your table saw to rip nice lumber into pen blanks and to cut to length but with the wider kerf you will lose more material and it doesn't work well on odd shaped or roughly cut pieces. If you do decide to use a table saw I would highly recommend making or buying a cross cut sled so you can clamp the piece down and don't have to get your fingers too close to the blade (I made mine for about 20.00 in materials)

PSI and a couple other places do sell a tiny little chop saw with a 4 inch blade and it does do the job but 1 inch stock is about the max limit (I bought one on a deep clearance and I've used it a 1/2 dozen times and then stuck it in a cabinet) It's really a one trick pony IMO and I'd suggest you put the money you would have spent on one in a jar and add to it for a bandsaw. Is you have a sliding miter saw or a chop saw go ahead and use it but I'd recommend clamping your blanks down to the saw to cut them as I wouldn't want my fingers an inch or two from the blade should something slip or catch.

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## Schroedc

Now we need to drill them.

You have a couple ways to do this. I use a drill press with a self centering vise You don't need a centering vise, I started out building a jig to hold the blank upright and just marked my center on the blank, aligned it under the drill press and clamped it to the table. If all your blanks are the same size, once it's set you can jut go, go, go on many blanks. A self centering vise such as those sold by Rockler, Woodcraft and others are nice but plan to spend 60-90.00 on one (Do check regularly, the rockler one goes on sale fairly cheap a few times a year) With one of those, once it's set up correctly, it doesn't matter what size your blank is or even if it's perfectly square.

You can also purchase a dedicated drilling chuck from PSI like this one for about 80.00 https://www.pennstateind.com/store/CSCPENCHK.html
and a few other places or long jaws for most of the chucks out there if you already own a chuck. To use this you'll need a drill chuck with a Morris Taper to fit your tailstock and those can be had for 25-40.00 from a number of suppliers.

You also need to think about your drill bits, For most things I've found that Brad Point bits are the way to go, They cut a nice straight hole, even in stuff with voids and goofy grains and you get very little blow out if you aren't pushing them too hard. A number of pen turning supply places are also selling bits designed specifically for acrylics and they do a nice job but aren't strictly nessecary if you clear chips frequently as you drill and don't get to aggressive and cause things to heat up. You can even use a standard split point bit from your local hardware store if you are patient and drilling straight grained stuff. The kit you are using will determine what size bits you need. I know a pen maker that has only bought two sizes his entire pen turning life.

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## Schroedc

So now we've got blank the right length with a hole in it and we need to insert the tube. If you're using acrylic blanks that are transparent there is another step you'll want to consider but we'll cover that in a later post on Acrylics.

1- Clean the tube, I use some acetone or lacquer thinner to remove any oils on it
2- Rough it up, Scuff the outside with some 150 grit sandpaper to provide mechanical adhesion to go along with the chemical adhesion of the glue you use
3- Close the tube. You may want to plug the end of your tube to prevent getting glue on the inside as you insert it. If you do get glue in it it'll need to be cleaned out or the bushings won't fit and it could cause assembly problems down the road. I've got some tapered rubber plugs from the hardware store with a small hole drilled in them and glued to a stick that serves as a handle when inserting the tubes. You can also roll out some play-dough about 3/8 thick and push the tube into it like a cookie cutter. that'll leave the end closed and you can just push the dough out later with a dowel
4- Apply glue. Depending on the glue you're using and it's working time you would want to apply some glue inside the blank. I use a dowel or a piece of coat hanger wire. then apply glue to the outside of the tube. This can get messy so gloves are recommended. 
5-Insert tube into blank- Insert the tube with a twisting motion to make sure the glue is on as much of the tube and inside of the blank as possible. Push it in until it's slightly below the end of the blank.

Now the question- WHAT GLUE AM I SUPPOSED TO USE????? 

There are a few schools of thought and they all have their ups and downs. I've found that a good epoxy provides a better bond and has a longer working time. It can get expensive compared to your other option as whatever you mix either has to be used or will harden on your board. Your other option is CA adhesive. I like to use a Medium or Thick formula, if you do your blank and tube prep it'll hold quite well. You only have to apply as much out of the bottle as you want so it's more cost effective BUT it does have a shorter working time so you need to move right along. You can also use an activator with CA glues to speed up the curing process if you're in a hurry to get turning but it can cause your glue to yellow and stain the work piece.

Now for the hard part. WALK AWAY, JUST WALK AWAY. I know you're anxious to get turning but the cure times on your adhesives are there for a reason. Respect the cure times or you could end up with problems down the road.

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## Schroedc

Once your glue has cured you need to square up the ends and get it to the right length and ready to turn. There are 3 main options for that

1- End Mills. You can mount them in your drill press, in a hand drill, or even on your lathe if you have a drill chuck or collet chuck. they come in a couple different sizes depending on what diameter pen body you're turning and in HSS or Carbide. I've used both and the HSS ones are the ones I prefer when I do use them. each size pen tube takes a different size pilot shaft. You can get by with one cutter head and the different shafts for each type pen you'll be doing. They are available singly or in sets like this one- https://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKTRIMKIT.html It does have the advantage that in theory the end of the pilot shaft will clean out any glue you did get on the inside of the tube but depending on the tolerances it might not get it all.

2- Disk Sander. If you have a disk sander and your holes are straight through the blank and your blanks are square you can set up a fence or use a jig like this one here- https://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKSQUARE.html to sand the ends down. (The jig I linked to will compensate if your hole isn't straight) On my sander I build a fence that is square to the sanding surface and I just slide the blank in until it contacts the sandpaper.

3- An offset sanding jig for your lathe. This one was linked to by another member here with good reviews and lets you set up your lathe as a disk sander with the purchase of this jig and a few other things you'll want to have anyways like a transfer punch set (More on those later when we get to how to fix your whoopsies) http://www.penturners.org/forum/f172/custom-made-penturning-tools-accessories-92501/

With any of these methods you want to take it down just to the brass tube and try not to remove more than just a hair of the brass tube. If you grind or mill your blank too short this can cause most pen kits to not go together correctly or not work right once you do get them together. You'll also want to debur or clean up the end of the tube after milling or sanding and there are a couple ways to do that. I've seen guys use a large drill bit or router bit rotated by hand to remove the burr, a tapered ream, or this tool here- https://www.pennstateind.com/store/MSDEBURR.html They sell it for 9.99, and if you're getting other stuff anyways it's the best 10 bucks I've spent on a tool for this. Do shop around I've found them even cheaper at other suppliers and on amazon on occasion.


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## Schroedc

So now we have our blank ready to turn. Let's move on to what will probably be the most controversial subject. What tools do I buy?

I'm completely self taught through the school of trial and error. I've found things that work for me and I'm going to throw out several options and opinions without endorsing any one as the one that's right for you. (For all I know I'm doing it wrong) Also, while I turn for a living I don't want to give the impression that I'm a master instructor. I'd recommend looking for a local turning club and seeing if you can find a mentor that'll gives you some how to instruction and there are also many good YouTube videos that show the process.

1- Traditional turning tools such as the gouge, scraper, and skew- Shown below are the first 4 tools I got when I bought my first lathe. A 1/4 inch gouge, a bedan, a Sorby Spindle Master (It's a round nose scraper with a convex bottom so you can scrape at different angles and even position for a shear cut) and a 3/4 inch oval skew. The ones shown are mid sized tools that can be used for more than just turning pens and will cover almost all your needs on a benchtop Midi lathe. I probably went a year before buying any other tools. You can also buy micro tools or small sizes that are meant just for pen turning or other small items but unless you only plan to turn pens I'd recommend avoiding that route. You can turn small things with big tools a majority of the time but it's next to impossible to turn large items with small tools without breaking something and possibly hurting yourself. I've added a picture of the Sorby micro set with modular handle that I was gifted a few years back. I do use it from time to time but not all that often.



 



 

2- Carbide turning tools- These are basically a scraper with a really fine edge on them and with a replaceable cutter you don't need to invest in a grinder or other sharpening jigs. when the cutter dulls, rotate it to a sharp edge, when the whole cutter is dull, you can sharpen them with a 15.00 diamond card to get more life out of them, when it's beyond help or all chipped up. you just buy a new cutter. They are also available in small, medium, and large sizes. Pictured below is an EWT small roughing tool (Another gift) and the full size Rougher and Finisher that I use for 90% of my volume spindle turning these days (Yes, I use that huge tool to turn tiny little pens).

@woodtickgreg makes some beautiful tools and if you do decide to buy carbides I'd recommend you look at buying them from him and making your own handles. Otherwise they are available from most sources like Rockler, Woodcraft, EWT, PSI and others these days.

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## Schroedc

Ok, You're turning pens now and we're going to stop and talk about different blanks, how to turn them, how to finish them and the peculiarities of each type.

Wood- 
Either regular wood or stabilized wood. Stabilization is generally used to make softer woods hard enough to give you an easy turning, durable blank and also they can by dyed during the stabilization process. With most of stabilized blanks I treat them as regular wood when sanding and finishing. Generally the idea is to sand it as smooth as possible to remove your tool marks and get a pleasing finish on the pen. I'd recommend looking at some of the how to threads on this forum or over at IAP but generally you sand with progressively finer sandpaper to remove the marks form the previous grit until any sanding marks are too small for the human eye to see. You can then apply a friction finish such as Mylands or Hut pen polish and buff. These finishes give a nice wam look and feel but in the long run will tend to dry out or stain. Another option is a CA finish. By applying and sanding multiple layers of CA glue you build a hard, water resistant finish that gives a high gloss and wears well in the long term. Again, browse the forum here and also look at YouTube for the particulars. You can also use a dipping method to finish your pens with Poly Urethane or other liquid finishes. @rdabpenman has done a tutorial here on how to do it and he makes some gorgeous stuff.

Acrylics-
There are two main groups of acrylics. Acrylic Acetate and Inlace Acrylics. Acrylic Acetate is a softer, more forgiving material that shaves nicely and would be my recommendation for a turner new to acrylics. Inlace acrylics tend to be more brittle and a very gentle hand is needed to avoid blowing them up. When finishing them it's the same idea as wood, sand with progressively finer paper until it's shiny. For acrylics i do recommend wet sanding (Put down some plastic wrap and then a towel to prevent getting the bed of your lathe all wet) Once you've sanded to 3000 or so with acrylics you can use a plastic polish or even automotive rubbing compound to bring it the rest of the way. I personally use a #M automotive system to polish acrylics but then I started out in the body shop industry so it's a product I'm familiar with.

Whatever route you choose to use, read the instructions, look at some tutorials or YouTube videos and take your time. Rushing through it can often mean going back and starting over, taking more time in the long run. 

You also have products available like laser cut inlay pens. Best advice- Follow the directions, then finish like wood. You can also purchase blanks that have been cast by hand using alumilite or Poly Resin or a blend of those and wood. I'd recommend waiting until you're comfortable working with acrylics before tackling one of those. They turn a lot like Inlace Acrylics (as far as I can tell, Inlace Acrylics are a Polyester resin product poured in slabs and then cut to size)

When working with acrylic blanks you will find that many of them can be transparent or translucent. To avoid having your metal tube show through or give a weird reflection if the acrylic is too thin on translucent acrylics you'll want to paint either the tube or the blank. You can buy pre painted tubes for many pens but I find it's easiest to scuff them up, hang on a wire and hit with rattle can flat black or flat white enamel. Experimentation will show which paint color looks best under which acrylics. For transparent acrylics, painting the tube would work except you'll be able to see the glue through the acrylic. For those blanks you want to paint the inside of the hole you drilled using enamel and a Q-tip. Do make sure you give them plenty of dry time before gluing in the tube and you may find you need to drill your hole a few thousandths larger to accommodate the layer of paint.

For all of these, Do a little internet research, use the search box here at woodbarter and you will find that many of the questions you'll have may have already been answered by folks much more eloquent than myself.

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## Schroedc

Ok, So now you've got a pen blank turned and you're ready to put it together and present that special someone with a one of a kind pen and earn their undying gratitude or at least their business 

Here are some assembly options all of which I've tried at one time or another.

Pen Press- Sold by most of the suppliers out there at various prices. Yes they are nice to have, generally the more expensive ones will perform better but read the customer reviews before taking the plunge. My original one was gifted to another turner years ago.

Your lathe- With a block of wood in your head stock and tailstock you can use the handwheel to press everything together. There are also magnetic plastic pads available and they do work but do you really want to spend the money?

A clamp, I've used pipe clamps, C Clamps, Irwin Quick Grip clamps. all will do it, just make sure the faces are padded with a block of wood or rubber so you don't mar your pen parts

An Arbor press- I use one like this- http://www.amazon.com/HHIP-8600-003...F8&qid=1452985866&sr=8-1&keywords=arbor+press for almost all of my assembly these days. I've removed the rotating turret on the bottom and built several custom jigs out of wood or HDPE for it and glued a piece of leather to the ram so I don't scratch anything. If you have one, great, If not I'd probably only recommend if you're doing lots of assembly.

Your drill press. You can buy a ram to fit your chuck so you can use your drill press to assemble or you can just turn one yourself out of some maple or other hard wood and use the drill press to get the job done.

Unless you'll be doing a ton of pens or suddenly have a bunch of cash, I'd recommend using either the lathe, a clamp of some sort, or your drill press as the most cost effective methods.


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## Schroedc

Now you've made a pen and it doesn't work right. What do you do?

For the most part you can disassemble a pen using the following tools- 

Disassembly punches (Also listed sometimes as Transfer Punches) - https://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKDISET.html or http://www.amazon.com/Neiko®-02621A...1453908263&sr=1-3&keywords=transfer+punch+set

Soft Grip Pliers for Disassembly- https://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKDISGRIP.html

You do need to be careful as even with the padded jaws you can still crush the pen tube. You won't always be able to save everything but it can be possible. If you do manage to save the hardware or even if you wrecked the brass tube while turning but prior to assembly you can purchase extra tubes to be able to make a new body for the pen.

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## Schroedc

Here are some links to get you started on the tools needed. I've just grabbed links to items form major sites. I would recommend looking around to other suppliers as I have not price shopped to find the best deals. I'm NOT endorsing any specific supplier. Do your due diligence, read reviews, price shop (Remember to factor in shipping costs) and then make your purchases.

Lathes- Here are a few suggestions based on feedback from other turners, Do also look at Craigslist as occasionally deals can be had.

Excelsior from Rockler - http://www.rockler.com/excelsior-mini-lathe
Rikon VS Lathe- http://www.woodcraft.com/product/861205/rikon-70220vsr-midi-lathe.aspx
PSI Turncrafter Variable Speed - https://www.pennstateind.com/store/TCLC10VS.html <--- For the money it's a very inexpensive VS lathe I haven't heard a lot about it yet but seems solid

Do also consider Jet, Grizzly, and other similar brands, Just do your research first!

Also many of the older Midi lathes can be converted to Variable Speed with this conversion from PSI- https://www.pennstateind.com/store/TCLVSKIT.html

Mandrels and centers-
Adjustable Mandrel- https://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKM-FLC.html
Fixed Mandrel- http://www.rockler.com/pro-pen-turning-mandrel-2-morse-taper

Large Cone Live Center- https://www.pennstateind.com/store/LCENTLT2.html
Dead Center for Headstock side- http://www.amazon.com/Silver-Black-...id=1453907966&sr=8-1&keywords=mt2+dead+center (There are many options for this, some also with a carbide point)

Deburring tool- https://www.pennstateind.com/store/MSDEBURR.html

Disassembly punches (Also listed sometimes as Transfer Punches) - https://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKDISET.html or http://www.amazon.com/Neiko®-02621A-Transfer-Treated-Punches/dp/B000JI6HFA/ref=sr_1_3?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1453908263&sr=1-3&keywords=transfer+punch+set

Soft Grip Pliers for Disassembly- https://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKDISGRIP.html

For your turning tools, Sandpaper, finishing supplies, etc. I'm going to suggest you do your research on your own and make your own decisions on what system to use. Always feel free to post a thread asking for advice on specific items as there are many here willing to help out with reviews and suggestions.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Great Post 2


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## Kevin

Colin you've done a bang up job on this thread. It definitely needs to be a sticky.

Reactions: Agree 5


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## Schroedc

I hope this gets you started answering your basic questions on getting into pen turning. As I've mentioned before, Don't hesitate to create a thread in the various areas looking for additional assistance or with any questions I may not have answered here.

Good Luck and keep those shavings flying!

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## bamafatboy

Very well wrote and lots of good info for newbies. Great job.

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## kazuma78

Awesome thread! You might want to mention in assembly that sometimes finished barrels can split at the ends if the kits aren't made to the right specs exactly so it's good to measure the inside of the tube and the fitting that goes inside it to see if you need to file the inside of the tube down at all.

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## Mabren2

Great job Colin! Thanks for being willing to do this for those of us just getting started in this hobby. No doubt you just saved myself, and many others a lot of headache!

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## gman2431



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## Sprung

Colin, this is an awesome write up - thank you! I've had a number of people (off WB) approach me with questions on how to get started. I've always been happy to answer their questions (and tried to direct some to WB, but don't think any have joined yet), but it'll be nice to give them a link to great information to read through to help them get started.

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## David Van Asperen

@Schroedc Great post .
I have been tempted for several years to start turning , pens have been on the list of things that I have thought of making.
A recently completed trade with Matt for a bullet pen which I just received and in awe of.
Thanks for such a great run down of the tools needed to get started it scares me a little to think of all the new tools that I would need to purchase.
Needs to be considered for my retirement projects,
Dave

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## Sprung

David Van Asperen said:


> @Schroedc Great post .
> I have been tempted for several years to start turning , pens have been on the list of things that I have thought of making.
> A recently completed trade with Matt for a bullet pen which I just received and in awe of.
> Thanks for such a great run down of the tools needed to get started it scares me a little to think of all the new tools that I would need to purchase.
> Needs to be considered for my retirement projects,
> Dave



Dave, if you do ever decide to make the leap into pen turning or just want to try making a pen - or even want to give it a try before buying everything - you're always welcome in my shop and I'd be happy to give you a lesson and some lathe time.

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## David Van Asperen

We may just have to make that happen

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## Sprung

David Van Asperen said:


> We may just have to make that happen



I'm either not around or unavailable until about June 20, but if there's a day you want to come over after that this summer, by all means, you are more than welcome! Fridays and Saturdays typically work well for me to be free. Occasionally Mondays too. While my main shop is in the garage, my lathe is in the basement where it's always nice and cool.

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## Doug Pearce

Great work-have you any info or referances on a home made pen turning lathe using a electric drill? Doug Pearce


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## Schroedc

Doug Pearce said:


> Great work-have you any info or referances on a home made pen turning lathe using a electric drill? Doug Pearce



It can be done but I don't have anything handy, can dig a bit but wouldn't recommend it. The precision and speed control needed are going to be a bit of a challenge with a standard drill. For the amount of time and messing around I'd just drop 50.00 on an old Sears monotube lathe.

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## Tony

Okay, just read through this thread, Thank You Colin! Great stuff my friend! Tony

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## Schroedc

Tony said:


> Okay, just read through this thread, Thank You Colin! Great stuff my friend! Tony



I'm around the shop during the day if you need phone help.

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## B Rogers

Great info. Thanks @Schroedc for taking the time to put this together. I'm planning to give pen turning a shot.

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## Kev’n

Thanks for putting all of this information out here for us newbies. Much appreciated!!

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## TonyL

Very well done and complete. Thank you.


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## rdabpenman

A great  tutorial for a beginner pen turner.

Les

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## Don Van Dyne

I’m considering buying a lathe for the first time so this information is awesome. My only question is; what does PSI stand for?


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## Steve in VA

Penn State Industries https://www.pennstateind.com/


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## Tony

Don Van Dyne said:


> I’m considering buying a lathe for the first time so this information is awesome. My only question is; what does PSI stand for?



Penn State Industries


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## Don Van Dyne

Thx..


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## Sataro

Great write up on getting started pen turning. I learned the hard way by teaching myself. I would have really appreciated having this write up as a go to guide when I started my pen turning adventure. Well write out for sure!


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