Pen making question

stickthrower · Post by **stickthrower** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 8:41 pm

I am interested in starting to make pens. I know I need a morse taper or something for putting the mandrel into. But I am not sure with the shopsmith how that works, since the spindle is solid but threaded. Is there an adapter I can get so that I can put the mandrel into it?

I am hoping in the future to get a chuck to go on as well to start trying to make bowls and things. But I am waiting until I can make some pens to sell.

was down at woodcraft today, but I was just told to go to a website and look on that to see what I can do. I checked, but I am not exactly sure what I am needing to get. I saw they had some adapters, but I am not sure what I need, so I thought I would start on here, get some advice before I start buying stuff so I am not waisting my money.

I know shopsmith sells the nova chuck, but do other chucks work as well, or only the nova on the shopsmith?

sorry if this is repeat information.

Nathan

beeg · Post by **beeg** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 8:49 pm

stickthrower wrote:I know shopsmith sells the nova chuck, but do other chucks work as well, or only the nova on the shopsmith?

sorry if this is repeat information.

Nathan

Any brand of chuck will fit that you can buy the 5/8's plain adapter to fit.

greitz · Post by **greitz** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:34 pm

Penn State Industries makes a pen mandrel specifically for the Shopsmith:

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKM-CL.html

Penn State has a free DVD on making pens as well, which has a lot of useful tips.

Both Nova and Oneway make 4-jaw scroll chucks which will fit the Shopsmith- just be sure to specify the Shopsmith 5/8" plain adapter when you order the chuck.

Welcome to the addiction called woodturning!

Gary

stickthrower · Post by **stickthrower** » Sun Sep 09, 2012 11:23 am

Greitz- Thanks! I am going to be picking this up soon. I had looked at their site, but I hadn't seen that. I apparently wasn't looking in the right place.

Beeg- Thanks for the info! I was hoping I could get a chuck that wasn't as expensive. i am just starting out, and I don't want to spend a lot on the chuck right now. I had seen one at Woodcraft that was self centering for $100. I was hoping that I could get something like that. So I can do that, just need to get an adapter so I can get it on.

Nathan

terrydowning · Post by **terrydowning** » Mon Sep 10, 2012 12:22 pm

The Penn state Barracuda 2 is also a decent scroll chuck at a very reasonable price.
They also have an adapter to convert 5/8" quill to 1" x 8 tpi threads.