Pen Turning

chambers84 · Post by **chambers84** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 1:25 pm

I'm looking for a tip for turning pen barrels on a Mark 5. All of the mandrels in the catalogs are a #2 MorseTaper. Any help here is appreciated on how to set up and hold for turning. Trying to get a small project off the ground with my son.

tom_k/mo · Post by **tom_k/mo** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 1:41 pm

chambers84 wrote:I'm looking for a tip for turning pen barrels on a Mark 5. All of the mandrels in the catalogs are a #2 MorseTaper. Any help here is appreciated on how to set up and hold for turning. Trying to get a small project off the ground with my son.

Welcome to the forum. THISis what you'll need to turn pens on the ShopSmith.

navycop · Post by **navycop** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 3:51 pm

betty44720 suggested this in another thread
it is woodcraft part #141502, $2.99,
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=3759
I was also suggested to get the #141063 knurled brass nut and #141503 compression stop nut. This will be held in the drill chuck. This will get you started, until you get the other one. You need also a 60 degree live center: no matter which mandrel you go with.

fjimp · Post by **fjimp** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 4:57 pm

I personally have had better luck with the PSI mandrel mentioned in a prior message. The live center you desire is;

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/LCENTLT2.html

Good luck pen turning is a real thrill and highly rewarding. Jim

cocacola1012 · Post by **cocacola1012** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 8:25 am

Hi All. I have been watching this forum for sometime. I want to get into pen turning for the holidays. I don't have much $ and saw these on ebay. I know what you guys say about ebay before. It's just I don't have a lot of $ and really want to get some blanks and mandrel. Are these a decent set of chisels? Not a very good picture. I live in VA bch and will update my profile in a minute. Thanks. I know you guys will come through as you always have in the past. Happy Holidays. Don't try to carve any turkeys on your lathe (HAHAHA).
http://cgi.ebay.com/HAND-TOOL-SET-8-PIE ... 27ad3cb5c1

mikelst · Post by **mikelst** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 9:10 am

They wouldn't be my first choice but for light turning they will probably work. Remember a sharp tool is a happy tool:D

major_bob · Post by **major_bob** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 9:28 am

[ATTACH]6679[/ATTACH]Chambers84,

Took me a while to figure this out, but you will need to extend the quill in order to get enough clearance for the tool rest.

Have fun, I get a kick out of turning pens and my son loves to help.

rkh2 · Post by **rkh2** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 10:49 am

cocacola1012

I looked at the set of chisels that you mentioned and from what I can see, as the pictures weren't that good and they had no information as far as what type of metal they were made of, I probably would stay away from them. Do you have the set of chisels that came with the shopsmith? If so, they will work fine for turning pins. I still use my original SS gouge to round my blanks then I have a skew from Sorby which I use to finish my pens. I have seen some folks just using a skew for the entire process. Hope this helps.

beeg · Post by **beeg** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 12:27 pm

1. Ya get what ya pay for them. 2. To me they look like hand carving tools?

curiousgeorge · Post by **curiousgeorge** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 12:37 pm

cocacola1012 wrote:Hi All. I have been watching this forum for sometime. I want to get into pen turning for the holidays. I don't have much $ and saw these on ebay. I know what you guys say about ebay before. It's just I don't have a lot of $ and really want to get some blanks and mandrel. Are these a decent set of chisels? Not a very good picture. I live in VA bch and will update my profile in a minute. Thanks. I know you guys will come through as you always have in the past. Happy Holidays. Don't try to carve any turkeys on your lathe (HAHAHA).
http://cgi.ebay.com/HAND-TOOL-SET-8-PIE ... 27ad3cb5c1

If I were you, I wouldn't even consider these things. To begin with you need a sharp tool to turn with and at this price the metal in these probably wouldn't hold an edge long enough to turn a toothpick, much less a pen. I know you said you are short on money and so am I, but buying cheap tools is not the answer. I have found, especially in tools, that cheap equals more expensive in the long run because you have to keep replacing them over and over. Where as buying a good tool in the first place it will last about 10 times longer. At least that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.