Shopsmith Forums

Pens are fun. Start with the "slimline" style - you don't need to do anything fancy, just turn a fairly uniform cylinder to make a great pen. Even better if you use an exotic like zebrawood or purpleheart. PSI sells a pen mandrel for the SS that comes with 7mm bushings (which you need for the slimline pen).

Michael

Pens are fun. Start with the "slimline" style - you don't need to do anything fancy, just turn a fairly uniform cylinder to make a great pen. Even better if you use an exotic like zebrawood or purpleheart. PSI sells a pen mandrel for the SS that comes with 7mm bushings (which you need for the slimline pen).

Michael

You might want to check out the American Association of Woodturners website.
http://www.woodturner.org/

Look to see if they have a chapter near you.

Gary,

For all things, there must be a starting point. Lathe turning is no different. You have different turning tools for different types of projects. You have already experienced "Spindle Turning", and I would continue with spindle turning.

You must become comfortable with those tools, especially the Skew, which can be scary at times, if not used properly.

Spindle turning can and should involve Pen Making (Very, Very addictive!), but there is a lot of other areas open to you. One of the great areas is making yourself some new tool handles. Handles that fit your hand or needs cannot be beat!

Believe me......if you get into pen making, plus tool handles, you will be very busy for some time.

Down the road, you can purchase Bowl Turning tools, and start all over again learning the proper use of the bowl turning tools. Its a whole new world!

Good Luck!
John
FlashbacPT

Lathe turning is one of those things I enjoy but I must confess that it one of the areas that I do not consider mastered. I tend to scrape a lot. Somehow I never seem to have time to do much of it.
I do not have much trouble with a gouge but I always thought that the skew should be called a gouge because I often did that with it.

In the PTWE book it says the lathe duplicater fits the 500 and 510. Do they make one or adapter for the 520?

nomoman wrote:In the PTWE book it says the lathe duplicater fits the 500 and 510. Do they make one or adapter for the 520?

Hi Jarad,

The difference between the 500,505,510 and 520 is the table system. As the lathe does knot really utilize the table systems, I am pretty sure that if the duplicator works for the 510, it will work for the 520. When the PTWE was last printed, I do knot think the 520 table system was in use. Please, someone correct me if I am wrong!

I have a lathe duplicator I use on my 520. Since there is no difference between the 510 and 520 other than the table rails and fence (which are not used with the lathe duplicator) it fits and works just fine. the only difference on the 500 is the placement of the lift table legs which are attached in a different location to the same table.

I am pretty sure all this is correct but if any one knows otherwise please let us know.

I've taken two courses in turning at the local community college. Well worth the price to have an instructor who is a professional turner outside the college.

BTW, just a quick promo for my college. Cerritos College in Norwalk, CA has one of the best woodworking programs around. The prices are more than reasonable and you get more shoptime and instruction that you might get at Woodcraft or similar stores. Look for WMT classes on line (Wood Manufacturing Technologies).

Take a look through this site, they're sure to have a chapter 'near' you that can help
http://www.woodturner.org/community/cha ... apters.asp