Pen turning 101

[hdtran]

Mark- (or anyone else that wants to chime in)..

Do you have any good suggestions on a quality mandrel that is OK for use w/ the SS and hopefully made in the USA? I guess I need more lathe parts as I've only got the bare basics that came with my machine.. Right now I'm thinking the Mandrel saver is worth getting but see quite a few other mandrels on the PSI site and don't know enough about them...

Thx!

Great thread by the way!

Made in USA is going to be interesting (if not impossible). I'm willing to bet that all the mandrels are made in China (either Taiwan or PRC) and imported into the US.

For the Shopsmith, I like the Penn State Industries PKM-CL. I have one, and am quite happy with it.

I don't thing the mandrel saver is particularly useful. I bought one, but I think it's going to sit on my shelf. I might use the mandrel saver as an alternate live center for other spindle turnings. These are the reasons why I don't think the mandrel saver is very useful for pens: (a) You can't push the motor very close to the tail stock, so you have to use the spindle quill to push the mandrel in; (b) you shouldn't be using a ton of pressure on the mandrel anyway; (c) sharp tools, low(ish) cutting forces, let the lathe do the work, so don't push on your tools, you don't need the stiffness of a shorter mandrel; (d) make sure you have good spindle-to-tailstock alignment, use a live center with the point matching the dimple in the mandrel.

If you're doing one-tube blanks, just use a spacer wood block (with a 7 mm hole drilled) to take up extra space on your mandrel, or buy more spacer bushings (slimline bushings).

Best,

hdtran

[osx-addict]

Cool.. Thanks! That's what I was looking for and appears to be what Mark is also using per the pictures posted earlier in this thread! I can live with $18 spent..

Now to just figure out what else I might need..

By the way.. If I want to use one of the kits from PSI as my first turning project, any suggestions on a particular style that isn't particularly bad for a turning newbie? I looked at their traditional kit but wasn't sure about a few things.. I guess I'm leaning towards the one called out in this thread (the sculpted model) and perhaps one of their letter openers too.. Is there anything else that you would consider mandatory for pen turning? (I've already added the pen makers glue (CA) (PKGLUE61) to my cart..).. Thanks!!

[mbcabinetmaker]

Cool.. Thanks! That's what I was looking for and appears to be what Mark is also using per the pictures posted earlier in this thread! I can live with $18 spent..

Now to just figure out what else I might need..

By the way.. If I want to use one of the kits from PSI as my first turning project, any suggestions on a particular style that isn't particularly bad for a turning newbie? I looked at their traditional kit but wasn't sure about a few things.. I guess I'm leaning towards the one called out in this thread (the sculpted model) and perhaps one of their letter openers too.. Is there anything else that you would consider mandatory for pen turning? (I've already added the pen makers glue (CA) (PKGLUE61) to my cart..).. Thanks!!

Rick it might be better to order a couple of the funline kits to start out and practice with. At only a couple of bucks each they do not hurt as much if you mess up. The slimline pens are great for starting. Also they do not require a special bushing setup. You use the spacers/bushings that come with your mandrel. Get a few of these and perfect your turning and finishing before stepping up to the more expensive kits.

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKSLFUN24.html

[cmccarter1]

Another option is

http://www.woodnwhimsies.com

they are a reseller of the PSI kits and just a tad cheaper on less than 50 lots.

chester

[pennview]

I think this place is among the least expensive places to get pen kits -- http://www.slimlinepens.com/#PK-1035

Their economy slimlines are $1.55 or less depending on the quantity you buy.

[osx-addict]

Thanks All.. I'll check them out.. Someone, elsewhere, also suggested http://www.woodturningz.com/Slimline_Pen_Kits.aspx as another cheap alternative with good results.. I'll let you know how it goes once I get there.. I still need to get my various lathe tools sharpened..

[hdtran]

So before you actually make some pens, practice making some spindles. Have fun. If you're attached to the wood (cheap pine from Home Depot?), you're not willing to take risks to see what works and what doesn't. Try making chopsticks(!).

And of course, don't forget safety glasses, maybe hearing protection, and a dust mask.

Have fun!

[osx-addict]

Thanks for the suggestion on trail-n-error.. I had actually tried last year after Christmas and saved a piece of the old tree (the small end) for turning and that was how I found the chisels were VERY dull -- either that or that fir was REALLY strong!!

[tradertom]

Thanks for all the pen turning info in one thread. IT has been a great experience for me.
Learned a bunch.
Look forward to a continuing relationship with this Forum.

[mgdesigns]

But Art does bring up a good point to be cautious of. Not everyone has a nice 4 jaw chuck not to mention the morse taper to mount the drill chuck into the tail stock. Perhaps if a had a couple hundred bucks laying around with nothing better to do (At least in the financial manger's eyes).

So in the mean time I use some 1/4 inch rod mounted perpendicular to my disc sander that I can hold the blanks onto to ensure the blank is squared to the tube. I have a separate bench mounted disc sander I use for this.

One method I have seen is to use the cut off rod from the miter gauge and the disc sander. Now if I could only find my miter gauge and cut off rod which I lost during my recent move. I've been searching for months. I'm sure it is "somewhere safe where I won't lose it!"

I did pickup a MT #2 with drill chuck at Harbor Freight for $9.99 a few months ago. So that cost is not too prohibitive. (http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-i ... 42340.html) I also agree that even if you use a 4-jaw chuck, you might have sides of the blank that are not running parallel to the bore. I frequently use scraps of hardwood cutoffs from guitar necks, and use them as they fall off (just cut to length). The sides may be curved or angle any which way - who cares!! The chips come off just the same on the lathe. So perhaps using a drill rod as a center pin guide for end sanding is the better way to go. I use the Woodcraft bore reamer & facing die, but the darned thing will heat up the tubes and cause the glue to slip; then I spend a few aggravating minutes removing the tube from the reamer. But I also use CA Medium Viscosity Glue.