First Pen!

[keithncsu]

So here's my first real attempt at a pen. Definitely learned some things and see areas for improvement. Main thing I need to get better at is glueing tubes. The bottom one here broke free while assembling but I just kept going. Clearly need to take a little more material off but I got nervous and didn't want to catch my tool and ruin a great attempt. CA finish wasn't nearly as intimidating as it played out in my head. More coats for a better/thicker finish for sure.

Sorry, I'm no photographer so the lighting is terrible.

Thanks to Herb G for the free noob box of blanks!!

 

[The Falcons Quill]

It's a great start, I wish I could find some of my first ones to see that improvement.

However, like most here, you have begun down a very slippery slope into pen making my friend. Good luck and good turning.

 

[OLDMAN5050]

Always keep your first... I wish I had..

 

[Edgar]

Nice start - thanks for sharing. Like others have suggested, be sure to keep that first one.

Some use epoxy & some use CA to glue tubes. I use CA & I'll share my technique. Avoid heat & moisture - I let the blanks cool a few minutes before gluing & clean the hole with compressed air (don't blow it out with your own breath). Test fit the tube & ensure a good fit but with no drag or binding. Liberally coat the tube with medium CA and insert it with an in-out & twisting motion to get a good coating on the drilled hole. Let it set & cure a while before turning - I like to wait at least 24 hrs, but no less than 1 hour. This procedure works fine for me & I don't rough up the tubes.

 

[leehljp]

Turn two or three more pens to get the feel, then buy a dozen extra tubes. Get some plain pine or other wood from an old pallet or board. Practice drilling, gluing, turning, sanding, finishing. Don't worry about making a pen. Concentrate on the basics that go into making a pen. After about 5 or 6 of these, your pen turning level will jump up several notches. With these practice blanks, you are not worried about messing up a blank or turning too much off, but learning what each action does - and learning how to recover in some instances.

I remember the day that I did this and drilled, turned and applied finished on about 10 or 12 pine blanks (from a 2x4 pine cutoff) in 4 to 5 hours. I learned a lot from that practice session and some of the fear of over-turning a blank went away, and for me the greatest thing was that I got the feel of how to apply a decent CA finish. That takes the pressure off of trying to arrive at a decent pen, and gives good practice and help in learn the techniques that work for you.

KEEP that Pen!

 

[Herb G]

That box of walnut never looked so good.
Make sure you keep that pen, so in future years, you can go back & see how much you've improved.

I am glad you're happy with the wood.
Take care, my friend.

 

[OZturner]

Keith, That pen was probably the Hardest Pen you will ever make.
Firstly it is a Slimline, A good choice as they are not expensive, so if it is a disaster, not a costly loss.
Secondly, it has a 7mm Tube, which means that you do not have a lot of Meat to work with after you bring the Blank down to the Bushes, and of course it is a two piece blank Pen.
The suggestion from Hank is very sound, get a handful of Pine or Pallet, timber.
Cut them to Length, I wouldn't worry about getting Tubes, and Gluing them in at this stage.
I would drill the Blank to the diameter of your Mandrel, and fit the drilled blank to your Mandrel, and Bushes and turn, sand and finish as if they were going onto a pen.
Do this until you are satisfied with your turning and finishing, then you can fit Tubes, to the next lot of Blanks, and make Completed Pens.
That way you have kept your costs to an absolute minimum, and you have gained quick and valuable experience.
I also suggest that you keep that pen, and look at it in a months time, and compare just how much your work has improved.
Congratulations,
Brian.

 

[Penstyle]

very good advice to keep your first pen, well done indeed and keep turning

 

[lhowell]

Nice! Ditto on what they said about keeping your first pen as well as the slippery slope you have just entered.

A few pointers about glue ups. If you have not already, look into purchasing a good pen blank vise that will hold your pen blanks vertical and steady while drilling. Make sure your drill press table is square and plumb to your drill bit as well.

I usually test fit the pen blanks before applying CA to the tubes. Rough up the tubes if they are smooth and then I use a medium CA glue (usually three to four strips of it the length of the tube and while inserting the tube into the blank I twist the tube back and forth. I then hit the tube and blank with a quick blast of CA Accelerator and then square it up with either the sander or barrel trimmer.

Hope this helps and happy turning!!

 

[Whitehat1994]

Nice first pen. My wife has my first pen I made totally by myself. I still have the very first pen I made with help and direction.

 

[keithncsu]

Here is my second attempt. Certainly an improvement. Found out I like the Woodcraft kits better than Rockler. At least on these two I tried.

 

[leehljp]

Here is my second attempt. Certainly an improvement. Found out I like the Woodcraft kits better than Rockler. At least on these two I tried.

Looking good Keith. A suggestion that helps early on - get a good pair of calipers from Harbor Freight or elsewhere for $15-25. Measure your center band, nib and clip end and then measure and turn your blank to match the measurements. Don't be afraid to over turn it a tad. That can be made up with building up of CA or other finish, and a little practice.

 

[lhowell]

Here is my second attempt. Certainly an improvement. Found out I like the Woodcraft kits better than Rockler. At least on these two I tried.

Looking good! I agree with the sentiment of Woodcraft over Rockler kits. Try Penn State Industries and Bear Tooth Woods as well. Both have great kit selections but be prepared because it is very easy to get carried away and almost pass out when you see how much you've put in your cart at checkout!!

 

[jsolie]

Congrats on the two pens! Definitely hang onto them. I have some of my early pens around here somewhere. A couple of them have been disassembled and returned as my technique improved.