how long does it take you to make a pen?

[DB in VT]

I have read many posts that mention how long some of you take to finish a pen. Now I'm curious. Let's assume that the pen involves a kit and you already have the blank ready to go.

How long does it generally take you to finish a:
1) single tube pen?
2) a dual tube pen?

This should include drilling the blank, gluing the tube, turning the pen and finishing the pen.

I'll start.
1) I usually can do a single tube pen in 25-30 minutes
2) A dual tube pen takes between 45 min and 1 hour.

Certainly there are many other factors, such as delicate blanks or different finishing methods, that go into a pen. Let's just see what a 'normal' pens takes.

 

[acmaclaren]

It usually takes me about 1 hour for a single tube. 1 hour and a half for a 2-tube pen.

 

[EBorraga]

Atleast 1 day from start to finish. But I epoxy the tubes in and let them sit 24 hours before going any further.

 

[Woodchipper]

Depends on how many mistakes I make. Usually about two hours for any pen. I use CA for the tubes and let the blank sit for about 30 minutes. The fellow at the WC store teaches pen turning classes. My grandson and I took separate classes. He glued the tubes, squared the blanks, and then started turning.

 

[Gerhard Christmann]

Hello,

some years ago I made some* slimline pens & pencils for a nice company (at this time) named JET Tool Group Europa, also had demos at fairs.

I made a list of all the time, when I made a batch. I came to 18.30 min each.

*But I made 75 to 100 in a row, does this count?

Have a nice week,
greetings from Germany

Ps Now retired, I made the last week 20 Christma(nn)s Ornaments,
today ~ 14, some parts are from last week and have 20 - 30 more to go.

Gerhard

 

[gtriever]

If it's a pre-tubed blank, one to two hours. If it's one I drill, etc. myself, at least a couple of days per pen.

 

[KLJ]

About 30 minutes on average, I use 5 min epoxy to glue tubes, ca and accelerator as finish.

 

[dogcatcher]

Depends on what "time" you really want. Actual work time, not waiting for the glue or finish to dry? Or from conception of the idea to the pen ready to write? You making one at a time or a few dozen?

 

[bsshog40]

I always drill my blanks, glue the tubes and let them sit overnight. So I usually start with reaming the ends, turning and then the last 2 I did a CA finish. Took me about 3 1/2 hrs for both.

 

[keithbyrd]

When I first started I was conscious of time and found myself seeing how fast I could make them. Suddenly I found myself sacrificing quality for speed and quantity. I no longer track time- I work on the pen until I am pleased with the result. I also found that my customers appreciate this response.

 

[magpens]

Dennis,

You are so speedy that I am not even going to answer how long it takes me.

When you assume that the blank is "ready to go", does that mean it is rounded and cut to the approx. correct length, but not drilled ?

 

[DB in VT]

Mal,
When I consider the blank 'ready' all I mean is that I am not segmenting, stabilizing or casting. That part is already done. I consider 'ready' when it is at the size of a standard pen blank but not yet drilled or cut to length.

 

[magpens]

Thanks, Dennis.

 

[greenacres2]

All too often it takes me less time to cut, drill, turn, finish and assemble than it does to pick the blank to go with hardware or the hardware to go with the blank. May not be that bad, but sometimes i'll spend an hour or more looking at little pieces of wood trying to decide what I want to do!!

It's a hobby--i'd go broke trying to make a profit--let alone trying to make a living!!
earl

 

[ajollydds]

I have 3 blanks sitting on my bench for the next PWP contest at the Bash. Hopefully they will be ready in time.

 

[Chasper]

I work in production batches, but I know how long it takes to make several pens in one run. Also I mostly do resin blanks and that is faster for me than wood or antler, so I'll talk about resin only.

I can start a day with 50 single section pens cut, drilled and painted inside, and end the day with all those pens squared, turned, finished and assembled, plus 50 different single section pens cut, drilled, painted and ready to start on the next day. That takes 6-7 hours total, depending on how many breaks I take, how many times I stop to sketch some new pen making idea, and other interruptions.

That's in the neighborhood of 8 minutes per pen, but If needed to assign inventory numbers, make sales tags, examine recent sales, check existing inventory, calculate a forecast of what is needed next, pick out the blanks needed, order any that are missing, that would add about 3 hours. If I'm making blanks, add even more time.

I could do 30 two section pens in the same time period, about 13 minutes each.

 

[MRDucks2]

I did a single run of 22 American Chestnut pens Euro/Designer style slimlines last year and tracked working time only (no time for glue to dry). CA finish, basic variations on the "slight bulge through the middle" of both blanks. The average time was 37 minutes start to finish from rough blank to putting in a sleeve. Among those I had a nice 21 minute pen and a nice 53 minute pen. Overall, quality was not as nice as when I take about an hour (not tracked) for each pen. But I am a novice at this.


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[JimB]

When I started turning I started with pens and 'how long it took' was something I watched. What I discovered was the more I tracked how long it took the less the quality of the pen. Because of that, and because for me this is more of a hobby, I stopped tracking how long it takes me to turn anything. It doesn't matter if it is a pen or a bowl, it is done when I like it.

I have a few 'finished' items in my shop. They are turned, sanded and have finish on them. They are still in my shop because I am not satisfied with how they look so they will go back on the lathe and I will see if I can make them better. They have been sitting in my shop for months.

If I were to guess I would say it takes 30 - 45 minutes to make a pen.

 

[MRDucks2]

One thing to mention is I have come to realize that sometimes, wether it be while turning or finishing, you suddenly get a feeling it is "right".

I have found that if I go ahead and stop at that point, I may not end up with quite what I thought I was going for, but I do end up with a very nice piece I didn't screw up by over working it, either.


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[mmayo]

Slow down

When I first started I was conscious of time and found myself seeing how fast I could make them. Suddenly I found myself sacrificing quality for speed and quantity. I no longer track time- I work on the pen until I am pleased with the result. I also found that my customers appreciate this response.

I too have tried to be as efficient as possible, but I will be purposely less efficient to get back to the quality I like and my customers deserve. That said I also never just make one pen. I make 10 or 15 of one kind. A look around my shop will show many many blanks with tubes glued in, flushed up and ready to turn. My epoxy has always cured completely. When I turn pens I also turn a bunch of one kit kind. I used to wonder how to answer that question to customers and never had a good answer for me or them.

I say three days now...and move on to those new premium cartridges or that perfectly smooth, glossy finish.

 

[TonyL]

If I just count the time performing the pen making activities (no waiting time other that for CA finish): 45 minutes for a single barrel and close to double that for a double barrel. Add 10 to 20 minutes for a CA finish.
Drilling, Squaring, Sanding and Polishing take me the most time of any of the activities.
If non opaque materials - add 10 minutes for spraying tubes and inside barrels.

 

[its_virgil]

How Long Does It Take To Make One Of Those?

Do you mean...

not plant the tree, but find the wood,

just 'see' the piece, (as if I could)?

to find a highly figured burl,

a crotch, an eye, or pearly curl?

And once I spy it, perhaps buy it,

inventory, store, and dry it?

Then saw or cut it, possibly I kiln it,

glue, imbue with fill, or drill it?

You mean, that once I'm satisfied

it's stopped the warps, checks, cracks, once dried?

And mounted on the lathe, to turn it,

(which takes much practice, just to learn it;

and then employ a gouge, or two,

or use a skew, which I don't eschew,

to mold it, shape it (what's your pleasure?)

by all means, I'm sure to measure,

then sand it smooth, please wear your mitts,

from coarse to fine, 10,000 grits,

then braze, or burnish, paint, or polish,

(the goal: enhance, and don't demolish)?

Is that your question, start to end,

how long's that path, its way to wend?

Or do you merely want to know how long it turned?

Ten minutes, or so.

© John A. Styer, The Lathe-meister

 

[magpens]

Hey, Don, that is a superb poem ... thank you for quoting ... never saw it before !!!

 

[Herb G]

It takes as long as it takes. Not one minute more or less.
Think about it.

 

[Glenn McCullough]

Assuming we're talking an out of the package "kit" and blank ( I don't use the word kit except here). From drilling the blank,gluing it, turning it, finishing it and assembly, a single tube pen is 35 minutes. Double tube, 50 minutes. I always tell my customers it takes days...and it does. From ordering the correct hardware, sandpaper, glue, blank, etc. photographing it, packaging it, shipping it.
I prefer wood pens as I don't have to wait a day for the paint to dry as on a plastic pen. I can do a 4 coat CA finish faster than a plastic finish since I don't have to go through three or four grits of sand paper.
That being said, I am not finished with a pen until it is right and sometimes it's not. So I turn it down to the tube and start over, Happens now and then!

 

[nativewooder]

It can take as much as 30 years of more, depending on how long it takes the tree to grow!:biggrin:

 

[Bope]

This is an interesting thread. The time to make a gift is only pertinent to how much you like the person and your patience. Spending hours to make a unique blank and getting that finish just perfect adds to the value as a gift. When it comes to selling pens time is much more critical. Just getting into pen making and thinking about selling some I timed myself. For a slimline pen from cutting the blank to pressing on the parts takes me about 1:15. That doesn't include time rummaging through the scrap pile looking for something to use. I then looked at Etsy to see what people are charging. I couldn't see how people could be selling pens for $10-$15. After materials that is only $5-$10 per pen. Seeing some people can some how make a pen in less than 15 min. I guess you can make some money but not worth my time at that money.

 

[magpens]

Comes down to ...

... ' You want it fast, or you want it good ? '

 

[skiprat]

What's the rush? This is supposed to be an enjoyable pastime, not a sprint to the end. Like many things in life, you should savour the enjoyable parts. And you get bonus points if you can share that time....:wink::biggrin:
Why would you want to rush something you enjoy doing??

Take your time and enjoy your time..

 

[DB in VT]

responses

First of all, this should not have been posted in this forum. There is already one for surveys and polls. My apologies.
Secondly, I have enjoyed reading the various responses. Some of you seem offended by the question. Again, my apologies. This was intended as something fun to read; not something to read more into.
I, too, have spent many, many hours getting something just right. Sometimes it even comes out that way. Other times everything falls into place and, "BOOM", I've got a pen in a short time.
Turning pens for me is a hobby. I am in awe of those of you who make a living doing it. I have sold a few but it is more a way to relax and create something beautiful along the way.
Tonight, when I get home from work, tired and stressed, I'll go down to my workshop and make a pen. Don't know what kind - don't really care, either. When I'm done I will be able to relax and watch some election results.
Thank you to everyone who took some of their time to write a response.

 

[magpens]

Dennis,

I don't think you have to apologize for anything ... a lot of people have found this thread interesting and worthwhile.

 

[DB in VT]

Here is the one I made after work tonight. Now to relax and have some dinner.
A Sierra grip with cherry burl.

 

[magpens]

That Cherry Burl is really lovely !!!! . Well done !!!

 

[JonathanF1968]

A couple days ago, I was under very tight time pressure to go from a pair of prepared cigar blanks (two sections, drilled and with their tubes epoxied in) to a finished pen. I did it in about 35 minutes, which was a little too fast for me, but I got it done.

On calmer days, a great deal of my time is spent looking for tools that my children have absconded with, or trying to find the right @!!*& bushings.