Trying again with a different attitude

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james1725

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Nov 20, 2011
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Cabot Arkansas
I tried pen turning awhile back and just couldn't get the hang of it or at least couldn't make mine look anything like you guys. I gave up for awhile but decided to go back and practice some of the pointers on this site and watched a bunch of videos. Practiced on scrap wood with the skew and im trying to get my finish to improve. This is my best so far. Thanks for all the information
 

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jttheclockman

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Feb 22, 2005
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NJ, USA.
James, from the photo you have spent some valuable time reading, watching and absorbing information and now it is transforming into a professional looking product. I like the shape of the barrel for that kit. The finish looks very good. The fitting of the parts look very good. I say you are well on your way.

Now with that said there still will be those off days and we all have them no matter how long you do this. Shake it off and use it as another learning tool. Run into problems just jump on here and someone will help you through it. It is a fun hobby but can also be humbling. But when others start liking what you are doing is a great feeling. keep up the great work and look forward to seeing more.
 

liljohn1368

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Jul 19, 2015
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Brooksville, MS
Great looking pen, James. I turn on a daily basis and still haven't mastered the skew. It's getting better. Practice makes perfect right. keep up the good work.
 

Sataro

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Mar 15, 2009
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Mexia, TX
Pen looks great James! As John said above, your reading & watching has paid off. Pen looks professional--fit & finish all look very good.
 

campzeke

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Jun 28, 2015
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Tampa, FL
VERY NICE! I have been at this for almost 2 years and still have a lot to learn. Don't let a mistake or a difficult project discourage you. Learn from it and keep trying. I had one today chip out at the end when I was taking it off the lathe. Now I'm trying to figure out how to save it....
 

CREID

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Jul 23, 2008
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Vancouver, wa
Looks good to me and too a lot of other people from reading the replies. This fit looks spot on, you picked a nice blank and the finish is great. Good job.
 

bpgoldo

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Apr 13, 2010
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Carlsbad
James, you know that practice improves performance. You can't learn from a "lucky" success. The frustrations and problems, and solutions, and lessons that we learn from mistakes and disaster makes us all more skilled as craftsman and artists. We see that you can do beautiful work...now go out and take risks.
 

Skie_M

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Aug 7, 2015
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Lawton, Ok
I'll definitely say that practicing with the skew is a great idea, but I had much more success early on by using a half-inch bowl gouge and the round nosed scraper, as those were the tools that I was able to keep the sharpest, at first, and they were the easiest for me to learn how to master. The fit and finish on that pen are excellent, so it looks like you are most definitely getting the hang of it! :)

It is not for anybody here or anywhere else to tell you that turning with the skew is the ONLY way to make a pen. That is just plain wrong. We have people who make gorgeous pens who are BLIND ... we have people who make exceptionally lovely pens using a metal turning lathe that are semi-clear and polished INSIDE AND OUT ... we have people lurking about the forums who are making their pens with a TABLE SAW and then hand sanding the 6-sided pen to finish it (no lathe involved at all!) There are literally more ways to make a pen than anybody can shake a pen blank at (or a stick, for that matter), so pick the way that works best for you! :)


(Just don't forget to explore other options as you go!)
 

Rink

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May 12, 2013
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NW Arkansas
From your profile, it looks like you've been on the forum for a while. But oh well...since you're "back", then welcome anyway.

As Skie M said, there are lots of ways to make a pen. Your way is your way. If it works well for you don't let anyone talk you out of it. If it's not working for you, look for all the advice you can get. I've been in it for about 3.5 years, I've made 62 so far and I'm still learning on every one. Same would be said by many of the folks on this forum that have made hundreds or thousands.

Skew: well crap. I've never learned to use it, and I don't think I ever will. To some on this forum, that is sacrilege. But my pen turning has been 99% gouge. If you're careful and take light final passes, it works just fine. Recently, I acquired a couple of EWT chisels with replaceable carbide tips. They are fantastic, and probably all I will use from now on. About $50 each, and well worth it. I now use the gouge for rough rounding, then switch to the EWT's. Be careful...they cut so fast you may take too much off.

Anyway, your pen looks great, keep turning and keep learning.
 

james1725

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Nov 20, 2011
Messages
53
Location
Cabot Arkansas
Thanks again everyone. I may have been a little misleading in my original post when I said I have practiced on scrap wood with the skew. While this is true i'm still not accomplished enough to actually turn a pen blank with it and get the results I would like. I use a roughing gouge to get it round then switch to my Harbor Freight scraper and complete it with that. In short I bought a set of 8 tools and use two LOL
 

Skie_M

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Aug 7, 2015
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Lawton, Ok
That sounds like how 95% of us first learned how to turn on the lathe .... You start with 1 or 2 tools and gain proficiency ... the more you use them, the better you get at using them ...

As you go along, you'll gradually learn how to use other tools, but one of the first things you'll want to do is to learn how to properly sharpen your tools.

As you look at the tips of your lathe chisels, you'll notice that your Harbor Freight tools didn't come very sharp out of the box ... some may even have a squared off appearance with an "edge" as wide as a millimeter! Get it to a sander or grinder .... any speed works for starters, but a SLOW speed actually works best.


Now ... while they may not have made the best edge on their tools, they DID have an appropriate angle that they ground it at for you, so follow that as your guide and take material off equally from the edge ... if it's a round edge, follow that as smoothly as you can in a single motion each time, using very light pressure against the grinding or sanding surface. If it's a flat edge, then use a straight single pass from one part of the edge to another. If sanding against a belt or disc, have the edge POINTED DOWN against the cutting surface, so that you don't cut through it. You could grind in the same direction, but most people grind it with the edge up and ride the bevel against the grinding wheel.

Keep a tall container (I use a glass container that held instant tea in it's previous life ... it's 3 inches wide, and about 9 inches tall, came with a nice tight fitting plastic cap) of heavily salted water near the grinder or sander workstation that you use for sharpening .... if there's salt on the bottom, then it's good to go. In order to secure my GLASS container to a worktop for me to use it and not knock it over on the floor, I took a large tuna tin and put a single wood screw through the bottom right into the table ... the saltwater bath sits in that securely.

Every single pass, dip your tool into the saltwater to cool it back down .... you want it room temperature or lower in order to not change the hardness of your tool. DO NOT get the metal glowing red, or you will have ruined the temper of the steel. Remember, single pass, one smooth and light motion, till you have your edge established .... Also remember, saltwater is much better for cooling down hot metal, but not so great for all the rust you'ld see if you don't clean your tools properly and give them a good thin coat of light oil to prevent rusting. Cap your container of saltwater any time you are not using it.


An alternative could be to get a Diamond faced grinding disc and mount it to a wooden face block you have turned on the lathe to get a 3/4 to 1 inch surface to work with for rough cutting your edge on the lathe .... good variable speed grinder right there! Diamond also cuts with not as much heat generated. You could also make a series of wooden face blocks that have different sandpaper grits on them .... I'ld go up to like 1000 grit, and polish the bevels of your chisels to a mirror finish, as that alone will help you make smoother cuts with your tools.


This post contains a LOT of information for a new woodturner to digest, concerning setting up your lathe tools ... it is by no means complete, and represents just SOME of the initial skills you will need to learn to master in order to truly master the lathe. I'm sure someone else or I will come along and toss another tip in here when you think you're ready to take another step forward. :)


There are several video tutorials out there on the web as well that can help you with proper tool maintenance. Take your time and become proficient first .... then practice will help you master how you use the tool over time. NOBODY did it perfect their first time .... if they say they did, then they are lying or simply can't remember that far back. :)
 
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