Blanks and Inventory

[gtriever]

For the hobbyist, pen turning can get expensive in a hurry, especially with the cost of the better pen kits. I know everybody (or most everybody) will keep a good stock of blanks on hand, but what about kits/other parts?

Being new at this, I bought extra tubes for those Ooopsie!! moments. That got me to thinking about the following question:

Do you try to stock a large number of kits and turn/assemble at the same time to keep an inventory or finished pens, or do you stock a few (in my case that might be 2 or 3) of a kit and a large number of extra tubes and "pre-turn" a greater quantity of blanks within .01 or so for final sizing and finish when needed? For the little guys, that seems like it'd be a way to keep the skills fresh without breaking the bank. What do you folks say?

 

[mark james]

For kits, I tend to wait and buy a larger amount to get the volume discount. I also have narrowed down my kit choices (Jr Gent, Knurl, Sierra...). While I may have 70-90 kits on hand, they are probably only 3-4 varieties, then I will turn 6-8 at a time. Reorder 1-2x/year. I may only do 30-40 pens a year for donations.

For blanks, I always have way too many!

 

[thewishman]

I try to keep extra tubes on hand. (Sometimes, they get mixed up.) I keep a small inventory of 0-5 each of the 10 styles of pens I make. There are so many things that come up. If I get an order, I can immediately start turning, then when the kits arrive, they are ready to assemble and ship.

There is always the chance that a certain blank will be too boring or chip or get dropped. Having spare tubes is cheap insurance against waiting for the kits to arrive before I start work.

I try to stock up during group buys or sales, but don't want to tie up a lot of money in extra kits.

 

[Tim'sTurnings]

I have a total of 200 pen, pencil and misc. component kits in stock. Probably around 40 or so different types of pen and pencil kits. I have probably around 300 or so pen size and other sized wood blanks, maybe 30 or so plastic type blanks. I have an order to Penn State for about 20 more pen and seam ripper component kits. I also have extra tubes I ordered for times I messed up on some. I am making a variety of kits for stock and then I am going to open up my 2nd facebook page for selling them. :biggrin:

 

[magpens]

Hey, Tim ....

How about doing a library tutorial on selling .... and how to set up a Facebook page for that purpose.

I find Facebook quite intimidating !

 

[Rolandranch]

I turn pens for profit and it is not considered a hobby for me (though I enjoy it very much). I have a few hundred kits and hundreds of blanks in stock. I also use hundreds of kits and blanks each year. I think the number of supplies you want to keep in stock depends on how much money, time, and work you are willing to invest into penturning. It's also very convenient when your customer orders a pen that is not made yet and you can grab the parts, make it, and ship it the very same day or the next day.

 

[Vaden]

Hello, I am new to this site and love turning pens as a hobby. Can someone recommend the best place/website to purchase the pen kits?

 

[Wildman]

Please understand don't know what size lathe or turning tools you have. If you are only buying a couple kits at a time would recommend looking at this web page to find projects that interest you and go for it. This will give you more turning experience & confidence.

https://www.woodturningonline.com/projects.php

Not sure where getting your kits right now but would increase the number of kits bought and by checking sites for specials and hot deals like those offered by Berea Hardwoods. There are other sites too!

Pen Kit Making Supplies Berea HardWoods

Like other posters buy more than couple kits at a time and have not problem shopping online for best deals. Like Berea and think they still have most reasonalable shipping rates.

 

[moke]

If you intend to stay with this hobby, you may want to consider "Bulk" tubes and this little saw:

https://www.harborfreight.com/2-in-mini-bench-top-cut-off-saw-62136.html

https://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKT38-8.html

the tubes come in various sizes and colors too......the extra specific size tubes get expensive in the long run and you never seem to have the right size! This is by far handier and will last you a long time.

 

[Rolandranch]

Hello, I am new to this site and love turning pens as a hobby. Can someone recommend the best place/website to purchase the pen kits?

Here's a few good sites:
https://www.pennstateind.com/
Pen Kit Making Supplies Berea HardWoods
https://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/

 

[Woodchipper]

Moke, thanks for the link!