billm75
Member
Hi again everyone,
As a newbie to the world of pen turning (or really any kind of wood turning), I'm learning how much fun this can be. So far I've not worked with many different woods or materials.
I started out with a slimiline starter kit from PSI, which came with pre-drilled rosewood blanks, enough to make 5 pens and 5 pencils. Having never turned anything before, I thought this was how all woods would feel on the lathe, and honestly I imagined the acrylics (plastic) to be easier. Boy was I wrong.
I finally had the opportunity to turn Teak, Leopardwood, Pink Ivory, Mesquite and Bocote woods, and one acrylic blank. The acrylic was harder to work with than I was expecting.
The teak was nice, didn't get a pile of shavings so much as I did a pile of fine dust.
The leopard, pink ivory and mesquite all turned like butter. I would turn those every single day just because of how smooth they felt under the chisel.
The bocote was somewhere between the softer feel of the mesquite and the hardness of the acrylic...maybe more like rosewood.
Either way, it's been a learning experience, and has me wanting to get more varieties in the shop so I can get a feel for them as well. I hope to get even half as talented as some of you guys are, but I'm having a blast either way.
Thanks for sharing your info, experience and photos, it's extremely encouraging to a new guy like me.
As a newbie to the world of pen turning (or really any kind of wood turning), I'm learning how much fun this can be. So far I've not worked with many different woods or materials.
I started out with a slimiline starter kit from PSI, which came with pre-drilled rosewood blanks, enough to make 5 pens and 5 pencils. Having never turned anything before, I thought this was how all woods would feel on the lathe, and honestly I imagined the acrylics (plastic) to be easier. Boy was I wrong.
I finally had the opportunity to turn Teak, Leopardwood, Pink Ivory, Mesquite and Bocote woods, and one acrylic blank. The acrylic was harder to work with than I was expecting.
The teak was nice, didn't get a pile of shavings so much as I did a pile of fine dust.
The leopard, pink ivory and mesquite all turned like butter. I would turn those every single day just because of how smooth they felt under the chisel.
The bocote was somewhere between the softer feel of the mesquite and the hardness of the acrylic...maybe more like rosewood.
Either way, it's been a learning experience, and has me wanting to get more varieties in the shop so I can get a feel for them as well. I hope to get even half as talented as some of you guys are, but I'm having a blast either way.
Thanks for sharing your info, experience and photos, it's extremely encouraging to a new guy like me.
