Going to turn my first pen

[Spec Grade]

Any advice? I've already obtained dry wood, and drilled it correctly for the pen kit.
Any other advice?

 

[keithkarl2007]

Don't forget to rough up the tubes with 120 grit sandpaper

 

[Chief Hill]

Ahh where to start? What kind of kit? What type of glue? There is a ton of steps to go through here? Exactly what do you need to know?

 

[Majorbdk]

Didn't someone make a PDF for beginners?

 

[keithkarl2007]

http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=42446

 

[Majorbdk]

Yep, that is it.. Thanks Keith.

 

[Majorbdk]

Oh, one thing I learned tonight.... don't drill the blanks too fast. I was rushing and pushed a little too hard. When I backed out, it popped burning wood in my face. Right over my glasses into the corner of my eye. Didn't get in my eye but burnt the corner. It is painful. YES, I'M STUPID. LOL

 

[keithkarl2007]

Ouch

 

[wdcav1952]

Dudes, y'all forgot the most important part of your first pen!!

Enjoy turning it and remember, we do this for fun, not to save lives or anything like that!

 

[keithkarl2007]

And no matter how it turns out, keep it and look back on it every now and then to see how your progressing

 

[Daniel]

I hae a real important bit of advice, take your time and enjoy it. Then when you are done keep it, you will never have a first again.

 

[EBorraga]

Full Face shield would help ya some.

Oh, one thing I learned tonight.... don't drill the blanks too fast. I was rushing and pushed a little too hard. When I backed out, it popped burning wood in my face. Right over my glasses into the corner of my eye. Didn't get in my eye but burnt the corner. It is painful. YES, I'M STUPID. LOL

 

[ldb2000]

Full Face shield would help ya some.

1+++ on this one . In your rush to make that first pen ALWAYS wear eye protection . If you put out an eye on the first one you will have a very short run at being a penturner !!!
Safety should be JOB#1 . A full face shield is better then a pair of safety goggles , but even those are better then nothing .
I'm working on a new design with allot of tricky cuts to be made and have had several spectacular catastrophic failures of blanks that sent shrapnel flying in all directions at full speed , without my full face shield my eyes would most likely have taken a number of hits .

 

[Frank Nemke sr]

Not stupid, you learned something today

 

[Spec Grade]

Well, I made a rookie mistake. I glued the brass tubes in with CA glue, and let it dry. Then I forgot to mill the ends, and I stuck it on the mandrel. It turned ok, but the bushing slipped into the end of the wood, and split one side out. That's ok, I won't forget that anytime soon again. Good thing I bought extra brass tubes.
I'm trying to make a Slimline pen from PSI.

 

[bracky1]

Spend a bit of time on the finish, on my first, I was so keen to see a finished pen I neglected to put a decent finish on it :wink: