Newbee needing info on where to purchase

[Steve in KC]

Hello all. I'm a newbee poster, but been lurking for quite a while.

I currently have a lathe with a 3/4" 16TPI threading and want to know where to go for the best deal on getting started in pens. I've found pennstate's starter kit, but that includes epoxy, pre-shaped blanks, barrel trimmer, etc for about $60ish bucks. I can get a #1 MT mandrel kit for a few bucks cheaper.

Questions:
Is there a one-stop shop kit that I can get that would include the following?
5-10 pen/pencil kits
appropriate drill bit
barrel trimmer
pen press
CA glue in thick and thin

Also, is it better to have a MT mandrel or a screw on type?

Just looking for the best bang for my buck.

Thanks.

 

[knottyharry]

There are several places...
Woodturningz carries all the stuff the Penn State has but a little less money. They are good to deal with.
1 800 736 5487

Also look on the home page on the left it has links to various places. They are all good...
Harry

 

[wpenm]

You can get everything you need from Woodturningz at a reasonable price. They sell PSI products at a discount price. Hope this helps.

 

[its_virgil]

Welcome to the group and to this wonderful world of penturning. Before you buy, you should give Bill Baumbeck a call. He is the owner of Airzona Silhouette and sells Berea kits and everything you will need to get started. The web site is http://www.arizonasilhouette.com and the phone number is listed. Looking forward to seeing some of you ork...we love pictures here.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

http://www.tinyurl.com/bmsy4 (personal pen album)

by Steve in KC[/i]
<br />Hello all. I'm a newbee poster, but been lurking for quite a while.

Questions:
Is there a one-stop shop kit that I can get that would include the following?
[/quote]

 

[rfreeouf]

Steve,

Welcome to the group! I am glad to see another person from the Kansas City area on the forum. w00t!

Any of the above vendors are great. I just purchased several Cigar Kits from http://www.arizonasilhouette.com and am very pleased with there service.

Another good site is www.woodturnerscatalog.com

 

[wdcav1952]

Steve,

The above are all good sites. I would also recommend as a vendor http://beartoothwoods.com/

Also, I would shy away from Starter packages. They will usually have things for which there is no need.

Harbor Freight, and sometimes Big Lots and similar stores will have lathe tools dirt cheap. In my opinion, these are good to learn with. In fact, after two years, I am still using cheap tools. I have to sharpen more often, but as long as the tools are sharp, they will work.

Spend some time in the articles here, as well as the Yahoo Penturners group in the files and FAQ sections there. The more you learn from reading, the less money you will spend on things that you will not use.

When you are ready, buy the more inexpensive kits to start. Very few of us turned out pens that are worth the expensive platings when we first started turning. Buy plenty of extra tubes so that you can practice. Tubes are cheap, practice is good!

Enough blathering from me. Welcome to the group, and most important of all, have fun!

 

[KenV]

I also have a 3/4 by 16 thread headstock. You did not mention what kind of lathe or if/what kind of morse taper it has. Mine does not have a morse taper so I use threaded tooling only.

PSI has a mandrel head in 3/4 by 16 that works well. Mine has a 1/4 by 28 threaded hole that accepts the Berea A and B mandrels. There are a few other thread standards for mandrels so ask.

It is hard to beat the slim line to start with. A good book or two and perhaps a DVD can go a long way. I hear a lot of good things about the Duke of Burl's video (Az Silloutte). The Penn State DVD is free and is certainly worth the cost. There is a most excellent tutorial on the home page for this site.

Get started, make mistakes, learn and improve -- and most of all have some fun.

 

[TomServo]

Agree with everyone about the slimlines - BB at arizonasilhouette sells them for $1.55 each. Hard to beat that, even a set of tubes runs like $.40 Don't get us wrong, though. I started with CSUSA "Fountain Pen" kits. There's no hard and fast rule about what to learn on. Heck, if you're stacked in the wallet, learn on emperors.

wayne: not sure I agree about the cheap HF tools - M2 HSS is M2 HSS, whether sorby sells it or HF sells it. The quality of the finish is lower, certainly, and the handles are no masterpieces, but they should hold an edge the same given the same tempering. One thing is absoutely certain - you're not going to cry because you just ground away half the tool. The whole set of 8 costs less than the average 1/2" sorby gouge. Both require sharpening at regular intervals, one marginally less than the other (perhaps).

 

[airrat]

in my opinion stay away from the 24k slimlines. the gold rubs off too easily. Have not had that happen on any other style.

 

[its_virgil]

I have a set of the more expensive HF tools (8 tools for $42.95) and I love them. I use them 85% of the time. They are good tools, hold an edge as well as my name brand tools, and the price is more than right. I also have a set of the cheaper tools, and while they are good tools, they are not as heavy (thickness, etc) as the more expensive set.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

Originally posted by wdcav1952
Harbor Freight, and sometimes Big Lots and similar stores will have lathe tools dirt cheap. In my opinion, these are good to learn with. In fact, after two years, I am still using cheap tools. I have to sharpen more often, but as long as the tools are sharp, they will work.

 

[pssherman]

If your lathe has a morse taper, then I would recommend getting an MT mandrel set with a collet. These allow you to adjust the length of the mandrel to suit what you are turning and reduce out-of-roundness problems.

Paul in AR