Pen kits from different manufacturers

[Hiramwoodworks]

I am quickly falling down the rabbit hole of pen turning and I LOVE IT! I'm not even good at it yet, but I can see the potential.

My question is about purchasing pen kits. So far all my kits I have gotten were at my local Rockler and Woodcraft stores. I want to buy kits online. From Penn State and other places that offer different hardware. Is there a chart somewhere or an easy way to know if your bushings for pen kits you already own will work with other pen kits? I figured there has to be something. Or do pen turners just own a thousand bushings and just have to keep them well organized?

Thanks for the help. More pen postings coming soon!


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[brownsfn2]

It looks like you have an IPhone. Check out the link on the Front page of IAP. There is an app for that.

 

[Hiramwoodworks]

It looks like you have an IPhone. Check out the link on the Front page of IAP. There is an app for that. í*½í¹‚

I do have that app. It's just a little cryptic. I probably just need to look more at it and save some of the kits I already have and see what matches them. Thanks for the reminder about the app.


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app

 

[jttheclockman]

You do not need an Iphone, just go to the library here and click on references and look for the chart for pen tubes and will give you a ton of info. Will take some research but it is worth it.

 

[Rockytime]

I don't have an i-phone so I use the charts in the library. I print them out and keep them in a three ring binder. What would be convenient is if all instructions would show bushing dimensions. Many do but some do not. All my bushings have a tag with the ID and OD dimensions shown. It is then easy to determine if I have the necessary bushings on hand.

 

[TurtleTom]

After many years of trial and tears, I have discovered the most perfect pen supplier in the country, Exotic Blanks. About 1/3 of my blank orders from Penn State were inferior. I didn't even send them back. They asked me to review my order so I did, I raved all the blanks I liked, stabilized clear maple burl and box elder, and panned the ones that were inferior. They were happy to post the ones I raved but the others were trashed.
Buy the best blanks you can afford, but to start out I suggest using some local lumber, even if you have to cut it. Cutting to a diagonal seems to produce the best results.
Good luck.

 

[JimB]

It looks like you have an IPhone. Check out the link on the Front page of IAP. There is an app for that. í*½í¹'

I do have that app. It's just a little cryptic. I probably just need to look more at it and save some of the kits I already have and see what matches them. Thanks for the reminder about the app.


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app

When using the app all you need to do is enter the bushing sizes of one of your current kits in the search field. It will return all the kits that use that combination of sizes. It's not a perfect system because it searches all numbers not just bushing sizes but it will give you a very good list.

 

[MTViper]

No matter how similar pen kits from different vendors look (Sierra/Mesa/Wall Street for example), each vendor seems to put his own spin on the kit and and you can't be sure the bushings will be the same. You're better off getting bushings that are made for the pen kits you buy. You'll eventually settle into 1-4 vendors you buy from regularly so you know what you're getting. Steve

 

[Edgar]

It looks like you have an IPhone. Check out the link on the Front page of IAP. There is an app for that. í*½í¹'

I do have that app. It's just a little cryptic. I probably just need to look more at it and save some of the kits I already have and see what matches them. Thanks for the reminder about the app.


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app

When using the app all you need to do is enter the bushing sizes of one of your current kits in the search field. It will return all the kits that use that combination of sizes. It's not a perfect system because it searches all numbers not just bushing sizes but it will give you a very good list.

As a follow-on to what Jim stated, the app also has a couple of other bushing search features:

1. From the Kit Detail Page, you can tap on either the Upper/Cap Bushing heading or the Lower/Body Bushing text lines. The sizes of that bushing will be automatically entered into the search field & the app will automatically perform that search.

It will only search on one bushing at a time, but you can repeat the search to find other kits that use both bushings. In many cases though, one search is enough.

2. From the main kit listing page, tap on the info icon on the right. This will bring up an kit summary page showing the type of kit and part numbers for the bushings & tubes that that kit uses. You can enter that bushing part number into the search field to find other kits that use those same bushings.

However, there is one limitation to this search feature: some suppliers use their own part numbers for the bushings. In those cases, you may not find any other kits from other suppliers that use the same bushings, even though there may actually be some.

 

[its_virgil]

The wall Street 2 and 3 sold by Woodcraft are exactly the same kit as the Berea sierra and sierra vista...Woodcraft sell Berea kits and change the name. Also, the Woodcraft navigator is the same as the Baron from Berea.it is a bit confusing at times. Lots of vendors but only three or four actual manufacturers of kits.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

No matter how similar pen kits from different vendors look (Sierra/Mesa/Wall Street for example), each vendor seems to put his own spin on the kit and and you can't be sure the bushings will be the same. You're better off getting bushings that are made for the pen kits you buy. You'll eventually settle into 1-4 vendors you buy from regularly so you know what you're getting. Steve