Pen Starter Kit Yes or No?

[rnfuller]

Ok, here is the deal. I am just getting started, and have ordered a lathe and it is on the way.

My question is, Should I:

a) Buy one of the many starter kits for sale that have, mandrel, kits, blanks, bushings, glue, turning tools, etc.

or
b) Piecemeal everything I need to get started making slimline pens to get my feet wet?

c) some other option.

Thanks your your help

Randy

 

[bking0217]

When I first started, I looked at starter kits. It seemed (to me, at least) that all of them had at least a couple things I didn't need and lacked things I did need that I would still have to buy, requiring more money. I ended up just buying what I needed individually and spent, I believe, the same amount of money and got only what I needed.

 

[lorbay]

I would go with (b) I did the option (a) when I started and if I knew then what I know now I would have gone with (b).
You don't get the best of parts when it's in a bundle.

Lin.

 

[terryf]

Yip definitely B

 

[ryvnd2001]

Set Up kit

Just turn between centers....you'll never even think of using a mandrel! Also, the woodchuck pro might be the most versatile tool you could buy!

 

[omb76]

There are pro's and con's to the kits. I bought one when I first started out and have eventually replaced everything with better products. The nice thing about the kit is that it gets you up and running quickly on a tighter budget and you get a feel for what kind of tooling you do and don't like. When I do upgrade tools, products, etc., I'm amazed at the difference each time, wishing I had discovered it sooner. I will say that by using the products with the starter kit first, that it made me a better turner rather than starting out with the best and not knowing that a cheap carbon skew will have to be sharpened after each pen and there is no way it will ever turn a TruStone blank. I also learned that I don't like turning slimline kits and the blanks and pen kits they provide are not very nice (maybe that's why I don't like turning them?). It forced my hand so to speak to learn that the better the tools you have, the better the end result your pen will have. I started turning before I found the IAP so I didn't have the added advantage of all the knowledge that is available here. I guess my point is that I think the kit is a good way to start out, you will eventually replace most things that came with it with better items, but there is nothing like experience to show you what you need. Hope this ramble makes sense...

 

[wouldentu2?]

Go with A, you are unfamiliar with any of this and for 60 bucks you will have everything you need to turn on day one. Some of the items I still use 2 years later.

 

[Drstrangefart]

I had a LOT of guidance getting started. And every time someone near and dear to me upgrades, I somehow end up with the old stuff. I would consider a starter kit, but you really only need a good gouge, good skew, some kits, mandrel, CA, MM, and Accellerator to do pens all day. If you find a kit with all that in it, and it is within your price range, get it. Try to make sure the tools are as nice as you can afford. Cheap tools make a great start, and teach you how to sharpen, but also add frustration, which is bad when you're having one of those "off" days.

 

[moke]

I have a strange opinion to this....to the starter kit....you can never have enough stuff!!! Almost everything in the kit I bought at first I have used at one time or another. And as far as going staright to TBC....by dealing with the problems aren't we more rounded turners...aren't problems a learning experience? I have done everything wrong you can imagine...I have ruined a ton of pens, but I tried to learn from every mistake......even if it was how to throw a pen tube more creatively.

Not that I am anywhere near the pen maker that most of the people on this site are, but IMHO, I would start with a mandrel, and when I made mistakes I would ask the brain trust here and correct my problem and move on to try the next technique. Then, work my way to TBC...etc....
Just my .02.....

 

[steeler fan1]

Randy,

Like you I had no experience when I started. I bought one of the starter kits because I didn't know any better. In hindsight it wasn't a bad move. I have since upgraded most of the material from the starter kit but it did provide me with the basics.

As you become more experienced you'll discover what additional tools to buy, what not to buy, and the best places to buy. If you're not careful this hobby can quickly become a money pit. But you'll have lots of company:wink:
As the old adage goes: The only difference between little boys toys and big boys toys is the cost:biggrin:


Weclome to the addiction:redface:

Carl

PS: You have a good start by finding this place, loads of insights and wisdom.

 

[David M]

with the lathe on order , thinking you have time I would go with b and order what you think you need . get a full size chisel set not the small pen set . if on budget the harbor freight red handle ones are good for the price .med ca glue for starting out , gives a little more time to get the tubes in befor it sets up.

 

[shull]

I'll add my 2 cents in and recommend B with the caveat that you exercise caaution and not fall into the trap of chasing every new tool in the hopes that the next turbo charged skewmagigge will instantly make you the next Russ Fairfield. Learn each tool and technique before moving onto the next. This can be an expensive hobby and asmuch as we don't like to admit it, it is not for everyone and there are those that drop out. ( In those cases you are more likely to be able to sell your tools. )

 

[NewLondon88]

My question is, Should I:

a) Buy one of the many starter kits for sale that have, mandrel, kits, blanks, bushings, glue, turning tools, etc.

or
b) Piecemeal everything I need to get started making slimline pens to get my feet wet?

c) some other option.

A few things to keep in mind:
1) Bundles are often lesser quality components packaged for convenience.
This convenience is theirs, not yours. It is convenient for them to get rid
of some lower quality items by packaging them with better stuff.
2) Make sure that any 'bundle' includes things that you will use. Include
1 item that you won't use, and chances are that it is no longer a bargain.
3) Cheap tools are only less expensive at first. Once you have to replace
them, you've spent good money for both good tools and for crap.
Buy once, but buy right.
4) Many turners only use 1 tool for pens, be it a skew, spindle gouge,
roughing gouge, bedan etc. No need to go crazy at first. If you want a
skew, get the best one you can. Good tools will hold their value, so if
you change your mind, chances are someone will take it off your hands.

Slimlines are often the kits people start with .. simply because of the price.
But they're NOT the easiest kits to turn well at first.. and because they're
usually sold as budget kits, their finished value isn't as high other kits.
I'd probably start out with something like a Cigar or Sierra kit. A bit more
money, but much more satisfying and forgiving, especially if you are just
starting out. PLUS, they're thicker bodied kits, which allow you more room
to show off your materials. Even a very nice piece of wood can get lost
on a Slimline kit .. it's just too small to show very well.

 

[rnfuller]

Thank you NewLondon for a very informative reply. I had not thought of the things you mentioned.

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I think I am going to go with option B and order just the things I think I will need to start. I live out in the country with no big city within 3 hours, every thing has to be ordered.

I went to Sears today and they had absolutely nothing of interest to turning. They used to have such a nice tool section!

Randy

 

[fernhills]

Hi, i would go piecemeal, c/a finish is hard to get first thing. I would want to learn gradual with friction polish. The c/a glues and accelerant would be over 30 bucks alone. Get a small set up of two part epoxy and a small bottle of friction polish and you will be able to do a lot of turning safely. You will be able to get good results quickly and be encouraged to move onwards to more professional looking items. Carl

 

[Lenny]

If you go with plan B...
Harbor Freight HSS chisels are decent and will give you something to "hone" your sharpening skills. I think you will still want a mandrel but would urge you to at least consider johnnycnc's 7mm triple play set of bushings for turning a variety of pens (Slims and Saturns etc.) between centers. You will also need a 60 degree dead center (for TBC) and should have a 60 degree live center regardless of whether you use a mandrel or TBC. I know many use a disc sander for squaring the ends of blanks but would recommend a barrel trimmer unless you have extra $$ and the confidence to build a jig for holding the blank square to the disc. Not that difficult to do BUT ... if you have the barrel trimmer and later switch to the sander method, you can reverse the head on the barrel trimmer and make it into a sander for removing the CA glue from the ends of the blanks after finishing. Speaking of CA glue, do get the med. to start with but save it for finishing. Use 5 minute epoxy or gorrilla glue to glue your tubes in and you will have fewer problems, IMHO. Also, add some eliminator bushings from johnnycnc at penturner products when you can. They really do "eliminate" the hassle of gluing your finished pen to the bushings.
Do you have a drill press? If not .... Get a collet chuck instead. That combined with a drill chuck and arbor to fit your lathe, will be more valuable (as far as pen turning goes) in the long run.
What did I forget?
Best of Luck whatever you decide!

 

[Rfturner]

I originally went with the package. I wish I would have saved a little longer and upgraded then. I woulsd Check out craigslist and search it for a month or two. see if anything comes up as well as put up a wanted ad. You may get a great deal on used or nearly new equipment. If you find a good deal you can always post it here and see if it is worth it. I bought a really nice Gouge and a scaper from an antique store for about a third of the price of a new junk one

 

[randywa]

I suggest Grizzly instead of Harbor Freight. Use their website and your wife's credit card. It is also well worth the drive to Springfield in June or July for the scratch and dent or dropped and kick sale. A lot of my stuff came from that sale. They even have stuff you didn't know that you wanted.

http://grizzlyindustrial.com/

 

[Daniel]

If you go with option A just do so with the understanding that you may very well be replacing everything in that kit as you learn more about what you like and don't like or look for a better solution.

Option B makes you work a little harder. But here you have a resources that can easily point you in the "Main Stream" direction for everything you need. There are many many ideas passed around here. But in all cases there is a very strong recommended method. Stay within that zone of certainty and save the fringe ideas for a time when you have a better understanding of your style and preferences.

I do encourage you to go with option B and have a lot more interaction with the choices made in your equipment.

 

[ctubbs]

Randy, that is a best choice. As far as blanks are concerned, you should be able to find plenty of wood to practice with around home. Most fire wood can become good practice wood. My preference for gluing in tubes is 15 minute epoxy. It gives plenty of time to insert the tube and also fills the small gaps between the tube and wood. For just practice, you can drill a 1/4" hole in the blank and slide it on the mandrel and turn, no need for a tube. The biggest draw back to this is, once you have turned a beautiful blank, it is nearly impossible to re-drill it for a tube. All the advice above has come from experience so it coat you nothing. The advice about the 'pen tools' is very good. I still have mine somewhere gathering dust. Go ahead and gwet you some tools tht can be used on full size turnings, they will work just fine on pens.
Charles

 

[Mac]

Use your common sense, notice I said your. Remember this can be a deep hole you are stepping into. Do research, join a local club,IAP or AAW www.woodturner.org . Don't forget your ABCs- anchor -bevel- cut. And if you buy an expensive set of turning tools remember you will have to learn to sharpen them. I would start with a cheaper set of turning tools for this reason. HF has a pretty good set somewhere in the 40-50 dollar range,and if you can come up with a coupon even cheaper. They are high speed steel. As for pen kits, I would and did start with slimelines. If you can master them and modify them this will give you the confidence to turn any pen. If you want easy buy serrias. I wanted to learn.

 

[LeeR]

with the lathe on order , thinking you have time I would go with b and order what you think you need . get a full size chisel set not the small pen set . if on budget the harbor freight red handle ones are good for the price .med ca glue for starting out , gives a little more time to get the tubes in befor it sets up.

I have the full size red-handle HSS chisel set from HF that I bought a few years ago. I had also ordered a lathe, but it never arrived at the store, and so I stored them away. When I got interested in the idea of pen turning, I almost bought a "mini" set of chisels, but decided to start out using my full-sized set. These work great for pens. And since they were pretty cheap, I do not mind using them to learn to sharpen. Since my lathe purchase, I've bought a mini Spindlemaster. I do not like the feel of it, compared to the full-sized tools.

If you have a Woodcraft, Rockler, or other woodworking store, then go visit, and maybe talk to them about their favorite items, as well as maybe visiting with other people in the store. I find that a balance of forum learning, reading books on turning, watching You Tube turning videos, and visiting with some woodturners in the various wood stores, has given me some really great information (and a good balance of viewpoints).

 

[bowtiebird12]

If you know what you need, then buy everything individually. If you dont then buy a starter kit.

 

[mb007]

I went through the same process about a month ago and wound up going with option B. The deciding factor for me wound up being the quality of the mandrel and barrel trimmer in the starter kit I was looking at. I wanted an adjustable mandrel and a good barrel trimmer set, and knew I'd be unhappy if I rushed and bought the kit. In the end, it took me a few extra weeks to get everything together, but I'm happy I did it this way. Once I had the couple big pieces, I raided the bargain bin of pen blanks ($1-2 apiece), and picked up a bunch of slimline kits on sale for $2. I wound up spending a few more dollars - but not that much - and wound up with much nicer gear!

 

[Smitty37]

Use Option B

I don't think the starter sets are much of a bargain. Start with slimlines kits - bad advice to start with $5.00/$7.00 pen kits to learn with you can get slims for less than $2.00 if you buy 40 or 50 of them. Also turning slims gives you much more ability to practice using different tools than the single tube kits. I like the small tools but you ought to get pretty good ones. Using a mandrel is easier than TBC particularily until you develope an eye for diameter....else you'll spend more time measuring than turning. Using bushings when you TBC is also easier than not using them. John Goodin (Johnnycnc) is a great source and a heck of a good guy to deal with. If you have a good drill press it is easier to drill blanks there than on the lathe (but not as accurate), but then slimlines are pretty forgiving if the hole isn't exactly straight if you use 3/4 inch blanks. I read a book by an expert (forget which one) and he said that beginners should turn everything a little proud of the bushings and sand to the final size. Sand to at least 2400....