question for the mases?

[leatherjunkie]

I started turning pens a few years ago and only found a few different materials to turn pens out of.
the only ones i found were wood and arcylic materials.
after spending my spare time on this great website and reading what everyone does and shows off here. i now know that the materials for making pens are only limited to your imagination.

there are so many ways to make a simple pen(kinda like the better mouse trap) and many more materials

my question is "How do you determine what materials and style of pen you will stick to and not get sucked into all aspects of this great hobby?

 

[maxwell_smart007]

I don't think anyone can answer that one - no matter which pen you start with, the vortex'll get you!

 

[skiprat]

Originally posted by leatherjunkie



my question is "How do you determine what materials and style of pen you will stick to and not get sucked into all aspects of this great hobby?

I believe variety is the spice of life. If you stick to a style and material, you will soon get bored. The most fun I have is when I try something new.

 

[Brewmeister35]

Hmmm, I try to stick to only the varieties from Berea, Pennstate, and CSUSA .

Really, it all depends on what you're doing with them. I turn them to sell and each time I finance a new kit option, I get a whole new group of buyers. I use those profits to get a new style. I can't see limiting to 1 or 2 kits unless they're only made for gifts. Materials.... well plastics are definitely easier to get a nice pretty shine and quick to make, but some people really like the wood and think that's what gives them the classy look. I have a supply of wood for stock and buy the plastics as I need them unless there's a great deal somewhere.

You could always just give in to the addiction and get them all... don't fight it, it's gonna happen anyway [}]

 

[winpooh498]

When we first started turning pens we said "oh why would anyone use a kit that costs $5.00??" We of course had only made slimlines at that point. The only material we were using was oak, walnut, and what ever else we found in my father-in-laws fire wood. "Why would anyone ever want to pay $4-$5.00 on a pen blank when you can get so much for free?". That Christmas we sold 22 slimline pens to an older lady for her presents to her family. OH, now that I look back at those early months, I really feel bad for selling her what I now call "crap". She is still very glad that she bought them, and thinks they are just wonderful. We also made our first "plastic" pen that Christmas for our daughter, we went through about 6 blanks before we finally got the pen done, what did we say? "NEVER EVER AGAIN, will we do any kind of plastic" We since then have been sucked into the "vortex" the thought of using some of the wood out of the wood pile now is just down right scary! My father-in-law is getting better, when he finds a really nice piece he puts it aside for us to look at. Now we don’t bat an eye at paying $5.00+ for a pen blank, and we make our own PR blanks.
I believe that the variety in kits, and materials is what keeps this <s>obsession</s> sorry hobby so much fun. There is not just one material or kit that I could pick to be my one and only.
Hope I answered your question in an understandable round about way.

Have a very Merry Christmas.

 

[ed4copies]

Leon,

I make pens to sell at craft shows. I make 3 basic styles - my own slimline design, the cigar (b2b) and the Baron. When I came to IAP, I only made the slimline and cigar - my "sales" line has expanded. Oh, and I don't get "bored" turning these designs, cause every one is a different resin. They all LOOK different. (This is how you can stay focused, if you want)

NOW, since I came to IAP, I have added Corn cobs, Bullet casings, couple of snakeskins, several bowling balls, mother-of-pearl, abalone, Dawn's line of "special" pens, a couple Emperors, a Majestic or two, Statesman and Jr. Statesman, the Gent in the American Flag (oh, and the JR. Gent flag) Gee, I guess I also have several Jr. Gent resins - a couple REAL NICE Jr. Gent Amboyna, Curly Koa, Irish Bog oak) and a few dozen others that I take out from time to time for "special" customers looking for something "out of the ordinary".

So, you see, just keep focused!!!

Good LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Leave now and keep your sanity - but it WON'T be as much FUN as staying!!

Merry Christmas!!!! (ask Santa for blanks)

 

[drawknife]

There are a lot of guys on here with tons more experience than I have. That being said I also find that I don't have fun making pens unless its something I want to make. The one time I took an order and HAD to do a certain kind of pen over and over it completely took the joy out of it. I make what I like and if it sells thats fine. If not it makes a good gift. I do have a day job however and this is just a obsession/hobby for me.

But I find whatever style of blank I want to try to make I almost can't keep a cigar pen. In fact I don't have but one to my name and didn't want to sell it is the only reason its here. I can't keep a Baron either.

I like staying outside the box when I can get there.

 

[Marc Phillips]

I love making new stuff! .... I have gone through so many different "styles" and still haven't even dented the possibilities... I like posting them here to give these folks a giggle now and then...

Thinking up designs and trying to mentally match a kit and a material and whether to do WhooopDeDoos or b2b and on and on... loads of decisions to keep ya happy!

 

[redfishsc]

Originally posted by leatherjunkie



my question is "How do you determine what materials and style of pen you will stick to and not get sucked into all aspects of this great hobby?

When you find the answer, let me know. I just have to remind myself that I can't do it all, especially when some of the real genius brains like btboone start posting some of the incredible things they make. Nothing like a little pen envy

 

[Larry Gottlieb]

Pen turning for me is a hobby. Part of the enjoyment is harvesting the wood, cutting and drying the blanks, adding plastics, picguard, corian, copper, aluminum, contrasting woods, and anything else to embelish the wood.

Several years ago I had an idea: People make pipes from corncobs, why not a pen. So I took a dried corncob, drilled it, turned it (with plenty of CA as I went)and this became as far as I know, the first corncob pen. I chuckled as I saw stabilized corncob blanks in Woodcraft a few weeks ago.

The point is, try anything that is turnable. It doesn't cost a thing.

I can't wait to try pine cones. I saw a picture of a pen made with one and it looks great.

Enjoy.

Larry

 

[hrigg]

I prefer wood. I've made a few acrylics, but mostly use the few pieces I have as accents for wood. I just turned a Corian, though, on a two-toned brushed chrome Sierra from Ernie at Beartooth, and it turned out pretty good, so I'll be adding that to my list of available pens.

 

[leatherjunkie]

i agree with everything said here.

it just mind boggling the many different ways people such as yoyo spin and ed4copies come up with to make a pen.

the one thing that i know i do not want to do at this time is cast my own blanks. i just dont have the room for the equipment. i am also not sure if i really want to take the time to cast blanks.
there are so many great wood blanks and acrylics available that i don't really have a need to cast my own blanks at this time.

i know that my pen turning has improved 10 fold since i have been on this website. I just wanted to say thanks to all the great minds on this here site.

 

[ed4copies]

Thank-you, but I "came up with" precious few ideas.

I have seen pens made here, then made it myself. But, the IDEAS were, mostly, someone else's. I guess that's my point. Some of the things I have made (cast sugar, salt, various spices, for eg) have little commercial appeal - but they were interesting. So, do what interests you and try not to get caught up in the "competition" of posting something no one else has done. There is nothing NEW under the sun - but we keep looking for it, anyhow!!!

HAVE FUN, that's what makes penturning worthwhile.

 

[Daniel]

I don't know the answer for you. But I do for myself. First I make what I am interested in. Both kit style and material wise. Truly liking what I make simplifies being able to sell it also. But more importantly it keeps my hobby interesting to me. I have a huge list of to do's some day, including a corn cob pen. I don't expect to be getting bored any time soon. Of course my most limiting factor is having money to try new thngs. Ed has the solution to that, I have seen the vast array of what he can do with a single pen style. You can also go a long way with just one style just making it in various materials. But bottom line it is whatever you are interested in that will make turning pens worthwhile.

 

[RussFairfield]

I started making SlimLine pens about 20 years ago when that was the only kit available. As new pen kits became available, I found it a challenge to get everything possible out of the SlimLine kit. It has proven to be the most versatile kit there is. Whenever I think I have just about exhausted the design possibilities, someone comes up with a new way to use the kit.

As for materials, given enough CA glue, we can make a pen out of anything. We really are limited only by our imagination.

 

[marionquill]

One answer to your question: make 10 to 15 different styles out of different kits and materials and see what sells â€" make sure they are ones you can easily reproduce but offer them in different materials/woods. If you have a design that everybody loves, but doesn't buy, it may be priced too high for your market area and perhaps you can mass produce them and sell them a bit cheaper. After a while you'll see what really draws people’s attention - make those as your base product line. You may also try one kit, make several different designs and sell them as combo’s â€" like pen and pencil or rollerball and fountain pen â€" give the line a nice name and see how it goes; when you get bored with making that line, dream up a new one with new materials and kit. There is always ways to keep it interesting but I do get bored with the base product lines â€" it is way more fun and challenging to dream up a pattern, match color the pattern to wood, and then put it all together and see what happens. Of course, you won’t hear me saying that when I’ve drilled the whole that needed to be perfectly centered on a slight angle, ruining 2 hours of fine cutting and gluing!


Jason