starting into pens

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avalon

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so i just found this site about the time i turned my first pen...

bought some slimline kits from woodcraft..

question.. are craft supply and woodcraft slimlines the same pen cause cs is cheaper and if i ever wanted to mass produce them, was wondering if they were the same, or different quality..
 
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LarryDNJR

LarryDNJR

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Couldn't advise much on the quality difference.. best suggestion is to buy a few of each and try them out and see for yourself. Personal hands on experience is the best. As for mass producing.. I really doubt you'll want to mass produce slims,you do a few and you'll see.

:)

Larry
 
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avalon

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meh.. they just happened to be the absolutely easiest thing i've ever been able to turn.. my record from a blank to a finished pen is 26 minutes... although i am just putting carnuba wax on as a finish.. probably something a lot better out there..
 
randyrls

randyrls

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Darrin; Slims are easy, but they are one of the easiest pen styles to modify. I have made desk pens, simulated capped pens, Russ Fairfield made slimline pens in many different styles. Do a search to find the web site that has articles by him. He passed away some time ago, but the articles he wrote are still excellent.
 
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Smitty37

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avalon said:
so i just found this site about the time i turned my first pen...

bought some slimline kits from woodcraft..

question.. are craft supply and woodcraft slimlines the same pen cause cs is cheaper and if i ever wanted to mass produce them, was wondering if they were the same, or different quality..
Click to expand...
The answer to your question is yes and no.... if they have the same plating finish most of the parts will be interchangeable, the bushings used in turning them will be the same and the drill bit used to drill the blanks will be the same. The tubes are typically the same so they will use the same size blanks.

On the other hand, they might or might not come from the same manufacturer (probably don't in the cases you mention) and might come from a Taiwan based manufacturer or a mainland Chinese based manufacturer.
 
walshjp17

walshjp17

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If you want to turn Slimline pens, check out Don Ward's (its_virgil here on the IAP Forum) recently published book Turning Modified Slimline Pens, Beyond the Basics. Excellent book for learning how to expand your Slimline horizons.

Also look at Woodturningz.com or PSI for inexpensive Slimline kits.
 
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avalon

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Dec 27, 2012
Messages
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Location
college station, texas
I have started some cigar and a european fountain pen, but the blanks i have for those are acrylic, so i'm taking my time with those.

i broke my bandsaw but when it's fixed im going to cut up some elm and see how i can use waterbased dyes on pens.
 
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