Still a New Guy

[BoswellMoore@knology]

Having a lot of fun just learning and reading. Haven't turned anything yet.
It is a slow process to gather things. Yeah, it is about money. Two really Great guys sent me some blanks and one really nice man sent some pen kits as well. Just some great folks on here. I know carbide is the way to go but that will have to wait. I have a HF model 95607 lathe and I have some Ben's Best chisels.
Thought about going C to C but I think I will start with a mandrel.
Here are the things that I think I need, Just for the moment. Please add to this and if you know of the best price for these things let me know please.

Morse Taper converter
My lathe is mt1 and it just seems easier to find m2t accessories.
Think that is the first thing I need.
Diamond files to sharpen my tools.
found a cheap set at HF and I will have to sharped by hand at the moment.
Mandrel and mandrel saver
60 degree centers, both live and dead
Drill chuck, think it is 3/4" by 16 tpi
That goes in the tail stock right? I have a 7mm drill bit a good man gave me.
Pen blank chuck, that goes in the head stock, right?
An end cutter set? I need that right?
I have one set of slimline bushing that are used and I have a digital caliper.
enjoying just dreaming of making a nice pen, any advice is appreciated.
Boswell

 

[Dan Masshardt]

You don't necessarily need at of that Do you own a drill press? If so , it will work fine to drill the blanks so you can hold off on the Jacobs chuck and headstock drilling chuck

Mandrel saver is optional
You don't need a dead center if you're starting with a mandrel

Do you have a regular bench grinder?

You don't need a pen mill if you have a belt or disc sander which you may not Otherwise prob a good idea

But yeah, your list is decent. You'll get there.

Until you have everything to make pens, you can turn some other stuff for practice Don't let that lathe sit lonely

 

[monophoto]

Converters that allow the use of MT1 accessories on a lathe with an MT2 spindle are relatively easy to find and not that expensive. However, I don't recall ever seeing a converter that adapts MT2 accessories to an MT1 spindle. But I may be wrong, and if so the place to look is Little Machine Shop.

Diamond files are helpful but not essential. The small diamond file set from Harbor Freight is not ideal for sharpening tools. Instead, if you want to use diamond hones, I suggest the Harbor Freight four-sided diamond hone; alternatively, you could also use an oil stone. PSI sells an inexpensive set of diamond cards.

Another option to consider is purchasing a spare faceplate (see next paragraph), and mounting a 5" mdf disc on it. Apply a finish that will seal the surface, and then stick a 5" pressure-sensitive sanding disc (220 grit). This can be used to sharpen your tools. Obviously, you will need to practice sharpening - the key is to run the lathe at a slow speed, and hold the tool so that the bevel faces the disc with the flute pointing down (so that the disc is rotating away from you at the point where the tool touches the disc). Touch the tool to the disc lightly, and rotate the handle.

Something that I found to be very useful is to purchase a spindle tap that matches the lathe spindle. You can find 3/6x16 taps at Ace Hardware for less than $20. You can then use the tap to make faceplaces, glue blocks, and a myriad of other accessories that are helpful in turning. For a discussion, read Ernie Conover's book The Frugal Woodturner.

Better yet, before spending any more money, buy and read Ernie's book. The hints it contains will probably save you more than the cover price.

For mandrels and and centers, your best bet will be either PSI or Grizzley.

Drill chucks typically are MT accessories. PSI sells a chuck with an MT1 arbor that is reasonably priced and fairly sturdy - note that the 3/8" version is limiting and you will be happier with the 1/2" model.

 

[Cmiles1985]

And I owe you an apology! I have the drill chuck (you'll need the MT1xJT33 adapter), the MT1 dead center and a 7 mm pen mill I'll send you. I can also send some walnut along for you to practice on. Let me see what this will fit in (possibly small flat rate envelope), and I'll PM you the shipping costs.

 

[BSea]

Welcome from Little rock!

 

[Jim Burr]

Having a lot of fun just learning and reading. Haven't turned anything yet.
It is a slow process to gather things. Yeah, it is about money. Two really Great guys sent me some blanks and one really nice man sent some pen kits as well. Just some great folks on here. I know carbide is the way to go but that will have to wait. I have a HF model 95607 lathe and I have some Ben's Best chisels.

Carbide is the way to go? Wow...that's kind of sad.

 

[WriteON]

Having a lot of fun just learning and reading. Haven't turned anything yet.

Take your time setting up. It's a great hobby. It's lifetime of fun.

 

[kovalcik]

Looks like you have a good start and a lot of good advice so far. As far as carbide, I would beg to differ. If you learn to sharpen and practice, nothing beats a sharp skew for getting a great finish. Since you have the tools and the lathe, mount some cut down 2x4's or branches on the lathe and have at it. Even if you decide to try carbide later, learning how to hand sharpen and use a skew is not a bad thing. For pens I usually use a roughing gouge to get my blanks close and finish with a skew. These are relatively easy tools to sharpen by hand. I use them for both wood and acrylic.

Good luck

 

[loydstuts]

Sounds like good advice for a noobie like me, too. Thanks, Tom