mrgreen
Member
Well, I've been looking at this site, and around the internet in general, for a couple days now at all the gorgeous pens. I'm in love with these elegant, classic, function pieces of art, and would like to give it a go.
Here's the catch(es): I live in a [small] apartment and have no workbench or room, so anything I get has to be something I can put away in the closet and take out to work on the kitchen table with. OK, next is my lack of funds... we all have this problem, I'm sure, but mines pretty tight.
We're scrimping and saving for our first house, so cash is tight. I can't afford to buy a "nice" mini-lathe (which look to be in the $200+ range). When you figure in the mandrel, bushings, turning tools, a few kits, and some wood to get started I an guessing I'll be getting close to the $100 mark already, which is pushing it for a new hobby for me.
So, what do you folks recommend? Can this be done without a lathe? I've seen some "how-tos" online where people have mounted their mandrels to a drill press and worked them that way, but seemed like it would be very difficult to get it to come out evenly, and to do anything except for perfectly round cylinders. (I should have mentioned that I do have access to a good drill press at the in-laws up the road a couple miles).
I'm pretty handy, and was thinking about the possibility of converting my electric drill to a makeshift lathe, but I'm not sure if something this small would be doable to the required level of precision with something like that.
Thanks for any pointers, idea, or offers to sell me cheap used equipment!
Rob
PS All of the pens in the "show-off" forum are amazing, and really inspired me to try this!
Here's the catch(es): I live in a [small] apartment and have no workbench or room, so anything I get has to be something I can put away in the closet and take out to work on the kitchen table with. OK, next is my lack of funds... we all have this problem, I'm sure, but mines pretty tight.
We're scrimping and saving for our first house, so cash is tight. I can't afford to buy a "nice" mini-lathe (which look to be in the $200+ range). When you figure in the mandrel, bushings, turning tools, a few kits, and some wood to get started I an guessing I'll be getting close to the $100 mark already, which is pushing it for a new hobby for me.
So, what do you folks recommend? Can this be done without a lathe? I've seen some "how-tos" online where people have mounted their mandrels to a drill press and worked them that way, but seemed like it would be very difficult to get it to come out evenly, and to do anything except for perfectly round cylinders. (I should have mentioned that I do have access to a good drill press at the in-laws up the road a couple miles).
I'm pretty handy, and was thinking about the possibility of converting my electric drill to a makeshift lathe, but I'm not sure if something this small would be doable to the required level of precision with something like that.
Thanks for any pointers, idea, or offers to sell me cheap used equipment!
Rob
PS All of the pens in the "show-off" forum are amazing, and really inspired me to try this!