Hello I am new to pen turing and I am trying to get every thing together before I start trying to turn pens. My lathe came the other day and I have to go and pick it up. I ordered most of the tools and things I will need. But I have not order any pen kits. I would like to find out what bushings and drill bits to get. I am trying to have a variety of bushing and bits on hand.
What bushings do I get?
- Thread starter Chris88
- Start date
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mickr
Member
you are going about it backwards..decide on the kit you want..then get the bushings & drill bits that kit rquires
Mickr's right, kits first. do yourself a favor, and don't start off with slimlines. Go with the polaris/atlas, or one of the sierras. They are relatively cheap, and the large single barrel is much easier to work with than the slimlines.
If you haven't already, read up on between center, or mandreless, turning. I so wish I had started off mandreless, with single barrel pens - would have saved so many headaches.
If you haven't already, read up on between center, or mandreless, turning. I so wish I had started off mandreless, with single barrel pens - would have saved so many headaches.
GouletPens
Member
Echoing mickr here....the type of bushings will be different for every style of pen....you need to get the bushings to match the pen kits. You're on the right track though by finding info from IAP before turning....man I wish I'd found IAP right off the bat...would have saved me a lot of hassle!
cnirenberg
Member
Chris,
Brian is absolutely correct. There is a wealth of information here and many who are willing to share it. Do yourself a favor and learn from our headaches.
Brian is absolutely correct. There is a wealth of information here and many who are willing to share it. Do yourself a favor and learn from our headaches.
JimB
Member
Also, if you haven't done any turning before I suggest just mounting some scrap wood on the lathe and practice making square wood round first.
markgum
Member
yes What Jim said. When I started I picked up a bunch of 2x2 from Home Depot and made round sticks from square sticks for a month then got a pen kit and the bushings and the bits, now a year later, I'm up to my neck in bits, bushings and still feel I don't have enought. :biggrin:
GouletPens
Member
I would suggest you try the Sierra first. It's only a half-blank pen and the bushings are the same diameter on both ends so you can't screw it up. Avoid euros and flat top americans for a while, the tenons take a little practice. The Cigar is good, Carbara is pretty good to start too. Don't try acrylics until you have some practice sharpening your tools. They can be frustrating to the beginner if your tools are dull. Stick with softer woods like redheart or sapele to start.
hilltopper46
Member
Even if you don't order slimlines - order two or three extra sets of slimline bushings. Use them to take up space on the mandrel, regardless of the kit you are making,
GouletPens
Member
Oh yeah, and PLEASE don't buy PPP Wax. Everyone does, uses it twice, and never uses it again. Don't waste your time with any finish but CA. It's a pain to learn but it's well worth it in the end.
its_virgil
Member
It's not near as difficult to learn as its reputation would have one believe. Don't fear the CA finish.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
Do a good turn daily!
Don
GouletPens
Member
Don's right...it's not as difficult to learn for those who persevere.....but for a beginner it can be discouraging because it might not work the first couple of times. But stick to the forum and you'll be fine....whatever problem you run into, you're not the first. Starting out you will want to just make pens quickly because of your excitement, but you'll learn over time that in order to make a very high quality pen will take a lot of patience and practice. You'll be so proud of the first pens you make and a few months down the road you'll look back at them and laugh....but that's a good thing!
sbell111
Member
Learn the CA finish, sure, but make up your own mind about whether you want to use it all the time. Personally, I am not a fan of the the perfectly plastic look that it gives a pen.
GouletPens
Member
I think it looks like 'glass' not 'plastic'. Besides, it's really what the recipient of the pen thinks of it.
I did just that 2 days ago. I started turning in time to make pens for Christmas, and was oh so proud. I saw the pen I gave my Grandmother for Christmas, and cringed.
I gave her another, and told her never to show the Christmas pen to anyone outside of family again.
GouletPens
Member
Haha...nice. Of course she's your grandmother so she would probably love anything you gave her. I still have the first dozen or so pens I ever made and I'm planning on keeping them until I die.....they'll become highly prized collector's items after I've been turning for 50 or 60 years :wink:I did just that 2 days ago. I started turning in time to make pens for Christmas, and was oh so proud. I saw the pen I gave my Grandmother for Christmas, and cringed.
dogcatcher
Member
My theory on finishes. Find the one you and your family and friends like and use that one until you decide to sell pens. My crew doesn't like the CA finish, they all complain that is is not natural looking. They prefer a softer wood look like found on old gunstocks. So I use oil finishes for them. Takes a lot more time, as in days compared to minutes to finish a pen but I am happy and they are happy.
sbell111
Member
Agreed, so we'll keep doing what we are doing.
JimB
Member
I agree you should learn the CA finish but it is not the only finish you should learn. Just like you will experiment with different pen styles, wood, other materials and platings to determine what you and your customers like, you need to experiment with a variety of finishes. So far I have experimented with - No finish, wax (not really a finish), CA, Tung Oil and Poly. Poly is currently my favorite because I like the way it looks and feels, it's easy to apply (but takes more time to cure) and it is durable compared to some other finishes. I still plan to experiment with some other finishes.
Personally, I would not recommend CA for your first pens for the simple reason you will already be learning a lot of things all at once. If a CA finish does not come naturally to you then you may get unnecessarily frustrated making your first pens. Learn to make pens and use an easy to apply finish. Have fun learning to make pens. Then experiment with the CA finish on spare/scrap wood to learn the process. Just turn it down to pen side (no tube) between centers and try the CA finish.
Personally, I would not recommend CA for your first pens for the simple reason you will already be learning a lot of things all at once. If a CA finish does not come naturally to you then you may get unnecessarily frustrated making your first pens. Learn to make pens and use an easy to apply finish. Have fun learning to make pens. Then experiment with the CA finish on spare/scrap wood to learn the process. Just turn it down to pen side (no tube) between centers and try the CA finish.
nava1uni
Member
I would have to disagree about not starting with slim line pen kits. I think that they are a great way to learn and slowly improve your turning skills. They are not difficult, but do require you to pay attention, which is very important in turning.
Yes, starting with a single barrel pen will be easier, but I don't personally think that doing what is the easiest is the best way to learn. I think that slim lines are versatile and can allow one to be creative in pen turning. I learned to make slim lines that were round, not uneven or rough edges near the nib or finial, nice finish, good design, different center band. It is endless what you can do with a slim line kit. Just make sure that you buy quality kits.
I also think that turning lumber is various sizes is a good way to turn and I still practice new ideas or designs on pieces of pine to see if it will work without spending lots of money or wasting wood.
Yes, starting with a single barrel pen will be easier, but I don't personally think that doing what is the easiest is the best way to learn. I think that slim lines are versatile and can allow one to be creative in pen turning. I learned to make slim lines that were round, not uneven or rough edges near the nib or finial, nice finish, good design, different center band. It is endless what you can do with a slim line kit. Just make sure that you buy quality kits.
I also think that turning lumber is various sizes is a good way to turn and I still practice new ideas or designs on pieces of pine to see if it will work without spending lots of money or wasting wood.
seawolf
Member
Look on you tube for "12 cent pen" this will help to learn the basics and still give you free pens to give away or use in the shop.
Just a thought, Mark
Just a thought, Mark