who's pen blanks?

[rkenly]

Okay - Got my itty bitty yearly bonus check today.

Ordered a Jet 1220VS, live centers, collet, a couple of tools (skew, parting tool, woodchuck), and ordered a couple of kits, and a bunch of barrels - couple of things from JohnnyCNC, stuff from IPD, Arizona Sil - trying to support the locals.

SO I can start officially chomping at the bit.

But pen blanks? Start purchasing off ebay - buy the 100 for $99 from Penn State, or buy a few here and there from the vendors?

Starting to create another sink hole of what little free time I have -

>>>Rod<<<

 

[navycop]

If you want to jabble in wood I am sure the gang can hook you up with some.

 

[bensoelberg]

I'd keep my eye out on the classifieds before dropping $100 at Penn State. Sometimes members will offer small or medium box of blanks for much cheaper.

By high desert, do you mean Ridgecrest? If so, we might have to find a couple of turners in Tehachapi and start a local chapter.

 

[randywa]

If you want to pay shipping, I'll fix you up with a small or medium flat rate box of wood blanks.

 

[ctubbs]

Rod, for practice it is hard to beat free wood, sometimes refereed as fog wood. FOG= found on ground. Simply drill a 1/4" hole in the wood, slide it on a mandrel and turn. No need for gluing tubes this way or start out turning between centers. Once you get the tool handling down then start to sand and apply finish. Much less expensive than bought blanks, even those you only pay shipping for. When you wish for some wood blanks, drop me a PM (private message) and for the price of postage, I'll send you a small flat rate box of my local wood I cut for myself.
Charles

 

[firewhatfire]

go by your local cabinet shops for scraps. look for cool pallets with some decent grain. save your money till your practiced on free wood.

 

[keithlong]

pm me your address and I will send you a box of blanks. I have been given some nice stuff from members here and I want to pay it forward.

 

[toyotaman]

Another good option would be to visit your local wood flooring dealer. You can get some nice exotic woods in 3/4" flooring for smaples. Take some home and make lots of pens from them. I've made lots of them that way.

 

[Seer]

Check with Victor (landfilllumber) he always has some great prices

 

[arioux]

P.M. me your address. I'll send 20 blanks , 20 differents wood types. My way to say welcome here.

 

[jd99]

Blanks

PM me your address, and i'll send you some beachwood blanks I made to practice with. I still have a few left.

Thanks
Danny

Okay - Got my itty bitty yearly bonus check today.

Ordered a Jet 1220VS, live centers, collet, a couple of tools (skew, parting tool, woodchuck), and ordered a couple of kits, and a bunch of barrels - couple of things from JohnnyCNC, stuff from IPD, Arizona Sil - trying to support the locals.

SO I can start officially chomping at the bit.

But pen blanks? Start purchasing off ebay - buy the 100 for $99 from Penn State, or buy a few here and there from the vendors?

Starting to create another sink hole of what little free time I have -

>>>Rod<<<

 

[rkenly]

I live in the desert - so no FOG - lots of sand though
Town is very small town (military town)- 2 hours 2 anything - closest Rockler - 2.5hrs. Home Depot opened a small box store here, but it still drove all the hardware and lumber stores out of business (except for 1 who doesn't have much of anything). Closest lumber store is over about 1.5 hours away (over a mountain pass)

Bensoelberg - YES, high Desert is Ridgecrest. Told I'm the 4th turner here now.

Firewhatfire - only 1 local cabinet shop - I haven't been successful getting scraps from him in the past

There is a down side to living in a small town. But town is safer, everyone either knows everyone, or a friend who knows them.

 

[crabcreekind]

My teacher got a 25 pack from psi. And there was 2 blanks that were any good. So the quality of the packs are terrible. I would go to timerbits.com. They have a great selection of pen blanks for really good prices.
Also the acrylics they have are really cheap. And since you have a woodchuck they should be really easy for you to turn.

 

[rkenly]

wow. only 2 out of 25. not good odds.

Thanks for the info.

>>>Rod<<<

 

[bensoelberg]

If you haven't already, you should talk to Fibonacci. He lives there as well and could probably give you some ideas. You are (relatively) close to 2 woodturning clubs as well. The Antelope Valley Woodturners in Lancaster and the Kern County Woodturners here in Bakersfield. If you'd like, send me your email and I'll forward you the KCW's newsletter that should be coming in a couple of weeks.

 

[hunter-27]

wow. only 2 out of 25. not good odds.

Thanks for the info.

>>>Rod<<<

Take advantage of the opportunity the other members here are offering. Spending $10 of shipping will get you blanks that are much better than anything in the majority of those "Starter packs". Honestly even going to HD and buying a 2 x 4 to cut into blanks is probably better to learn on than spending $100 on "practice" blanks. If you are dead set on spending the $100, I'll be glad to take it and send you some blanks. :wink:

 

[Chris Bar]

Classifieds here has blanks as good or better than any you can find elsewhere, but you need to get there early :biggrin: before they are all gone. If I understand correctly the high desert has some fine blanks, if you look in the right places.