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HEFFL8

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Joined
Nov 9, 2013
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3
Location
Port Charlotte, Florida
I have been wanting to try my hand at pen turning for some time now but never really knew where to get started. I have two lathes, an older Sears and a newer Central Machinery. I am unsure which one would be better to use because I'm not sure about what mandrel would fit both or would I need one for each? Is there a specific as to how thick or thin a pen needs to be? LOL, need to slow down before I get too carried away and ask a ton of questions. I just really wanted to introduce myself. My name is Ken and I am looking forward to benefiting from everyone's experience.
 
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OZturner

OZturner

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Joined
Aug 5, 2013
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6,662
Location
Sydney. NSW. Australia
Hi Ken,
Welcome from Sydney Australia.
You have come to the right place to egt the Good Oil.
Take a look at the library, and some of the earlier posts, you will find answers to most of your questions.
Brian.
 
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HEFFL8

Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2013
Messages
3
Location
Port Charlotte, Florida
Thanks for all the warm welcomes. I figured the best place to start is by searching the forums. I am sure a lot of my questions have been asked more than a few dozen times over.
 
kirkfranks

kirkfranks

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Joined
Nov 23, 2006
Messages
689
Location
Salisbury, MD, USA.
Ken,
To answer some of your questions more:
The mandrel should fit the mores taper of your lathe. If not morise taper they also make threaded mandrels, but you should consider the taper first if your lathe has one.
If both your lathes have the same taper you can use one taper on both lathes to see which one you like best.

You can look at Penn State industries (one of the catalog suppliers) Penn State Industries | Pen Turning | Pen Kits | Dust Collector I recommend them only because it sounds like you have nothing and they have a good presentation for how to get started in the catalog and I assume online as well. There are lots of other vendors too so if you already have a favorite go with them instead.

The size of the pen is mostly dependent on the pen components (kit) that you are building to. The kit has a bushing that goes on the mandrel with the wood and basically you cut till you get to the size of the bushing and then stop and sand the pen and apply the finish... All of these steps have multiple options so looking over the fourm is a good idea to get more info.

Please feel free to send me a PM (private message) if you have additional questions.
 
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Karl_99

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Joined
Aug 20, 2012
Messages
1,672
Location
Winfield, PA
Welcome from northcentral PA.

There is a lot of helpful information and people here.
I am using a 1950's Sears Craftsman lathe and have been turning pens for about a 1.5 years. After you check out the Penn State Ind. site, let me know if I can help you with questions about the Craftsman lathe set up.

Good luck, Karl
 
StuartCovey

StuartCovey

Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2013
Messages
568
Location
Rogers, AR
Welcome!
You could use either lathe I would recommend using the newer lathe. As for a mandrel it depends if they are mini lathes or full size lathes. A full size lathe uses a #2 mandrel where as a mini lathe uses a #1 mandrel. If they are both the same size lathes you wouldn't have a problem sharing a mandrel between them.

As for bushings the mandrel saver combo pack at Penn State comes with the correct bushing sizes for a the Slimline pens, it also comes with a 7mm drill bit for use with Slimlines.

To know for sure what size drill bit and bushings you will need decide what type of pens you would like to start out with and purchase the correct accessories accordingly.
Pen listings online will describe what size you will need.

If you have anymore questions just ask!

Stuart
 
jsolie

jsolie

Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2013
Messages
2,100
Location
Sunny Murrieta, CA
Welcome from Southern California! This is an excellent place to learn more. What the other posters were saying about the mandrel is straight on. If both lathes have a #2 Morse taper, get a #2 Morse taper mandrel so you can use it in either lathe.
 
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