Greetings from Navarre, Florida

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MikeDe

Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
31
Location
Navarre, Florida (northwest)
Hi all. I really appreciate being able to join this group. Based on the pictures I've been looking at, you guys have got it going on. Wow.
I've been turning, or should I say, I've had a full size lathe for 3 years and if you balled up all of my turning hours it would come out to, ummm, inexperienced. I happened across PSI one night and ordered their free pen turning dvd and I was hooked just like that. So I ordered one of the basic starter kits to see if I would like it. After I made the first slimline I said, "Wow, that was easy, and look how nice." Then I immediately started getting fancy with them and after about a whole 5 of them I'd say I was getting pretty darned good given a whole 5 pen experience factor. So now, after a couple of weeks I've turned right about 30 pens. All slimlines because that is what was in the kit. But I've manage to get hold of some more interesting blanks than what was sent. So now I'm stepping up to some of the more stylish pens I've seen. Haven't gotten any yet but I can't wait. Still need the different bits and bushings and blah, blah.
So, enough about all of that. Thank you all for having me and I'm ready to learn. I don't think I'm quite ready for those gorgeous inlays yet. But I am ready to step it up a little from what was in that starter kit. Need to move on or I'll get stagnant.

MikeDe
 
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jimofsanston

Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2009
Messages
762
Location
Sandston, Va
Welcome here too. I joined in January and have learned a lot form these guys and I'll tell you buying from the vedors here on the form make it less costly.I f you got a problem they jump right in and help with reliable and experience knowledge. They don't hesitate to give up their secerts:)
 
mredburn

mredburn

IAP Activities Manager
Staff member
Joined
Jul 5, 2009
Messages
8,753
Location
Fort Myers FL
Welcome from Estero FL. THis site will challenge you to do your best. It will also provide you with the best group of people and information to meet those challenges. Mike
 
leehljp

leehljp

Member Liaison
Joined
Feb 6, 2005
Messages
9,326
Location
Tunica, Mississippi,
Welcome Mike! I see from your background that you should not have much trouble getting up to speed fast. Show us some of your pens and make some posts here at IAP.

I am posting links to two threads/articles that have lots of information on pen turning. The first one is a very basic overview of the many aspects of getting into turning pens.
http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=42446

The second link has postings by different pen turners and what they wish they had known earlier:
http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=46654
 
ldb2000

ldb2000

Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2007
Messages
5,381
Location
Laurence Harbor, NJ, USA.
Welcome to the Group Mike . Don't be in too big of a rush to to get to bigger and better pen kits just yet . Go to the Search tab at the top of the page and type in Modified Slimline and see just how versatile a slimline can be . There are allot of different things you can do with a slimline and allot of tricks to learn and since your using a slimline kit it won't cost too much .
Another thing to consider is what kind of finish you are going to learn . If you take a nice (expensive) kit and use a great blank then put a friction finish on you will have a nice shiny looking pen .... for about a week and then the shine starts to go away and the beautiful blank starts to look dirty and dingy . Learn a good finish on slimlines that don't cost too much if you spoil a few . Try CA or Fast dry Poly or Lacquer finishes , these are the tried and true finishes but not the only ones . Each one has it's good sides and some bad sides but all will hold up over time far better then a friction or wax finish .
 
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