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woody0207

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Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Messages
147
Location
Cedar Park, TX, USA.
Let me introduce myself, I'm Marty from Cedar Park, TX, and I'm now addicted to turning pens.

I've been doing woodworking for a long time but never turned. Wife signed me up for a Woodcraft class as an early xmas present. I brought home a couple decent pens, and she said, what would it take to be able to make more of those... Two months later, own a JET, and totally hooked.

I've made a lot of mistakes, but learning what to do and what not to do. About a quarter of my pens have been failures mostly due to CA getting where it shouldn't be, blown blanks during drilling, pressing the tip on two hard, etc. But it sure was nice to have some smiles on faces when xmas presents were opened.

I've been reading many topics from various posters, and I'd like to complement everyone - this is a great resource.
 
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Ron Mc

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Feb 2, 2005
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2,138
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USA.
Nothing like the smile on their face!
Welcome from another pen artist in the great country of Texas!
 

txbatons

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Joined
Jul 6, 2007
Messages
964
Location
Carrollton, Texas, USA.
Welcome, Marty, from another in Carrollton. Gotta love the CA. But then again, picking CA off the fingernails and such gives me something to do here at the in-laws! [:p]
 

jedgerton

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Joined
Sep 28, 2006
Messages
943
Location
Austin, TX, USA.
Welcome from Austin, Southwest Austin that is! I've been turning pens for a little over a year now and I still love it! Maybe we should find or start a Central Texas pen turning group. Do you know of such or would you be interested?

John Edgerton
 

woody0207

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Messages
147
Location
Cedar Park, TX, USA.
To John from Southwest Austin -

Hi, nice to hear from you.

I might be interested; I've wondered if there is a penturning chapter in Austin. Since the guys at Woodcraft seem to be in the know I'll ask them next time I'm in the store.
 

RonInSpringTX

Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2007
Messages
274
Location
Spring, TX.
Welcome Woody.....you sure have the name for turning!!! My wife's maiden name is Wood & she influenced me as well !!! (go figure!)
What kind of problems you having with the CA glue?? Don't clamp your blanks super tight (assuming you have a "drilling-center" vise.) And, depending on hardness of your blank, don't try to go all the way thru it in one plunge, it'll heat up the blank & weaken it as well!! Anyway, understand on the Christmas present smiles!!!! My family was all like OMG!!! with the key chains, pens, & bottle stoppers they got!!! Now I can start focusing on getting my inventory back up!!!
Welcome, & good luck ....can't wait to seeing your work!! later, Ronnie in Spring, TX
 

woody0207

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Messages
147
Location
Cedar Park, TX, USA.
Originally posted by RonInSpringTX
<br />Welcome Woody.....you sure have the name for turning!!! My wife's maiden name is Wood & she influenced me as well !!! (go figure!)
What kind of problems you having with the CA glue?? Don't clamp your blanks super tight (assuming you have a "drilling-center" vise.) And, depending on hardness of your blank, don't try to go all the way thru it in one plunge, it'll heat up the blank & weaken it as well!! Anyway, understand on the Christmas present smiles!!!! My family was all like OMG!!! with the key chains, pens, & bottle stoppers they got!!! Now I can start focusing on getting my inventory back up!!!
Welcome, & good luck ....can't wait to seeing your work!! later, Ronnie in Spring, TX

Hi Ron,

I think I've been running into the typical problems. I've been clearing the drill bit and not forcing it. My two blowouts were on a piece of red palm and my first piece of inlace. I think I was going a wee bit too fast for those pieces. Then I had another piece of red palm split when I was milling the end. Challenging wood [:)]

The biggest problem I've had with CA has been on the Euro kit gluing the middle band to the tenon. Ruined a couple pens by getting CA on the band. I've been putting CA on the tenon and then accelerant in the inside of the band. Then put the band on with a twist... I've learned that a minimal amount of CA on that tenon is the ticket.
 

jedgerton

Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2006
Messages
943
Location
Austin, TX, USA.
Woody,

Regarding CA for the centerband, I found a CA product with a brush that has worked very well for me. You can find them at Wal Mart (and many other places as well) and its called "Instant Krazy Glue" and the one that I've found is in a purple bottle. It says it changes color to clear when it dries but its pretty transparent from the start in my opinion.

I just put the brush at the corner formed by the tendon and the upper barrel and then rotate the pen barrel. The brush makes controlling the CA very easy. It must be easy because it works for me!

John
 

woody0207

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Messages
147
Location
Cedar Park, TX, USA.
Originally posted by jedgerton
<br />Woody,

Regarding CA for the centerband, I found a CA product with a brush that has worked very well for me. You can find them at Wal Mart (and many other places as well) and its called "Instant Krazy Glue" and the one that I've found is in a purple bottle. It says it changes color to clear when it dries but its pretty transparent from the start in my opinion.

I just put the brush at the corner formed by the tendon and the upper barrel and then rotate the pen barrel. The brush makes controlling the CA very easy. It must be easy because it works for me!

John

Thanks for the tip!. I'm certainly game to try something new on the centerband... [:)]
 

RonInSpringTX

Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2007
Messages
274
Location
Spring, TX.
Hi Ron,

I think I've been running into the typical problems. I've been clearing the drill bit and not forcing it. My two blowouts were on a piece of red palm and my first piece of inlace. I think I was going a wee bit too fast for those pieces. Then I had another piece of red palm split when I was milling the end. Challenging wood

The biggest problem I've had with CA has been on the Euro kit gluing the middle band to the tenon. Ruined a couple pens by getting CA on the band. I've been putting CA on the tenon and then accelerant in the inside of the band. Then put the band on with a twist... I've learned that a minimal amount of CA on that tenon is the ticket.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marty


Hi Marty, I know the black palm can be a bear turning them!! I've got some red palm blanks but haven't done anything with them yet. Only thing I could suggest would be slap a coat of CA on the blank before you drill it. (let it dry!!) make sure you have sharp bits.On the blow out on trimming it if you coated the ends before you drilled it you should still be ok. On the designer/euro center band & all the other hardware that I glue (clips, tips) I use some polyurethane glue (like gorilla glue) but I just use the Elmer's brand. Squirt just a dot on your work bench (probably half the size of a watch battery if that much) then I take a toothpick & just get a very, very small amount, just enough to see it on the end of the toothpick!!! then just spread it on the sides of the tenon on the upper blank. (very small amount, I can't emphasize that enough!!) After pressing on the center band I get a Q-tip dampen it, (not wet, just moist) & wipe out the inside of the band/tenon area. (the polyurethane glue expands while drying, thus the warning on the small amount!!) Same thing on the other hardware you glue up, if you do. I've had some clips come loose after a while so I usually glue anything that doesn't screw off for a reason!! I put that glue (same very small amount) just barely 1/8" maybe inside the barrel, not on the hardware nib, then press 'em on!! Hope this helps!! Happy turning!! I installed my wife's christmas presents, last nite a microwave/vent hood combo above the stove. Tonight it was the new dishwasher, eventually I'll be able to return to the passion, but alas, it'll be after new years I fear....(I have to take down christmas lights, find all my woodworking machines because of all the christmas clutter, THAT'S IN MY SHOP!!!!! UGH!!!!!) I need an aspirin!!! later all!!
 

woody0207

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Messages
147
Location
Cedar Park, TX, USA.
Originally posted by RonInSpringTX
<br />Hi Ron,

I think I've been running into the typical problems. I've been clearing the drill bit and not forcing it. My two blowouts were on a piece of red palm and my first piece of inlace. I think I was going a wee bit too fast for those pieces. Then I had another piece of red palm split when I was milling the end. Challenging wood

The biggest problem I've had with CA has been on the Euro kit gluing the middle band to the tenon. Ruined a couple pens by getting CA on the band. I've been putting CA on the tenon and then accelerant in the inside of the band. Then put the band on with a twist... I've learned that a minimal amount of CA on that tenon is the ticket.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marty


Hi Marty, I know the black palm can be a bear turning them!! I've got some red palm blanks but haven't done anything with them yet. Only thing I could suggest would be slap a coat of CA on the blank before you drill it. (let it dry!!) make sure you have sharp bits.On the blow out on trimming it if you coated the ends before you drilled it you should still be ok. On the designer/euro center band & all the other hardware that I glue (clips, tips) I use some polyurethane glue (like gorilla glue) but I just use the Elmer's brand. Squirt just a dot on your work bench (probably half the size of a watch battery if that much) then I take a toothpick & just get a very, very small amount, just enough to see it on the end of the toothpick!!! then just spread it on the sides of the tenon on the upper blank. (very small amount, I can't emphasize that enough!!) After pressing on the center band I get a Q-tip dampen it, (not wet, just moist) & wipe out the inside of the band/tenon area. (the polyurethane glue expands while drying, thus the warning on the small amount!!) Same thing on the other hardware you glue up, if you do. I've had some clips come loose after a while so I usually glue anything that doesn't screw off for a reason!! I put that glue (same very small amount) just barely 1/8" maybe inside the barrel, not on the hardware nib, then press 'em on!! Hope this helps!! Happy turning!! I installed my wife's christmas presents, last nite a microwave/vent hood combo above the stove. Tonight it was the new dishwasher, eventually I'll be able to return to the passion, but alas, it'll be after new years I fear....(I have to take down christmas lights, find all my woodworking machines because of all the christmas clutter, THAT'S IN MY SHOP!!!!! UGH!!!!!) I need an aspirin!!! later all!!

The idea on gorilla glue is interesting. When I took the Woodcraft class initially the instructor mentioned that he uses gorilla to glue his tubes (lets it set overnight). I have a bottle and decided to batch a few blanks/tubes a couple days ago and try the gorilla. One of the blanks was jarrah burl (lots of voids). The glue actually expanded thru some of the holes out to the surface! Expansion aside, it was very easy to work with so I may give that a try on the center band.

I hope you get back to your shop. Your comment about xmas stuff taking over the shop sounds familiar. It's happened to me before. Many times. [:D]
 

karlkuehn

Banned
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Messages
1,848
Location
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA.
Hi and a big welcome to you! This site has changed my whole aspect on turning, and after browsing and joining many of the forums out there, this one has become my second home. There's so much knowledge in the archives, it's just amazing, even for a seasoned vet!

I think the secret is that there's enough of us wackos out here posting crazy ideas and alternative methods (most of the time based on innovation due to lack of resources or tools) that you're bound to find something that you'd never have thought of even on a good (or bad) day! I know I have!
 
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