From New Orleans, yet another thing to keep me out the house!

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Kirk Dietrich

Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2012
Messages
59
Location
Kenner, Louisiana
Hello, I picked up a lathe earlier this year in hopes of using it to turn out bodies for making popping bugs. While that hasn't been what I hoped, I liked the way the lathe worked and wound up turning some other stuff and now, I'm interested in pens.
I've got some nice spalted pecan and sinker cypress that I think will make nice pens so I've got to get the tools for turning them. I'll check the archives but my biggest dilema right now is whether or not to order a "Standard" mandrel or a "Precision" one from Hut Products. I have the old Hut book that a fly tying friend gave me so I checked out their site and they seem pretty reasonbly priced.
Once I get the right tools, my wife and kids will never see me unless they venture out in my backyard workshop.
Looks like ya'll have a pretty good group and I look forward to learning about this addicting craft of turning and pen making.

Thanks,
Kirk
 
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Jim Smith

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Jul 27, 2008
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1,961
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Lakeland, FL
Kirk,

If you want to turn popping bugs, especially for fly fishing, I think you'll find a lathe is a bit overkill. If you don't already frequent the fly fishing site Fly Anglers On Line (FAOL) you'll find lots of information on turning popping bugs using a Dremel as a minature lathe. If you are planning on turning larger poppers for spin or bait casting, then I think bass wood would be the wood of choice.

Jim Smith
 

Kirk Dietrich

Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2012
Messages
59
Location
Kenner, Louisiana
Hi Jim,
Thanks for the tip to FAOL. Currently, I participate in flytyingforum.com, warmfly.com and laflyfish.com. While I said it was to make popping bugs, I was originally looking to turn balsa sticks down to dowels then I tried turning some heads but like you said, a lathe is overkill. It turned a few heads before the twelve inch dowel snapped. There are quite a few ways of making balsa dowels but I'm always looking for different ways to skin the cat.
I actually made a video on a dowel making technique I got from an arrow maker.
If you're a fly tier, feel free to check out some of my other tying videos and pictures of some of my bugs.

Balsa Wood Dowel Making - YouTube

Poppers pictures by kirkdiet - Photobucket

Copic Air Brushing pictures by kirkdiet - Photobucket

Thanks, I'll have to check out FAOL.
Kirk
 

ironman123

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Joined
Dec 8, 2011
Messages
1,817
Location
Central Texas
Hello Kirk. Welcome to the forum. Good luck on your lathe work. There are a lot of people on here that can give you good advice and they will probably jump in in a little while.

Ray
 

Kirk Dietrich

Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2012
Messages
59
Location
Kenner, Louisiana
Ironman, thanks. The main thing at this point is to determine if I should buy a Standard mandrel or a Precision one; any advice? Once I get those tools, I'll probably be able to learn more once I get my feet wet.

Hanyie and Ligget, hello and thanks.

Reiddog, I was wondering if there would be anyone from this area. I have a good friend that lives in Belle Chasse, we used to guide together, he still guides; I was only doing it part time and had to give it up.

Kirk
 

seamus7227

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Joined
Mar 18, 2009
Messages
6,220
Location
Wichita Falls, TX
Welcome to the group Kirk! All the way from Wichita Falls,TX! I checked out all of your bugs and those are super awesome! thanks for sharing, now to answer your question, it is only my opinion, but i would say to buy a precision (adjustable) mandrel. Look at it like this, the longer your mandrel is, the more flex in the middle when turning, but if you can adjust that, then you minimize the flex and keep a more true"round" pen blank, when you are done turning. hope that makes sense. the next best thing to a pen mandrel IMO(in my opinion) is turning between centers!
 

MrPukaShell

Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
361
Location
Simi Valley, CA, USA.
Get the"Precision" one. That way you can turn one half of the pen at a time. Shorter length of the mandrel helps keeping everything straight. Easier to adjust when turning different size kits. Welcome and say good bye to the wife and kids.
 

bitshird

Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2007
Messages
10,236
Location
Adamsville, TN, USA.
Hi Kirk, I'd also recommend the precision model, but check out Wood-N-Whimsies | Page 1 of 1, They carry a lot of the better PSI supplies, and component sets, another good source is exoticblanks.com great component sets "kits", and naturally blanks, they are both members here and offer outstanding prices and SERVICE!!
Wood N Whimsies is probably 2 day shipping to Kenner, they are in Southern Missouri.
They have a good price on the PSI adjustable mandrel. Oh and don't forget to get a 60 degree live center, or a mandrel saver, ..9The live center is the best bang for the buck, and very useful compared to a regular wood lathe cup center.
No connection with either of these companies, just a very satisfied customer!!!
 
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thewishman

Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2006
Messages
8,181
Location
Reynoldsburg, Ohio, USA.
With your painting skills, you could create a whole new world of pens. Painting brass tubes (with your popper designs or any others) and casting them in resin would be gorgeous!

Welcome!
 

Kirk Dietrich

Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2012
Messages
59
Location
Kenner, Louisiana
Seamus, not many people realize there is a Wichita Falls in Texas, you must do some fly fishing to have been interested in looking at my bugs, thanks for the compliment.

Mr Puka, maybe if I make a nice pink pen for my wife and girls they will forgive my extensive absence.

Bitshird, thanks for the link, I'll have to check them out. I like to patronize people/businesses that take the time to participate on boards.

Wishman, thanks for the compliment on my bugs, you're a flyfisherman too? I've been painting bugs since I started tying back in the early 1980's, that would be interesting if I could incorporate some of that in to pen handles - I think I better try making a few plain wooden ones and getting the techniques down pat before I try to get to fancy.

TomT, Jim, Slinger, John, rherrell and SDB and the rest, thanks for the welcome and advice on the mandrel.

Looks like I'll go ahead and get the precision one and whatever else I need. If I have time today, I'll call one of the guys recommended. I certainly don't want a mandrel that would bow in the middle and cause a lopsided spin around center when turning.

Thanks,
Kirk
 

Jim Smith

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Joined
Jul 27, 2008
Messages
1,961
Location
Lakeland, FL
Kirk,

If you are set on using Balsa wood for your poppers (as opposed to closed cell foam from flip flops), then you don't need to make Balsa wood dowells to start with. Instead, take a shell from a 50 caliber bullet (there are folks here that sell them for pen making), then cut the shell off at the "shoulder" so you have the widest section of the shell. Now, drill out the primer and slip in a1/4 bolt with the head of the bolt inside the shell. Tighten down a nut to secure the bolt and you have a great plug cutter that works well for closed cell foam or Balsa wood. Buy a block of Balsa and with your plug cutter mounted in a drill or drill press, drill into the Balsa from the end grain. It takes about 10 seconds per plug. I have plug cutters in several calibers and they last forever. From there. slide a heavy duty upholstrery needle into the collet in a Dremel and using an Emery board, you'll have a popper body in less than a minute. Just a thought...

Jim Smith
 

plano_harry

Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2012
Messages
1,959
Location
Plano, TX 75093
Kirk, welcome from Texas. Not much fly fishing in Dallas...we go to Wichita Falls :biggrin:

While you are getting that mandrel, do yourself a favor and pick up one of Ken's woodchuck penpro carbide cutters. It will shave anything you throw at it :wink:

Harry
 

Kirk Dietrich

Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2012
Messages
59
Location
Kenner, Louisiana
Hello again all,

I had a question here about the mandrel saver I used but decided to post it as a New Topic under the Penturning section of the forums.

Kirk
 
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