Hello and request for advice on tools

[Fish30114]

Hello all, my name is Don Davis, I post here as Fish30114, me and a friend are about to begin the venture down the road of pen turning.

I'm a disabled former Real Estate Developer, and live in the Burbs of Atlanta, I like hunting, fishing, shooting,golf, knifemaking and DIY projects. Unfortunately, the hospital dropped the ball, or a few of them, and put me in a coma for about 9 weeks, and I suffered Critical Care Neuropathy, causing all of the nerves in my feet to quit functioning--so there goes your balance and most of all the things I liked to do. But alas life goes on--my friend and I think the lathe we want to go with would be the Jet VS1221, but I am surely open to input. Also as to tools to get going with, we have been told it is best to get a chuck system that will hold your pen blanks so you cam drill on the lathe--is that right.

Well sorry for the rambling intro. but as I guess with most newbies I'm (we're) open to any advice. I'm glad to have found this site, and I appreciate any feedback advice.

 

[thewishman]

Hi Don,

Welcome from Ohio!

The Jet 1221 is a very nice lathe. You'll find that every turner has their own favorite. There are lots of options for lathes, tools and other things you'll need. Is there a local wood turning group that you could visit? A couple of hours invested in learning about the process firsthand will be invaluable, it will save you weeks and many dollars of mistakes in gearing up.

 

[mark james]

Hi Don: Welcome to IAP from Ohio.

I'll second Chris' thought that the Jet will be perfectly fine. I have a Jet 12-15 for 2 years (no VS) and just got done using it 25 minutes ago! It will serve you fine.

Keep asking questions, visit the library, and check out the forums.

Have FUN!

 

[Dan Masshardt]

There are endless choices so I'll just recommend what I think is best.

You, go ahead with the 1221 unless you are totally committed to only pens forever then consider a smaller lathe.

Get the nova g3 chuck and the pen plus jaws
Get a mt2 Jacobs drill chuck for the tailstock - this is all you need to drill on the lathe besides the actual drill bits.

You need turning tools.

Many solid materials turn well with a carbide insert tool like easy wood tools. Get the one with the radius edge cutter if you go this route IMO.

I recommend you get an oval skew and a diamond hone to keep it sharp. You don't need a grinder for just a skew.

Other tools in time. They will get you started well.

 

[Edgar]

Welcome from Texas.

If you don't already have a good floor-standing drill press, I would definitely recommend getting chucks to drill on the lathe.

I don't have any recommendations for a blank holding chuck, but as far as a Jacobs chuck for holding the drill bit, I would definitely recommend getting one that can accept a drawbar rather than one with a tang.

This is the one that I use from Woodcraft
Buy Heavy Duty 1/2" Keyed Lathe Drill Chuck #2 MT at Woodcraft.com

You won't need the drawbar feature when the chuck is in the tailstock for drilling, but it really comes in handy if you put it in the headstock as a holder for other things, like a bottle stopper mandrel. A drawbar is a threaded rod that you stick through the headstock & thread into the end of the chuck then hold it in place with a knurled knob or even simple nuts & washers. This will prevent the chuck from coming out of the headstock while turning.

Sorry to hear about your disability, but I hope you will find wood turning to be very theraputic.

 

[rherrell]

Welcome!

 

[TonyL]

Welcome!

 

[turncrazy43]

Don, welcome to the forum. You will find great info here and be sure to check out the library. Your choice of the Jet VA1221 is sound and will produce great results. Carbide tools such as Easy Wood are great and a Good skew, when mastered, is a great addition to your arsenal. Come join us at the next chapter meeting on 12/27/14 10:00 am at the Woodcraft store in Roswell. Great folks and you can learn and share about this great addiction. Hope to see you there.
____________________________________________
Everyday I'm vertical is a great day

 

[Swagopenturner]

Don;
Welcome from Sweetwater, Texas!
All the tool purchases you make will be a personal decision, but read through the many posts here at IAP for great information and ideas.
As for you lathe, don't forget the bench or stand that it has to be mounted to. If you have trouble standing or need to sit while turning, consider a special tilting bench or stand. PM me if you need help designing one.

 

[jimm1]

Welcome from Nashville,TN.

 

[ironman123]

Hello and welcome from Central Texas. Alll above suggestions are certainly good choices but there are many other very good ones out there also. Do your research and read reviews, as well as forum member suggestions.

Good luck in your journey. Don't forget that we love pictures, pictures and pictures of work. Happy turning.

 

[stonepecker]

Welcome from Minnesota.

The best advice is to get with a turning group........Their advice can be priceless.
Check out the library. Just to much information there. A great beginning source to answer any question. Read the forums. Check out Utube for videos.
Exotic Blanks has a 'how to....' section.......well worth the time to watch.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[Fish30114]

Folks, thanks so much for the comments and Feedback. I will indeed try to make it to the Atlanta chapter to see what's up. I really appreciate the words of encouragement, and I look forward to starting this journey, I also hope to find it a therapeutic avenue for my disability.
When I get going in earnest, I may take up some of you on the offer to reach out and help me figure out the best way to design some things for the shop.

Regards--Don

 

[Jim Burr]

Welcome Don! There are so many posts about lathes and tools...use the "Search" function for details. Good to see you don't suffer from PTSD, not a recognized disability on this forum, but there is tons of info everywhere. What kind of kits are you looking at?

 

[Ligget]

Welcome from Scotland!

 

[SDB777]

Welcome aboard!!!!



Scott B

 

[keymaster61]

pen turning

hi welcome from the uk. The lath is a good choice if you haven't got a pillar drill then get the Jacobs chuck I don't use a chuck only for bowls I use a mandrel I think a scew chisel is quite difficult to use I would start with a gouge until you get confident then buy extra chisels

 

[KenV]

Don -- welcome

I have bad joints and have to do most of my turning sitting on a stool. I cannot stand for very long without becoming distracted by pain.

Keep your handles short and learn to keep your elbows tucked close to the body. With the tool rest close to the turning, you can make great pens and other turnings. You just will not be able to do it with the same body movements that a more flexible turner can do.

I hone a lot of tools because I can do that at my stool - with less frequent trips to the grinder.

You will likely find drilling on the lathe works well seated. I found it hard to drill at the drill press while on a stool.

I use a separate buffing station and work in batches --

Good luck with setting up your turning station.

 

[Fish30114]

Thanks for the continued encouragement and feedback.

Jim Burr--I'm so ignorant I don't even know which kits to look at. I have a friend who is starting this journey at the same time as me, in fact we are buying our lathes together and hope to get a better deal that way. I am totally open to advice, my buddy has a few ideas, and we ran into a guy at a local store that knew a lot about the craft, and he recommended a few kits, so that is likely where we will start.

I am sure each of us will have our own styles, and choose different blanks etc. but we are both very interested in kits that are a good value and the basis for a good solid pen, so any input--fire away. We are planning on going and picking up our lathes tomorrow, and a few basic tools--one thing we need to get our heads around is dust management! So any input on that as well is welcome.

 

[Swagopenturner]

Don;
As far as dust management is concerned, you should consider a Dust Collector (DC) and an air Filtration unit. The DC sucks up most of the chips and dust at the point of origin, lathe, saw, drill press,... The air filtration unit will almost eliminate the really hazardous fine particles that float around in the air and get into your lungs. You can start with a shop vac as your DC, but they tend to wear out fast and are very loud.
What lathe are you getting? Are you going to mount it on a stand or on a bench? Get yourself a lamp dedicated to your lathe setup, you'll appreciate the extra light.

 

[Fish30114]

Swagopenturner, I am picking up the Jet VS-1221 tomorrow. I am on the fence about the stand, it seems overpriced, and I have some very solid workbenches. A lot will depend on how high the lathe would be placed on my current bench. Thanks for the tip about the light, I am pretty particular about lighting on my work. I'm still open to any input about which kits to look at, me and my friend are so ignorant, we just don't know where to start--I will say we both like the pens folks refer to as Cigar Pens, any tips on a good kit for them would be great.

Besides the chuck for drill bits and the pen blank holding attachment, we need to decide on a few turning tools--we are leaning to the 'Easy Wood' carbide tools, perhaps a gouge and a skew--any other advice would be welcomed.

Thanks to all--Don

 

[Dan Masshardt]

I passed on the 1221 stand. It seems very nice but very expensive. I built one and I'm happy with it.

Cigar is a good choice for a kit. Lots available and you only need one drill bit.

Just get some chrome and gunmetal to start. I've had good luck with even cheap versions. And all brands use the same bushings.

Is get a radiused easy wood tool and an oval skew with a diamond hone to start.

You will have an easy time with the carbide while learning the skew.

 

[wyone]

LOTS of people recommend you learn on slimline kits. The slimline kits are the least expensive, and if you mess up, you have not spent a lot. For me however, I think I would have preferred to learn on something bigger, with more, shall we say meat for lack of a better term on the tube of the pen. You WILL have failures, you WILL mess up blanks, you WILL get discouraged, you WILL spend more on blanks and kits than you expect.

But once you feel that first awesome pen in your hands, the first time you realize the things you can create, and the help you can get from this forum, you will be HOOKED.

I say these things, because 2-3 months ago was when I started. I watched you tubes, and thought, I could do this. I had moderate initial success, then failure, and more failure and had no knowledge why. I literally was ready to give up before I found this place. The wealth of information here and from the other turners is amazing. Do no hesitate to ask anything.

Welcome to the world of pen turning. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

 

[Fish30114]

I passed on the 1221 stand. It seems very nice but very expensive. I built one and I'm happy with it.

Cigar is a good choice for a kit. Lots available and you only need one drill bit.

Just get some chrome and gunmetal to start. I've had good luck with even cheap versions. And all brands use the same bushings.

Is get a radiused easy wood tool and an oval skew with a diamond hone to start.

You will have an easy time with the carbide while learning the skew.

Thanks for that feedback Dan, I did actually pass on the stand, the guy at Woodcraft where we bought our lathes actually pulled a tape on me and the lathe based on my current workbench height and said it was an ideal height, so based on that and the price of the stand, I passed. That's good to hear on the cigar kits, I think I will definitely start with a few of those.

Thanks for all the feedback folks!

 

[Swagopenturner]

Don;
Consider the mounting of your lath to the bench. It might be more comfortable to mount it on a angle toward you as you sit. Make sure you have a very comfortable stool at the right height. Even if you have to pivot the entire bench top it may be worth the effort. I've got a 1/4" thick clear PVC mat between the lathe and the top to help reduce vibration, too. Mount a power strip somewhere handy for the lathe and light(s) to plug in to. Did you get an extension for the bed? If you even think you might want one later, make room for it now.
As far as turning tools go, there are so many out there and every body has their favorites. I've got a cheap set of HSS that I still use occasionally, a couple of very nice HSS that I rarely use, and my go-to every time carbide tools from Ken at Woodchuck Turning Tools. I looked closely at the EWT line, but the replacement carbide inserts were cheaper for the Woodchuck.
Take a look at Smitty's Creekline pen kits. High quality, reasonable price, and a little thicker pen body to learn on, and it sells well (at least it does here in my area).

 

[Fish30114]

Swagopenturner, thanks for that follow up brother. I've got a rougher and a finisher in the Easy Wood carbide tools, and am deciding which skew to get--I was thinking of an oval skew, but can't seem to find a carbide option in that??? I will check out those kits, still trying to figure that bit out.

Good advice on the bench mounting, I have a set of lights I have to finish installing, and I'm probably gonna have to get some help on maneuvering and lifting my lathe onto the bench-no bed extension yet--but I am placing the lathe in a place that will accommodate that if I want to add it later.


Thanks to everyone for their advice & feedback!!