Answer to Redburns questions.I mentor 8 fatherless boys 10-16 and We have no equipment to turn pens right now. I charge no one to go outdoors with us and take nothing out.Mission of caring for me.See below give opinions thank you.
Plan of attack:
Rockler lathe $220 out the door (Excelsior)
Tools $50 used
Grinder $50 used
Sharping wheel $30 Rockler
Mandrel used $20
Use lathe as drill press drill jig used $50-75
Face mask HF $15
Pen press used
I am sure I am missing something if so let me know.
Let me see if I can help on this one a bit.
The drilling jig on the lathe will actually consist of a chuck for the head stock (either scroll chuck or collet chuck most likely) as well as a jacobs chuck for the tail stock. and you still need the drill bits for the jacobs chuck.
For tools I suggest at least a 1/2 inch spindle gouge as well as a thin parting tool. there are others you will want but that will get a pen made.
So wish you where closer I have a nearly new whet wheel sharpener and grinder I would donate. it is not worth what it would cost to ship though.
sharpening equipment is a must.
almost anything that will clamp will serve a a pen press. I have used a bench vice in the past. a drill press will work quite well actually.
as for something missed.
Under tools for turning I can think of a 60 degree live center for the tail stock and some method of milling the end of the blanks.
Glue, Epoxy, CA or gorilla type. See Mannie (moderator of group buys) for good glue prices.
sand paper 220 to at least 600 grit (don't skip any in between)
finish of your choice. Enduro would be good for young ones.
blanks, pen kits.
some method of cutting the pen blanks even if it is just a hand mitre saw.
That would come pretty close to squeezing you through to getting pens made.
The good news is that pens do sell if you work at it. so the project will be able to earns it way as their interest grows.
realistically think $600 to get up and running. then deduct from that what you can find used or get donated. But if it where me I would set my goal on raising at least $600 one way or another. and it will have to be spent wisely.
I own this lathe from HF and it is a very good buy for the money
http://www.harborfreight.com/12-inch-x-33-3-8-eighth-inch-wood-lathe-with-reversible-head-34706.html
it will do a lot more than just pens. trust me it won't take long for the kids to want to do more. but it is larger and requires floor space. very nice speed changing on it also. just an option. It is actually a clone of a jet lathe. stay away from other HF Lathes. most are junk this one is an exception.
HF also has this set of turning tools which is what I started with and still use today.
http://www.harborfreight.com/8-piece-wood-lathe-turning-tool-kit-3793.html
The real problem I see is how you can drill on the lathe and not break the bank,. A collet chuck requires you turn any blanks round between centers. Not a big deal since any new lathe should come with a spur center and you will have to get a live center for the tail stock anyway. but the collet chuck could easily run $80 or so total.
scroll chuck can be even worse and cost more than the lathe.
sadly it is common that even when lathes are being sold used. the chucks and accessories are not being sold with it. But it does happen so keep yoru eyes open a lathe being sold with a scroll chuck can make that deal worth an extra $250 in a heart beat.
There are better costs on scroll chucks out there but i will leave that to others to mention. I would have to go looking and I am sure someone ore ones have already been doing that lately
for drilling blanks a small bench top drill press would be less convenient but probably your lowest cost option. then the mandrel is held in the lathe with a morse taper and no need for all the extra chucks for now.
As for the sandpaper. it is a cost to count because you do not want to scrimp. There are folks on this group that can help there as far as cost also. You want top quality. cheap sandpaper results in cheap work. abranet and Micro Mesh are two that are on the top of my list. both are expensive up front. Micro mesh last forever as long as it is not damaged. Seriously i regularly make 100 pens or more from one small piece of each grit. you will still want 220, 320, and 400 grit regular sandpaper to go with it. Abranat does not last as long but is the finest regular sandpaper I have ever used. it is not fair to even call it regular sandpaper though.
I also would be more likely to just send you some money. Most anything I could donate is not worth the cost or effort to mail it. I would rather just send you $20 and buy the boys their turning tools than have to box up my old set. Plus I still use some of them.
Finally my very best wishes on getting this together. PM me any time if you have questions. Keep us updated on their progress as well.
