I've done Slim Line, now what should I do next?

[ColoradoHermit]

Hi ya all. I'm new to this pen turning and I'm pretty much addicted to it already. I just got one of those little Jet 10x14 lathes with the variable speed and started out with turning the Slim Line pens on it. I've got those down pretty good and I'm ready to move on to some of the other styles but I'm not sure what to try next. Any suggestions out there?
Also I haven't done that much with wood working but I was a machinist for about 20 years. Till I blew out my neck and lower back ten years ago. I'm just now starting to be able to do some things and stumbled into this when looking for something else. I still have my machinist tools and my skills are a little rusty but its coming back to me.
And does anybody know where I can find some videos on making the more advanced pens? I'm sorta stumbling around in the dark here and any suggestions or info would be a big help.[]
Thanks

 

[keithkarl2007]

I think the Euro would be the next style up, involves a little more thought as a tenon needs to be turned to accept the centre band, or you could go without the centre band and turn your own. Theres more to the slimline if you tried to turn one without the centre band altogether and doing away with the clip also, just a thought

 

[1JaredSchmidt]

I think the cigar or patriot would be next. They were easiest for me. Then I went on to Euros,Jr.Gents,Jr,Statesmans,and Barons. Just my $.02.

 

[donwae]

Try the Sierra click pens, they are easy to turn and assemble. They look nice too!

 

[RussFairfield]

Keep making SlimLine pens.
Go to my website for some variations on the kit that are easy to make. There is also a link to some videos that might help make it easier.

 

[sbell111]

For us, it was Comforts (throw away the rubber thing), Sierras, Euros, Americana, Cigars, Jr Gent.

 

[randyrls]

Originally posted by ColoradoHermit

Hi ya all. I'm new to this pen turning and I'm pretty much addicted to it already.
Also I haven't done that much with wood working but I was a machinist for about 20 years.

And does anybody know where I can find some videos on making the more advanced pens? I'm sorta stumbling around in the dark here and any suggestions or info would be a big help.[]

Dan; Russ's comments are RIGHT ON! The slimline is one of the most customizable pen kits there is. You can change almost everything about the pen and 10" long bulk tubes are available from several sources including Penn State Industries, Craft Supplies, and Arizona Silhouette. Many of the suppliers listed in the links section also have the tubes.

The Baron (or Navigator, same pen) has straight lines. You will need bushings and a sleeve or sleeves to fit your pen mill or sanding jig.

Your machinist experience will be useful as pens need to be made to tight tolerances.

 

[holmqer]

I would agree with Russ, you can do a lot of customization with the Slimline at a low price, his website has all sorts of great ideas. Next, you can try some simple segmenting and inlaying to add flair. As you progress through various concepts, the basic mechanics will become so second nature that applying them to fancier kits will be a snap.

I will offer a caveat to this in the off chance that you are a fountain pen fan in which case you need to explore kits that have that option. For me, it was fountain pens that inspired me to take up pen turning. I continue to make new FPs, but do most of my experimentation with Slims.

 

[Russianwolf]

I could have sworn that both I and Cav posted on here earlier..........



Yeah what they said.

 

[karlkuehn]

I agree with everyone, but I'd follow Jared with the cigars if you really want to do a new kit. It's a great (and cheap) intro to bushing organization (don't screw 'em up by switching them around.

The Patriot/Carbera/Sierra is fun, too, really simple one blank pens.

I also like what Russ and Randy and Holmger are talking about with the slims. Between those and Euros, you have limitless possibilities for customizing. You can do just about anything with them, and they're cheap to practice and make boo boos with.

Steve's got a good point with the Comforts, too, although I always keep the rubber things. You never know when you're going to all but destroy a blank in such a way that an 'oops' band won't cover it...you can always just cop out and replace the whole lower half of the nib blank with the grip. I sold a pen that I'd blown to smithereens that way, still made a good profit on it.

Also, Jr. Gents, Statesmans, Barons, or any of the expensive ones really are all pretty easy to make, and you can just buy a bazillion extra tubes and turn away until you're happy with a set that's worth putting on a higher end pen. I have tons of tubes that I've turned and finished, but never committed to a pen. For 50 cents or so, it's cheap pen turning, and you never know when you're going to come up with that stellar set that people will ooh and ahh about while they're digging out their checkbooks.

Mainly, though, just keep turning and learning, hope that helps!

Love the Heinlein quote, btw! My favorite is "They didn't want it good, they wanted it Wednesday." []

 

[its_virgil]

Although most of us started with the slimline, in my humble opinion it is not the easiest kit to make, if made correctly. Turning the slimline barrel to its intended diameter is much more difficult that turing larger pens. If you can turn a slimline then you can turn most any kit pen. And, I seldom make a slimline the way they are designed. If you have not made every modification on a slimline that can be made (none of us have) then you are not allowed to move onto other kits. Take a look at russ's site for some excellent modification ideas and then look at mine for others( but maybe not so excellent). Look at http://www.RedRiverPens.com and click on articles.

What are your ideas of "more advanced pens"? closed end? no centerbands? replacing some of the parts with matching wooden or acrylic ones? or just a different more expensive kit.

There are several videos in our library here.

Take a look at http://www.penmakersguild.com

Do a good turn daily!
Don

Originally posted by ColoradoHermit

Hi ya all. I'm new to this pen turning and I'm pretty much addicted to it already. I just got one of those little Jet 10x14 lathes with the variable speed and started out with turning the Slim Line pens on it. I've got those down pretty good and I'm ready to move on to some of the other styles but I'm not sure what to try next. Any suggestions out there?
Also I haven't done that much with wood working but I was a machinist for about 20 years. Till I blew out my neck and lower back ten years ago. I'm just now starting to be able to do some things and stumbled into this when looking for something else. I still have my machinist tools and my skills are a little rusty but its coming back to me.
And does anybody know where I can find some videos on making the more advanced pens? I'm sorta stumbling around in the dark here and any suggestions or info would be a big help.[]
Thanks

 

[louie]

Mike, you are not crazy, there is the same topic is the Marketing forum

Lou

 

[ColoradoHermit]

Thank you all for the info and suggestions. Its not that I'm bored with the slim line yet its just that I'm a bit over eager to experiment with ALL of them![]
All this is a whole new field of interest for me to jump into, I guess I could be rushing it a little bit.

 

[Rudy Vey]

As already said, if you master turning slimlines, you can make any other pen.The turning, sanding and finishing is not much different at all. Try different turning materials, like acrylics and other plastics, corian, aluminum, antler, horn and even cast your own "home brew" or make segmentations etc there is a lot to do. Personally, I started with the 7 mm Euros, then made slimlines and ended up making a lot of Flattop pens. I still believe these are the pens that need the most accuracy. I pretty much don't do them anymore, or slimlines (only on request, though). Cigars were never my thing, but I believe a lot of people here do them. Sierras, either twist or click are easy to make, so are most of the Barons, Gents and kits derived from them.

Try to improve your techniques as much as you can, especially your finishing. Took me several years to get my CA finish to a point where I can do it reproducible without spending too much time with it. I am mostly a production pen turner and cannot spend hours on a single pen.

 

[ColoradoHermit]

[

What are your ideas of "more advanced pens"? closed end? no centerbands? replacing some of the parts with matching wooden or acrylic ones? or just a different more expensive kit. ]

Sorry for the confusion. I did not mean that I had made every variation possible to the slim line. I just said that I had it down pretty good. Meaning that I have managed to turn the last dozen of them, all different from each other, without scrapping one.
And when I said "more advanced pens" I meant the more expensive ones in general and the ones that are more complicated as in having more steps in the creation of them. Not to belittle the little Slim Line but it appears to be the simplest thus the cheapest pen to make, making it the obvious choice for starting with.
And yes, I did post the same basic question in marketing. But I was asking it as what to add to what I have, the slim line, to possibly sell at an up coming craft fair the end of July. When I was writing it I kinda lost track of which forum I was in, Penturning, or Marketing. Now you cant tell me that you haven't lost track of just where your at when you've been on your computer all day. I went ahead and posted in the Penturning to broaden the field and get more info back. If that was against the rules, I'm sorry, it wont happen again.

 

[its_virgil]

No rules broken and no need to apologize. But most kit pens are basically the same....cut blanks, drill blanks, square the ends, mount, turn and finish. None that I know of have any complicated steps. A couple have to be step drilled on one end. The El Grande streamline comes to mind. The euro and americanas nee4d a tenen cut for the CB or a portion of the blank parted off down to the brass tube. More expensive kits do not translate into being more complicated to make and assemble. Look through the catalogs and on the supplier's websites and pick out some kits and get busy. You will develop a fondness for some and you'll not re-purchase others. Good luck and have fun.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

Originally posted by ColoradoHermit

[

What are your ideas of "more advanced pens"? closed end? no centerbands? replacing some of the parts with matching wooden or acrylic ones? or just a different more expensive kit. ]

Sorry for the confusion. I did not mean that I had made every variation possible to the slim line. I just said that I had it down pretty good. Meaning that I have managed to turn the last dozen of them, all different from each other, without scrapping one.
And when I said "more advanced pens" I meant the more expensive ones in general and the ones that are more complicated as in having more steps in the creation of them. Not to belittle the little Slim Line but it appears to be the simplest thus the cheapest pen to make, making it the obvious choice for starting with.
And yes, I did post the same basic question in marketing. But I was asking it as what to add to what I have, the slim line, to possibly sell at an up coming craft fair the end of July. When I was writing it I kinda lost track of which forum I was in, Penturning, or Marketing. Now you cant tell me that you haven't lost track of just where your at when you've been on your computer all day. I went ahead and posted in the Penturning to broaden the field and get more info back. If that was against the rules, I'm sorry, it wont happen again.

 

[Randy_]

Dan: I'm of the opinion that if you can make one kit well, you can pretty much make any of them. Every kit has its pluses and minuses and you will find supporters of just about every kit that is available. Perhaps you would feel more comfortable, though, waiting for a little more experience before trying one of the $50 kits.

I have a couple of favorites; but will keep them to myself. My suggestion to you is to spend some time looking through the IAP photo gallery and find some pens that appeal to you and then choose those as your next project. I'm sure you will find something that will knock your socks off and just scream out to be your next project.

 

[randyrls]

Originally posted by karlkuehn



Steve's got a good point with the Comforts, too, although I always keep the rubber things. You never know when you're going to all but destroy a blank in such a way that an 'oops' band won't cover it...you can always just cop out and replace the whole lower half of the nib blank with the grip. I sold a pen that I'd blown to smithereens that way, still made a good profit on it.

Karl; I have made Comfort's out of rod stock. I cut the lower blank to the shortened length and then cover the tube end with a short piece of blank. Kind of a long bushing on the outside of the tube. I don't often use the rubber grip on my pens. I don't use the center bushing either. I turn down to center band size using calipers. This lets me keep a clean even "sweep" from nib to finial.

I have even made custom center bands that are slightly larger in diameter than the stock comfort band, but I used cheaper slimline kits for this.

 

[Russianwolf]

Originally posted by Randy_



My suggestion to you is to spend some time looking through the IAP photo gallery and find some pens that appeal to you and then choose those as your next project. I'm sure you will find something that will knock your socks off and just scream out to be your next project.

But don't look at Skiprat's pens, as the kits he uses take a bit more assembly. []

 

[JohnU]

I went to comforts which are just a larger slimline. Then euro, cigar and polaris. All are fun and ot like each other. I like the euro over the classic twists because they have a shape and not just a straight tube, but they do sell well. I like the price at woodnwhimsies and woodturningz for these kits which allow you make mistakes without a large investment. Good Luck! John

 

[wwnovice]

As far as videos, I found "Turning Pens with Kip & Rex" to be useful. It covers slimline variations, European, American style rollerball and fountain pens. IIRC, I purchased it from Rockler.

Hope that helps.
John