DrD
Member
A couple of conversations got me to thinking about this past-time of pen turning. Pen turning is not for the feint of heart or the light of pocket book. It's quite deceptive in that it is really expensive. You've got tools: lathe(s), chucks, live centers, dead centers, mandrels, cutting tools, drill press or chucks for lathe, band saw/cut-off saw, blades, replacement blades for cutting tools, sharpening tools, stones, gadgets to get the right edge when sharpening, pen assembly tools, pen dis-assembly tools, fountain pen tuning paraphernalia, buffers, buffing wheels, buffing compounds, and more just for the tools. Then there are pen kits, drill bits, turning bushings, finishing bushings, blanks - many/most of which are more expensive than the kits themselves - dry sandpapers, wet sandpapers, sanding oils, glues, finishing materials and supplies - of multiple kinds for oily wood, non-oily wood, plastics, ceramics, etc, polishing materials and supplies, boxes to keep the pens you've turned, egads! Try amortizing all that into the cost of a pen. It's kinda like duck hunting - the actual cost of a pound of mallard meat is expressed in the hundreds of dollars.
If it's not too late, turn and run away as fast as you can, take up exotic car collecting, anything will be less expensive.
Just my rant of the morning.
If it's not too late, turn and run away as fast as you can, take up exotic car collecting, anything will be less expensive.
Just my rant of the morning.