I have just begun trying to turn pens. Bought a (new to me) used lathe and tools. Am turning the first pen using cocobolo blanks which were included in a kit bundle from PSI. So far I've spent about 4-5 hours turning this pen. To me, this is an outrageous amount of time for turning. But maybe it's unrealistic to think the time should be less. I have to believe either my technique is terrible or the lathe tools I have need to be sharpened. I've tried sharpening them a bit, but how sharp is sharp? In other words, how sharp do they need to be? I've tried using mostly the gouge and skew but neither seems to be very effective. The cutting area of the tools is about the centerline of the pen blank.
Can anyone offer any suggestions or tips? How long is reasonable to turn the pen on the lathe?
Thanks for any help.
Can anyone offer any suggestions or tips? How long is reasonable to turn the pen on the lathe?
Thanks for any help.