Asking some advise

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dale

dale

Member
Joined
May 18, 2009
Messages
102
Location
Norwood, Missouri
I am so new at turning pens.
Well havent done the first one yet.
Got all the things I need to start with a slimline.
I want to use deer antler for a pen.
What I want to know is how hard is turning antler?
I have heard that the smell is quite terrible. And that a person needs to wear a dust mask so not to breath the dust.
Will the regular turning type tools work good on antler?

dale
 
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Dale,
My advice is dont do it! Not for your first one. The finish is very hard to master. Cutting is fairly easy with regular tools, however; if your not careful the antler could splinter on you. Wear a mask and eye protection at all times. I would strt with something a little easier to turn and a little cheaper as your first. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.
Dont forget the top of the page has a link for the library, you should use it. There is so much information on the, I am still reading it after a year. Good luck
and welcome to the wonderful world of debt! LOL
 
If you are not buying the antlers and have some to waste, then it's not going to cost you much to try it. Make sure the antler is not too porous. It needs to be pretty solid. Turn with sharp tools and take small cuts.
I would suggest you practice your cutting techiques on wood first.
It does stink pretty bad, but it makes a nice pen.
Drilling the blanks can sometimes be the trickiest thing involved.
 
I was always one to jump in head first. I say go for it and if it doesn't come out the way you wanted it to, try it again. Don't expect your first pen to be a masterpiece, but it will always be a special one. You can use regular tools, just make sure they are sharp and that you resharpen them as needed, take light cuts and go slow, there is no race to get it finished. The smell isn't my favorite, but it isn't the worst I've had either.
 
I agree, zebra wood is pretty bad too..

wolftat said:
I was always one to jump in head first. I say go for it and if it doesn't come out the way you wanted it to, try it again. Don't expect your first pen to be a masterpiece, but it will always be a special one. You can use regular tools, just make sure they are sharp and that you resharpen them as needed, take light cuts and go slow, there is no race to get it finished. The smell isn't my favorite, but it isn't the worst I've had either.
Click to expand...
 
Is this your first time turning anything? or just pens?
Antler has several things that cause it to be unusual. off center drilling makes an off center turning to start out. this can be a little weird even for someone that has turned a few "Normal" things. it has a few challenges as to finishing with the beginning usually being the need to drown it with CA to fill in pourous spots.
It tuns just fine with regular tools but will vary from very hard to very soft as you start to cut through the mantle and into the inner softer material. Antler from different species of deer will vary as well.
You will have a fair amount of struggle with the tools and nerves with your first pen. You could be better off turning something that you are not as concerned with messing up with your first pen or two. I know for me that the thought there was no way I could turn that little sliver any smaller was a fairly big hurdle to deal with with my first few pens. In time you come to rely on all the hardware and glue to keep things together and can focus more on other issues such as wobbly blanks and straight smooth cuts.
 
Ok I took you all's advice and im glad I did.
Made my first pen tonight.
Found out what you was talking about when you said blow out.
Made it out of a cheap wood.. local cedar.
After messing up the first one.. good thing I got 10 extra tubes.
the first finished pen did alright.
I see I have alot to learn but I think it will go fast.
Thank you all
dale
 
dale said:
Ok I took you all's advice and im glad I did.
Made my first pen tonight.
Found out what you was talking about when you said blow out.
Made it out of a cheap wood.. local cedar.
After messing up the first one.. good thing I got 10 extra tubes.
the first finished pen did alright.
I see I have alot to learn but I think it will go fast.
Thank you all
dale
Click to expand...
Cedar is not the best learning wood either.
I would suggest some walnut or maple to learn on, if you need some pm me your addy and I'll send you some.
 
Good going sir, no matter how many thousand pens a person turns, a new kit or new material or an experiment to see if I can do that, or I wonder what will happen if. I as well as hundreds of other turners go through the same apprehension with new things.
 
Choosing cedar as a first is a poor choice because its such a light wood. The fibers arent as tight as many harder woods, so blowouts and chipouts are easy to do. I still do it with cedar. I would start hith a denser wood like maple or walnut.
Let us know how you do. Just dont get discuraged if you blow out another one. It happens. keep practicing and eventually you will fall into a style that suits you.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Thats what we are here for.
 
Congrats on the first pen! Is there a photo?

For antler, use the smallest diameter you can and the straightest you have. I like to turn it and it sells well for me.

Use a dust mask of some type for all your turnings/sanding. Your lungs will thank you. I wear one for everything I do on the lathe that give you a dust and when I finish a pen. I don't react well to the CA so the choice is a mask or cough up a lung the next night.
 
Hunter-27 thanks for the offer. I have some walnut just had some blanks I bought at Grizzly's in Springfield, MO. So I used it.
I have others but thought that a cheap one on the first wouldnt hurt so bad if you know what I mean.
I order some Pink Ivory wood.
Can any of you tell me what to expect with it? MY granddaughters favorite color is pink so I thought this would be a good one to try.

Where can a fellow get some of the plastics you all talk about and would you even suggest a beginner in pen turning to try them yet?

I am a wood carving and a scroll sawer and new to turning. Got the lathe mostly for turning down wood to make walking sticks with but got intersted in the pens.

dale
 
dale said:
Hunter-27 thanks for the offer. I have some walnut just had some blanks I bought at Grizzly's in Springfield, MO. So I used it.
I have others but thought that a cheap one on the first wouldnt hurt so bad if you know what I mean.
I order some Pink Ivory wood.
Can any of you tell me what to expect with it? MY granddaughters favorite color is pink so I thought this would be a good one to try.

Where can a fellow get some of the plastics you all talk about and would you even suggest a beginner in pen turning to try them yet?

I am a wood carving and a scroll sawer and new to turning. Got the lathe mostly for turning down wood to make walking sticks with but got intersted in the pens.

dale
Click to expand...

From me or several other places.

NO, I would NOT suggest turning plastic until you can confidently turn a wood pen. WHEN and IF you decide to start plastics, use the ones called acrylic or celluloid acrylic. My pearls, anything from CSUSA, Beartoothwoods, many Penn State. That will be the easiest to get a pen. As you progress with these materials, you can turn other, less forgiving resins.

There is NO substitute for experience. You will learn the sounds of success and failure. Best to do this on wood. (If you start feeling really like hot spit, grab a black palm and make a pen --- if it goes smoothly, you are ready for other materials)

FWIW,
Ed
 
dale said:
Hunter-27 thanks for the offer. I have some walnut just had some blanks I bought at Grizzly's in Springfield, MO. So I used it.
I have others but thought that a cheap one on the first wouldnt hurt so bad if you know what I mean.
I order some Pink Ivory wood.
Can any of you tell me what to expect with it? MY granddaughters favorite color is pink so I thought this would be a good one to try.

Where can a fellow get some of the plastics you all talk about and would you even suggest a beginner in pen turning to try them yet?

I am a wood carving and a scroll sawer and new to turning. Got the lathe mostly for turning down wood to make walking sticks with but got intersted in the pens.

dale
Click to expand...

From Ed is a good source for the acrylic/plastic/artifical blanks.

www.woodnwhimsies.com is "local" to you but you will have to pay MO sales tax. Good prices and good service.

Just a satisfied customer...
 
My first 20 pens or so are all laughable to me now, but you'll get excited about yours and get better with practice. You're WAY ahead of the game by finding this site and getting all this great advice at the start of your hobby. Many of us had to struggle for years on our own before we found IAP!!!
 
Yes Brian I am glad to have found this site.
As a woodcarver I found that Carving Forums gave some good advise so when I decided to learn to turn pens I have looked at a couple of forums and even watched serveral Youtube videos.
Even have some of the locals here on Youtube.

dale
 
Put the slimlines away for a while and get something like the cigar pen. The slimlines are cheap; but are really not the easiest kits to turn, IMO. The wood in the barrel will be extremely thin and that can be a problem for beginners. Also, getting the transmissions properly seated give some folks difficulty. Also the larger surface area of a larger pen will better show off the grain in your wood.
 
I would suggest not making slimline anter pens either. They crack easy at the center band because they are so thin. I would suggest comfort pen kits which is just a thicker slimline with the same tubes, (just thicker at the center) and it also lets you play with the shape more. Costs a bit more than a slimline, but not as much as the others. Options for anter pen finishes also... fill any marrow with CA while sanding, this will give you a smooth surface. Then you can use a spray can of lacquer if your worried about a CA finish. Just let it sit for a week then micro mesh and polish.
 
dale said:
Ok I took you all's advice and im glad I did.
Made my first pen tonight.
Found out what you was talking about when you said blow out.
Made it out of a cheap wood.. local cedar.
After messing up the first one.. good thing I got 10 extra tubes.
the first finished pen did alright.
I see I have alot to learn but I think it will go fast.
Thank you all
dale
Click to expand...

Just because the wood blows up doesn't mean you have to throw the tubes out. Turn the wood off the tubes and reuse them.
 
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