Goin' to the Big City tomorrow!!

[cozee]

I am heading up to Elgin (IL) to deliver a slotcar track I sold. Plans call for a stop by the Woodcraft store in Woodridge. I am wanting to pick up what I need to turn my first pen(s). I have the lathe and tools. I also have sand paper in grits up to 4000. Plenty of epoxy. Oh yeah, I've got plenty of Cocobolo blanks thanks to Jeff Brown who sent me several. [8D]

My shopping lists is as follows:

#1 MT Mandrell (and a couple spare shafts)
Assorted pen kits
Appropriate bushings for kits

I will probably go with a CA finish (I try to avoid iso's if I can though[xx(]) so my question with it is, Thick or Thin????

Have I left anything I just can't turn without off the list???

 

[Rifleman1776]

You live near the U. of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana. I attended there, long time ago. When you go to Chi town, stop at the Museum of Science and Industry. If you like model trains, see their huge, newly remolded model train exhibit. Fantastico.
BTW, just browsing, I'm sure you will see much at Woodcraft you can't live without.

 

[cozee]

Been there, done that. Hey, you attended school here. You should know there isn't much to do around these parts so we have to venture to the big city!! Ot St. Louey, or Indy, or . . .[] Not much into trains. They don't seem to go fast enough for me!!!

 

[vick]

Originally posted by cozee
so my question with it is, Thick or Thin????

I would go with medium CA if I were you to start with. Personally I flip flop betwean medium and thin, but medium is a good place to start. You may want to pick up the thin as well to stabelize wood and such even if you are not planning to use it for finish.

If you look at http://woodenwonderstx.com/CA_Glue_Page.html you can get ca a lot cheaper than what they charge at woodcraft.

 

[beamer]

While you can live without it, i don't know how anyone DOES - but a pen mill would be a good idea. I shortly ended up needing some extra tubes to replace a couple of goofs. I also picked up their metric brad-point drill bit set, but my 64ths set works fine, too.

Let's see ... a pen press?

A disassembly tool?

A tube insertion tool?

How about sume Hut finishing stuff? (if you decide against CA)

Ummm...micro mesh up to 12000 grit?

Lessee ... a sharpening jig? grinder?

Man ... maybe I should work for woodcraft

 

[cozee]

I have plenty of CA of all consistentcies, was just curious as to what would work best for finishing. Albeit, all that I have are marketed to the hobby industry and have heard thier quality isn't quite as good industrial grades.

Thanks for ther link, will have to make some decisions!!

 

[guts]

Greg,shoot me an e-mail with you snail mail address an i'll send you a few blanks of some good old texas native wood i think you might like to start out with,i get em free so i won't charge you anything,brother in law lives in palatine?(sp) close to chi.town.

 

[woodwish]

Based on my own experience only- after looking around the Woodcraft store and maybe buy a few kits I would get the latest CSUSA catalog and order some better quality kits. My experience with some of the Woodcraft kits was not great, I like their stores and have spent a lot of $$$ over the years but really was diappointed in the pen kits. You can also send me a snail mail address and I can send you some nice southern US blanks like pecan, and save those cocobola blanks for when your pen making skills get better.

 

[cozee]

<b>guts</b>, I'll be just south of Palatine. Watch your mail. I greatly appreciate your generousity.

<b>woodwish</b>, As for the Woodcraft pen kits, I'm only gonna get a few slimlines because I am itchin' to start. I am selling off one hobby to begin another hence the trip north to deliver a slotcar track I sold. I was planning on an order to PSI but will get a CSUSA catalog. And I greatly appreciate your generousity also. Seems I have been in the wrong hobbies for a long time. Seems penturners are a blessing wherever I go!

 

[terry q]

You ever get to the Peoria area? Standing invite to stop by and "kick the sawdust".

Terry

 

[guts]

Greg,got you e-mail and got your goodies packed and ready for the mail tomorrow,hope you enjoy.

 

[DFM]

Pick up some micro mesh. You may not want to start with it, but as your skill increases, you will want better finishes and MM is critical. This will save you a trip into town.

 

[cozee]

Well, I picked up a few things at the Woodcraft store. A customer who was also shopping for pen stuff told me I should have went to the other one for they had more goodies!! Go figure!!

Any way I got:

My mandrel and a spare rod.
HUT semi gloss and gloss finishes
and a few slimline pen (and 1 pencil) kits and the bushings for them.

I feel I can turn my first few pens with what I now have. But, tomorrow, I will be ordering some kits and other things (such as MM) from one of two well known suppliers.

I want to thank everyone for their input. I will try to take step by step pictures of my first pen for your viewing pleasure. Or they may get submitted to America's funniest home videos!!! Either way, once you have caught your breaths, I would appreciate your comments.

<b>terryg</b>Been wanting to venture over your way for sometime now. Let's see, there is the HF store, the crab shack, and the woodworking stores. Soon as I find a free Saturday, and the sun is shining, momma and I will saddle up and ride on over.


<b>guts</b>Again, many thanks!!

 

[johncrane]

I agree with Vick at the moment Iam making a pen out of red gum burl and so fare Ive used six small tubes of ca/superglue filling up the holes it works great.

 

[leehljp]

<b>Going to the Big City</b> - I thought for a moment you were going to <b>Tokyo</b>. []

 

[cozee]

Ah, Tokyo!! I remember her well!!!! The city of my childhood. Well, uh, in the movies any way!!!![]

With a purposeful grimace and a terrible sound
He pulls the spitting high tension wires down

Helpless people on a subway train
Scream bug-eyed as he looks in on them

He picks up a bus and he throws it back down
As he wades through the buildings toward the center of town

Oh no, they say hes got to go
Go go godzilla, yeah
Oh no, there goes tokyo
Go go godzilla, yeah

Rinji news o moshiagemasu!
Rinji news o moshiagemasu!
Godzilla ga ginza hoomen e mukatte imasu!
Daishkyu hinan shyte kudasai!
Daishkyu hinan shyte kudasai!

Oh no, they say hes got to go
Go go godzilla, yeah
Oh no, there goes tokyo
Go go godzilla, yeah

History shows again and again
How nature points up the folly of men
Godzilla! Blue Oyster Cult.

I just couldn't resist!!!![]