Hello all!
I've been lurking for a couple of weeks now since I got into this pen habit. I was visiting family in Michigan over the holidays when a family friend introduced me to the art of pen turning and I made my first pen, a slimline, on his Wilton mini lathe. It came out pretty good with only a little stepping on the ends but I was hooked.
Once I got back home to Texas I started researching lathes and materials and tried to figure out what is the best bang for my buck. I'm not sure where I'm headed with this hobby, if I'll just make pens and stoppers and small items and give them away or if I'll progress into trying to make a few bucks off of them. As such I'm starting with some inexpensive equipment and pen kits to get a feel for turning. As my experience grows I'm sure that I will have my own opinions about what is the best for finishing, equipment, process, etc.
Last week I ordered the Turncrafter Pro lathe with the Super Pen Maker Starter Set from PSI. I felt that this was the best for someone who didn't have anything to start with at all. My cutting tools in my garage consist of a compound miter saw and a hand miter saw and my only drill is a hand held one. I felt that pre-cut/drilled blanks might be the easiest way to start until I can afford a drill press and a band/scroll saw. I have a Woodcraft store nearby and there is a Rockler in the area as well, although that's a bit more of a trip. My lathe and accessories should be arriving today so I will hopefully have at least one finished product in the next day or so.
Thanks to all that have submitted articles or contributed on this forum. It has provided a wealth of knowledge to a new turner.
I've been lurking for a couple of weeks now since I got into this pen habit. I was visiting family in Michigan over the holidays when a family friend introduced me to the art of pen turning and I made my first pen, a slimline, on his Wilton mini lathe. It came out pretty good with only a little stepping on the ends but I was hooked.
Once I got back home to Texas I started researching lathes and materials and tried to figure out what is the best bang for my buck. I'm not sure where I'm headed with this hobby, if I'll just make pens and stoppers and small items and give them away or if I'll progress into trying to make a few bucks off of them. As such I'm starting with some inexpensive equipment and pen kits to get a feel for turning. As my experience grows I'm sure that I will have my own opinions about what is the best for finishing, equipment, process, etc.
Last week I ordered the Turncrafter Pro lathe with the Super Pen Maker Starter Set from PSI. I felt that this was the best for someone who didn't have anything to start with at all. My cutting tools in my garage consist of a compound miter saw and a hand miter saw and my only drill is a hand held one. I felt that pre-cut/drilled blanks might be the easiest way to start until I can afford a drill press and a band/scroll saw. I have a Woodcraft store nearby and there is a Rockler in the area as well, although that's a bit more of a trip. My lathe and accessories should be arriving today so I will hopefully have at least one finished product in the next day or so.
Thanks to all that have submitted articles or contributed on this forum. It has provided a wealth of knowledge to a new turner.
