candy1land
Member
Well I was tooling around on the internet last night and I found this site. I'm VERY excited to begin my research phase on starting this new venture. I have been collecting "commercially made" pens for years. I love pens. Let me re-state that again..."I LOVE PENS"!!! Of all sizes, shapes, colors and materials. I always have. It's been my one weaknesses in life. Buying new one's has always made me happy! Not even cheap plastic pens miss being noticed by me.
I've always wanted to be an entrepreneur of sorts too and this concept of making my own "works of art" is exciting! I can't wait to start this adventure but I will preface that excitement with some trepidation about the complexity of the learning curve. I've read many of the posts on what you wish you would have known and as a TRUE NEWBIE it sounds complicated. I'm looking for the cliff notes version along with the Shopping List. And then of course I'm also looking for the classes and/or mentorship I know I will need to truly get started. I like learn by doing not learn by experimenting with costly supplies and tools.
In a prior attempt at being an entrepreneur I stepped into making rubber weights. The kind of weights used in the Olympics by the big weight lifters who lift them up over their heads and then drop them on the floor. Well those weights have steel centers that have to be turned on a lathe. I jumped into that business without even knowing what a lathe was or how to use it. I bought an old WWII Navy Lathe (full size) with no motor. It was so heavy my uncle had to lift it with a tractor onto a trailer to get it home. We used a lawn mower engine to power it and off I went learning how to "turn".
I figure if I could do that with no instructions, no guidelines and no written tolerances and a crappy scale then this can't be above me. Nothing like metal shavings in every opening on your face to teach you to use protective gear and wear a mask! I'll post pictures of what I produced and later sold to a high school weight room later. But I had an introduction to machining from some very nice gentlemen in machine shops who I needed to turn my weight lifting bars and after a quick lesson on how to turn the lathe on and what a blade looked like I was on my own.
I want to get this party started so I can make some amateur gifts by X-mas. My challenges are finding someone to help mentor me at first. Figuring out what I need to buy. (may need to sell my ginormous full size lathe for other tools and a smaller one instead) And discovering my inner artisan for this type of craft work.
I welcome to comments and suggestions. I've already poured over the two intro articles and taken notes. Now I just want to connect, get involved and meet you so I can join this big adventure!
Candy Roberts
I've always wanted to be an entrepreneur of sorts too and this concept of making my own "works of art" is exciting! I can't wait to start this adventure but I will preface that excitement with some trepidation about the complexity of the learning curve. I've read many of the posts on what you wish you would have known and as a TRUE NEWBIE it sounds complicated. I'm looking for the cliff notes version along with the Shopping List. And then of course I'm also looking for the classes and/or mentorship I know I will need to truly get started. I like learn by doing not learn by experimenting with costly supplies and tools.
In a prior attempt at being an entrepreneur I stepped into making rubber weights. The kind of weights used in the Olympics by the big weight lifters who lift them up over their heads and then drop them on the floor. Well those weights have steel centers that have to be turned on a lathe. I jumped into that business without even knowing what a lathe was or how to use it. I bought an old WWII Navy Lathe (full size) with no motor. It was so heavy my uncle had to lift it with a tractor onto a trailer to get it home. We used a lawn mower engine to power it and off I went learning how to "turn".
I figure if I could do that with no instructions, no guidelines and no written tolerances and a crappy scale then this can't be above me. Nothing like metal shavings in every opening on your face to teach you to use protective gear and wear a mask! I'll post pictures of what I produced and later sold to a high school weight room later. But I had an introduction to machining from some very nice gentlemen in machine shops who I needed to turn my weight lifting bars and after a quick lesson on how to turn the lathe on and what a blade looked like I was on my own.
I want to get this party started so I can make some amateur gifts by X-mas. My challenges are finding someone to help mentor me at first. Figuring out what I need to buy. (may need to sell my ginormous full size lathe for other tools and a smaller one instead) And discovering my inner artisan for this type of craft work.
I welcome to comments and suggestions. I've already poured over the two intro articles and taken notes. Now I just want to connect, get involved and meet you so I can join this big adventure!
Candy Roberts