Hello from Orange County, California

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BGrubb

BGrubb

Member
Joined
May 11, 2019
Messages
3
Location
Irvine, Ca
I am brand new to pen (and all other) turning. I have always been intrigued by wood turning, and a recent visit to my local Rockler's got me hooked. I have a lathe and several other pen turning-related items on their way to me, and I picked up several items at Rockler's also. Once the lathe arrives here, I'm ready to dive in.

I have a number of gift ideas already banging around inside my head, and I'll have to be careful to let my skills catch up to my ideas. Looking forward to learning from the folks here on IAP and sharing my progress.

As it happens, I also sell lathes and mills, though of a very different kind (CNC mills for metal machining - aerospace, medical, automotive, defense, etc). This gives me a little advantage, in that I'm familiar with some of the terminology and concepts, but I'm a complete newbie as an operator. This is going to be fun!
 
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leehljp

leehljp

Member Liaison
Joined
Feb 6, 2005
Messages
9,329
Location
Tunica, Mississippi,
Welcome Brian, to IAP. Lots of help here from different ones and from our Library too.

Check out our Library here: Library Index - International Association of Penturners

Best thing I can recommend after the library articles is ro make 3 or 4 pens, notice your outcome and compare the pens to see how each looks different from the others. What was easy to replicate in each, and what was difficult to accomplish consistently? Next, get a cutoff 2x4 pine (or other) and cut a bunch (dozen or so) pen blanks and spend a few hours turning, shaping, sanding, measuring and finishing. 4 to 5 hours of pure practice of the different aspects will give you a considerable leap forward in pen making rather quickly. Don't focus on making a pen with those blanks, but focus on mastering or getting a "feel" for each step. Jumping forward to the finished pen causes one to often look ahead instead of focusing on the procedure.

Get a good set of calipers and learn to measure the turnings rather than depending on the bushings for sizing. TBC - Turning between Centers (without a mandrel) simplifies the turning process for many, but some are just as happy with mandrels. Check out this link (it's in the Library under Penturning 101) http://www.penturners.org/forum/f14/if-i-had-known-earlier-46654/. This link tells you what people wish they had known earlier, even though it is 10 years old.
 
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