How many pen kits do you have?

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maybe 25 pen kits plus a few other projects and about 75 blanks
But I have a truck bed covered about 6 inches deep with corian and a few logs drying out back, so I will have a few more blanks soon
 
I really don't know I would guess about 150. Haven't been turning much this year. I have about 35 in stock(?) or finished not much call for them around here and really haven't tried hard to sell any.

i guess I could say to many or if the economy was better not enough.
 
eh... um... I have about 30 or so I've bought from here. 30 or so i've bought from PSI/Woodcraft and I probrably have enough corian to make a 4000 pens in a good 125 plus colors... and not just slim lines... If we are counting slims double that If your interested in some PM me. If theres a atleast 3 people that want something I'll put up a add in the vendors section and we can all have too many pen blanks:):)
 
I owe many of you here a huge THANK YOU! I was starting to feel pretty bad about the amount of kits and blanks I have just sitting on the shelf. Compared to some of you, it's nothing.
Whew!
 
:eek:Wow....:eek: some of you guys have more money than sense!!:rolleyes:

The cost of a 100 or so kits will get you a decent metal lathe or milling machine.
I know that I'd rather play around on some new power tools than have a herd of money wrapped up in some overpriced Chinese pen kits. :biggrin:

I had some spare time today and visited a local supplier...Turners Retreat.

£40 ( >$65 )for a Statesman !!!!!:eek: Yikes!!!

I did spend around £100 on stuff, but every penny hurt:frown::biggrin:
It reminded me why I like to make kitless pens!!:biggrin:
 
I can't imagine it's cost effective to have hundreds of kits hanging around than you may or may not actually use. I can see buying in some quantity to get discounts and having a lot of kits if you constantly sell a lot of pens, but otherwise it's hard for me to see a major advantage of hundreds of pen kits in the cabinet over money in the bank.

I'd be happy to have like 10 each of my favorites and a couple each of my occasionals.
 
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Im not home to count and its probably a good thing, but off the top of my head, probably around 250. Unfortunately about half probably wont ever get made since they are for styles I don't really make anymore. Ive probably given 50 to 100 away in the past year to friends who've started turning, for practice. I don't even want to count the blanks. I have about 400 acrylic blanks, not counting what I make, and about 500 wood blanks, not to mention the boards and logs I haven't cut up yet, and Ive given about 100 assorted blanks away to friends in the past six months or so. I guess I love to impulse shop once in a while. :)
 
skiprat said:
:eek:Wow....:eek: some of you guys have more money than sense!!:rolleyes:

The cost of a 100 or so kits will get you a decent metal lathe or milling machine.
I know that I'd rather play around on some new power tools than have a herd of money wrapped up in some overpriced Chinese pen kits. :biggrin:

I had some spare time today and visited a local supplier...Turners Retreat.

£40 ( >$65 )for a Statesman !!!!!:eek: Yikes!!!

I did spend around £100 on stuff, but every penny hurt:frown::biggrin:
It reminded me why I like to make kitless pens!!:biggrin:
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My sentiments exactly! When I packed up my shop about a MONTH ago, I think there were seven Apprentice Jr. Gents I bought for the clips.:biggrin: I have ordered a few kits for orders but, no longer do I keep any on hand.
 
I have about 60 or so kits in styles I currently make. If I dont make it anymore or like the kit, I get rid of them. Blanks - no idea, at least a few hundred.

Bushings are my weakness. I have bushings for kits I know I likely would never touch again. Never know when they will fit something else lol

Sounds like everyone on here could keep the classifieds hopping for a few days purging things they dont use anymore.. :wink:
 
I'm probably at around 50 kits and 70 or so blanks. Not much compared to many, but most I've had at any one time. I gradually grow as some sell to pay for new ones.
 
I have about 400 kits and probably as many blanks. I usually by larger volumes to get a better deal on the most popular ones. Some I will probably never make up. Most will become pens. I have been lucky and sold over 100 in the last month at a show and word of mouth. I am south for the winter and brought 100-150 kits and blanks with me.
 
I have 35 commercial kits on hand but maybe 5 will ever be made into a pen as an original kit. Most of them are donor kits for the transmission parts and tubes. I throw the rest away. I Have more blanks then I will ever turn without cutting up any more lumber or casting to make more.
 
Dan Masshardt said:
I can't imagine it's cost effective to have hundreds of kits hanging around than you may or may not actually use. I can see buying in some quantity to get discounts and having a lot of kits if you constantly sell a lot of pens, but otherwise it's hard for me to see a major advantage of hundreds of pen kits in the cabinet over money in the bank.

I'd be happy to have like 10 each of my favorites and a couple each of my occasionals.
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Dan,

I never pay full price for kits if I can help it! I wanted some new styles so I got in on one of the group buys..... at 38% off (25% volume + 13% club discount), how can you beat that?

I try to get in on group buys to get the kits I want/need.....
 
PTownSubbie said:
Dan Masshardt said:
I can't imagine it's cost effective to have hundreds of kits hanging around than you may or may not actually use. I can see buying in some quantity to get discounts and having a lot of kits if you constantly sell a lot of pens, but otherwise it's hard for me to see a major advantage of hundreds of pen kits in the cabinet over money in the bank.

I'd be happy to have like 10 each of my favorites and a couple each of my occasionals.
Click to expand...


Dan,

I never pay full price for kits if I can help it! I wanted some new styles so I got in on one of the group buys..... at 38% off (25% volume + 13% club discount), how can you beat that?

I try to get in on group buys to get the kits I want/need.....
Click to expand...
You were one of the lucky 10 Fred?:biggrin:
 
skiprat said:
:eek:Wow....:eek: some of you guys have more money than sense!!:rolleyes:

The cost of a 100 or so kits will get you a decent metal lathe or milling machine.
Click to expand...
I don't have a quantity, but I know the total worth is somewhere north of $10k. I suppose that could buy me another fully loaded Robust American Beauty... but where would be the fun in that?
 
PTownSubbie said:
Dan Masshardt said:
I can't imagine it's cost effective to have hundreds of kits hanging around than you may or may not actually use. I can see buying in some quantity to get discounts and having a lot of kits if you constantly sell a lot of pens, but otherwise it's hard for me to see a major advantage of hundreds of pen kits in the cabinet over money in the bank.

I'd be happy to have like 10 each of my favorites and a couple each of my occasionals.
Click to expand...


Dan,

I never pay full price for kits if I can help it! I wanted some new styles so I got in on one of the group buys..... at 38% off (25% volume + 13% club discount), how can you beat that?

I try to get in on group buys to get the kits I want/need.....
Click to expand...
:smile:I don't think anybody ever pays full price for kits - I sometimes have trouble giving them away.:smile:
 
Smitty37 said:
I don't think anybody ever pays full price for kits - I sometimes have trouble giving them away.:smile:
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I made the mistake of walking into the Portland Woodcraft this weekend "Just to look around" It took great self control to walk out only $40 lighter..

Added a few more kits to my meager collection. Yeah I paid full price.. :eek:
 
Probably around 50 or fewer kits. Probably 3 times that many blanks. I've promised myself to work that number down before I buy any more. On average I complete about 2 to 4 pens a month. So, probably another year before I order again :-(

Maybe if I run out of glue I will order before then :-)
 
I try to get in on group buys to get the kits I want/need.....[/quote]:smile:I don't think anybody ever pays full price for kits - I sometimes have trouble giving them away.:smile:[/quote]

Want to try you luck today on the give a way's ??? Just asking
 
billspenfactory said:
I try to get in on group buys to get the kits I want/need.....
Click to expand...
:smile:I don't think anybody ever pays full price for kits - I sometimes have trouble giving them away.:smile:[/quote]

Want to try you luck today on the give a way's ??? Just asking[/quote]Gee, you must have missed it? Ya snooze, ya lose!:biggrin:
 
Smitty37 said:
billspenfactory said:
I try to get in on group buys to get the kits I want/need.....
Click to expand...
:smile:I don't think anybody ever pays full price for kits - I sometimes have trouble giving them away.:smile:
Click to expand...

Want to try you luck today on the give a way's ??? Just asking[/quote]Gee, you must have missed it? Ya snooze, ya lose!:biggrin:[/quote]


Just like fishing I should have been there yesterday. Story of my life.
 
At the end of the year after shows, I have about 50-70 finished pens. I probably have about 100 kits in stock. I will be purchasing kits to start production for next year. I generally have about 200 on hand. I try to do 5-6 of the same type when I decide to make stock for sale.
 
Kits on hand maybe 900-1,000. Finished pens just about the same. Blanks glued up awaiting turning 1,000 plus perhaps more. I often buy 50-100 extra tubes for each style when ordering kits. I find it easier to turn extra blanks and then just assemble the best ones. Often a great blank gets rather plain in turning and bland pens just have no attraction to me. Sometimes I turn the plain one down to reclaim the tube or just keep for future use. Last count of wood blanks was over 6,000 with about the same amount of flat stock awaiting being made into blanks. Stabilized blanks about 500. Acrylic blanks perhaps 250 as I ran the numbers down and have not replaced them yet.

The kit number will go up after the new years because I have to start making pens for a local high school graduation. One per graduate with their mane and year engraved on them.

I refuse to admit that I have a problem. Why would anyone think a person with half a dozen plus lathes has a problem. I only use a couple at anyone time and all the others are there just in case I need them. :)
 
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