New and VERY uninformed

[flyfisher48]

Hi. I am new to pen turning. My wife thought I needed another hobby to add to my others. She was right. I am hooked. I live in Farmington, NM. It is the nearest medium sized town to the Four Corners. I have turned about 20 practice pens and am looking to expand my abilities.

Not sure if this is the spot to ask but: I have read conflicting instructions about the speed to bein turning. One spot says start hi to with the gouge and then slow down for the skew another says the opposite. Which is correct for wood and does anything change with acrylics?:beat-up:

 

[PenMan1]

Hi Werner, and welcome to the madness! You will find a lot of useful and sometimes conflicting information on the site. But, even when we disagree, we all agree that this is the most useful penmaking forum on the web.

As for your question about turning speeds. I'll bet if you poll all of the members here that you would find that just about every lathe speed is somebody's favorite turning speed.

As for me, when I first started making pens, I drilled on the lathe at 500 rpms (my slowest speed). I knocked off wooden corners with a spindle gouge at 3000+ rpms, and then slowed down to 2000 rpms for skew or round nose scraper work. MANY OTHERS DO IT DIFFERENTLY, as do I, now that I am more comfortable with my lathe, my tools and my abilities.

I recommend that you go to HD and buy an 8 foot 1X4 poplar board and cut it into 3/4 x 3/4 X 5 inch pen blanks. This board will not be very expensive (and they even make ok pens) and it will give you enough blanks to try every speed and find out what speed "suits" you. THAT IS THE CORRECT SPEED TO USE, FOR YOU.

Respectfully submitted

 

[Longfellow]

Welcome

Welcome from Sunny St. Cloud, Fla. Home of beautiful Florida wood.

 

[omb76]

Welcome from Cartersville, GA! There's more than one speed to turn something?? :biggrin:

 

[MartinPens]

Welcome to an awesome forum!
There is so much information on this site and through its members that you will be amazed.
I agree with the above post. Get some and dive in at different speeds. Wear protective eye gear. Different woods and materials all seem to have a particular speed that works well. I think, for me, it has been easier to start at lower speeds and increase as I become more comfortable with my tools and begin to get q feel for things. There are certain woods and materials that I work with a lot and I can crank the speed up because I know the material can handle it.

I would put in an early plug for an adequate dust system, dust masks and a ventilator mask. I did some cutting last week of a spalted wood, had my dust collector up and running, but chose not to wear a dust mask. I regret that one.

Just dive in and ask lots of questions. Some day you will be able to give assistance to a newcomer yourself.

Martin

Sent from my iPad using Forum Runner

 

[IPD_Mrs]

I recommend that you go to HD and buy an 8 foot 1X4 poplar board and cut it into 3/4 x 3/4 X 5 inch pen blanks. This board will not be very expensive (and they even make ok pens) and it will give you enough blanks to try every speed and find out what speed "suits" you. THAT IS THE CORRECT SPEED TO USE, FOR YOU.

That is the best answer I have seen on this question yet. Stuff like this needs to go in a FAQ library.

 

[hilltopper46]

Welcome, from Wisconsin.

FWIW, I turn on high speed and sand/finish on medium. Your mileage may vary.

 

[Displaced Canadian]

I turn both at high speeds I slow down a little to sand non wood blanks.

 

[Edward Cypher]

Welcome from Denver. I have some friends in Farmington. If I get down there I will give you a yell. Have fun turning.

Ed

 

[bobjackson]

Welcome from northern Ohio. I turn, sand, and finish at high speed.

 

[broitblat]

Welcome from another member of the uninformed services

-Barry

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

As Andy said you'll find folks that turn from the slowest speed to the fastest, his advice is the best I've heard (can't believe I'm praising him:wink. Check out our library you'll find tons of info there and ask away most of the information you want will be answered in a very short time.

 

[bitshird]

There is no right speed, generally I turn close to wide open on my small lathe, and slow down to probably 1300 to 1500 to sand, I have a 16 inch lathe with a Tachometer and to me it is about as useful as mammary glands on a Bull.

 

[1dweeb]

Welcome from Texas. Andy nailed the question right off. Do not be afraid to try different tools and techniques. You might also look for a local chapter of woodturners in your neck of the woods and see if you can take part in a demonstration. Most woodturners are very generous with their time and knowledge.

 

[G1Pens]

Welcome from Georgia.....

 

[Ligget]

Welcome to the IAP!

 

[bensoelberg]

I turn pens at or close to my lathe's top speed, then drop to the lathe's slowest speed (600 RPM's) for sanding and finishing.

 

[U-Turn]

Welcome from Smyrna, GA. I turn most of my blanks at about 1,800. I slow it down to about 700 when I do a CA finish. Works for me, but that is what I got comfortable with - make a run at several speeds and see which you get the best results from.

 

[Jim15]

Welcome Werner.

 

[airrat]

Hi Werner

I use to live in Farmington out on La Plata Hwy. Dad was with the APS power plant.

Welcome to the site.

 

[LarryDNJR]

Welcome from northern Ohio. I turn, sand, and finish at high speed.

As I +1

 

[rherrell]

Welcome!

 

[SGM Retired]

Welcome from North Alabama. As you can see the speed is up to you and what you feel at ease with. Not sure if you can tell difference with the tools from 3000 to 1000 rpm, it's just how fast you want to take off wood. As for turning items other than wood you might want to speed things up a bit untill you can cut without catching and stopping lathe. +1 on the idea of poplar and just trying it out at different speeds, it want hurt. Glad to have you on board, remember, there are no bad questions that you can ask! Also be sure to take a look at the library..

Gary