Turning pens for gifts , fun and profit from the worlds woods is one of the most interesting of hobbies I have done in awhile. Am looking forward to the input from other members in this arena.
Welcome John,from far west Kentucky, to the addiction, sometimes referred to as the vortex. Be sure to give the library a good bit of time. The link is at the top of the page. You will find an article called Library Index. This covers tutorials on about anything pen making you can think of. You will also notice that there are articles listed by year. Much good info there as well. When these fail to answer your questions, by all means post it here. I have never seen one go unanswered very long. You might also want to give this thread a good look. It has some very good info for the beginning pen turner; http://content.penturners.org/articles/2009/Getting_started_in_penturning.pdf. Grab some wood, make some shavings and have fun all the while being safe.
Charles
Welcome to IAP from another John E. Looking forward to seeing your work. This is an extremely helpful group of folks! Many here have forgotten more than I'll ever know about this hobby.
John. Welcome from Lockeford, CA (near Lodi) If you want some wood blanks to start off with let me know. I can send you about 20 3/4 x 5" free. just send me your
address and I will gaher up a batch. Frank