Spankin’ new pen turner!

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johnmgerst

Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2025
Messages
1
Location
Westford, Massachusetts
Hello everyone. I'm a spankin' new pen turner! As a matter of fact, I just turned my first pen and will be applying CA to finish tomorrow. Just waiting for my can of accelerator to arrive. It's a cigar pen in ebony. I'm very happy with it. A friend sold me his Delta midi lathe for $1 and then I was off to the races. Spent another $1,000 (almost) in attachments, tools, and pen supplies. Probably going to buy a small band saw today. Looking forward to engaging and learning.
 
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Welcome to IAP. Like to see a photo of your first pen. The lathe was a real steal. As you have seen, that is the cheapest part of pen making and wood turning.
 
Welcome John. Ebony is an oily wood. There are a few black woods that aren't ebony. "Ebony" in the pen turning world of IAP is (or at least used to be) the oily black woods of different varieties.

It can be mildly difficult to those new to the pen turning wood. The CA will harden of course and then lift up in sections/spots/ends away from the wood and give a cloudy look to it. And then there are the few that have no problem with it.

Wiping the blank with acetone a few minutes before applying CA will help. Some use denatured alcohol, and that works for a number of people, but it also leads to spots with others in certain woods for some because of the water in the alcohol, which is not 100% alcohol.

The reason I keep saying "for some" - the nature of the wood, its oil content or water content, the humidity in relation to temperature, the temperature, and ones shop (heated/unheated, open to nature, AC in the summer) are all variables that are different in different locations and they (each one) affect the outcome.

Another problem prone to lifting is CA'ing the blank with the bushing ON. When separating a bushing from a blank, the snap in breaking the bushing off, and with less adhesion due to the oil in the blank, the CA can lift off the bushing. A good remedy is TBC - Turning between centers without the bushings only during the finishing stage. TBC methods vary but accomplish the same ends.
 
Hello John, Greetings from Nebraska and Welcome to the IAP Community! I've sent you a PM (Private Message). You can get to it by clicking on the little envelope icon at the top of the web page. - Dave
 
Welcome to the IAP!! You will find a wealth of friendship and knowledge here. Don't be afraid to ask questions!!

We now have over 150 videos on YouTube--sit down some evening and watch a few---it WILL help;););)

Most important: ENJOY turning!!
 
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