Starter kit

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coalminer78

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Joined
Jul 4, 2011
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Location
Lincoln, IL
Is this a good starter kit or does anyone know of any better. I have no tools for penturning so far and want to get something that had all the stuff I need for basic pen turning as a hobby.

http://www.penmakingsupplies.com/Tools/lathes.php

its the super starter kit

CT–LATHE–1
CT–DUPLICATOR
OAK CABINET
L–STAND
BARREL TRIMMER
PEN ASSEMBLY PRESS
TUBE INSERTION TOOL
PEN DISASSEMBLY PRESS
PEN SQUARING JIG
PEN TURNING MANDRELL
8 PIECE PEN TURNING TOOL SET
PEN POLISH
5 DIFFERENT GRIT SANDPAPER ROLLS
DRILLING CENTER VISE
BUSHING SET
7 MM DRILL BIT
50 ASSORTED SLIMLINE PEN & PENCIL KITS
25 PEN BOXES & TUBES
PEN TURNING BOOK
PEN TURNING DVD
SG–THICK (SUPER GLUE)
50 ASSORTED PEN BLANKS
 
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It does not seem too bad, but keep this in mind....
If you really catch the bug and enjoy this hobby to the point where you want to advance your skills, then most of this will become obsolete to you. Can you make good pens with this? Yes. Most of us on IAP started cheap and in the long run spent more as we upgraded our lathe, tools, kits, finishes, drilling and numerous other things.
 
IMO for a beginner, you could probably cut out a lot of the stuff from that package and not miss it, therefore saving some money and shop space. Note, this is my opinion as a hobbyist. I don't sell pens (yet), so depending on your goals YMMV. :smile:

For instance, I usually only use 3 lathe tools to make a pen, a gouge, a skew, and my homemade thin parting tool. While it may be nice to have the set, it is not necessary.

The duplicator: I typically do not want to duplicate pens. I turn them as the wood and my mood dictate. That's actually the part of turning I really like, the freedom to go wherever my mood takes me.

50 Slimline kits may be a bit much. The slimline is a great versatile kit, but you may want to try some other kits. Also, they are giving you pens and pencils. They don't specify the mix, but in the other starter kit it is half and half. You may decide you don't want 25 pencils after making a few, or you may not like the mix of finishes (gold, chrome, copper, etc.) they give you.

The boxes and tubes: Even if all 50 pen kits survive to finished pen form and you are pleased enough with the quality to want to give away or sell them, you will not need a box/tube for every pen. My main aversion to these would be storing them until I needed them. I have enough junk in my shop as it is.

Pen assembly press: I use my drill press with a 1/2" dowel chucked in to press pens together. I have also read about using pistol clamps as a press. I have never seen or used a dis-assembly press so I cannot speak on that.

Books and DVD: I know nothing about the book and DVD they include, but there is a wealth of free info in this forum, other turning sites, and You tube.

I don't mean to discourage you. If you are happy with the set and the price, by all means go for it. My only point is that you do not need everything in the set to start penturning and can definitely get by on less. I would go for a cheaper starter set and use some of the saving to buy a good grinder and jig to sharpen your tools which, IMO is a real necessity.
 
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Steelbar would not be my first choice as a vendor -- bad experience causes one to not head back to the same source of the pain.

Several vendors sell packages -- the packages make it easier to get started, but also get you some gear that will likely not be used much. I have accumulated enought of that anyway.

I commend to you this article from the IAP library -- Lee did a good job with it.

http://content.penturners.org/library/general_reference/Getting_started_in_pen_turning.pdf

Ask around about lathes -- that is the biggest single outlay and getting one you will be happy with for a while is worth a few questions. I really like variable speed lathes for example.
 
I, like the poster above, think it includes more than what you might need to "get started". I have been turning for about two years and have no need or desire to own a duplicator. I did not need all of those items to get started and I think with lathe I spent less than the price of that set to get into the hobby. Keep in mind I started out with the HD 8x12 lathe. I then stepped up to a Delta 46-460 within a year.

I would also recommend to drill on the lathe, thus eliminating the need for the vice.
 
I'll just go ahead and say what others are hinting around. Steelbar is the LAST place I would buy ANYTHING. And my dealing with them again would require all other pen supply companies going out of business.

On the odd chance that you receive what you actually ordered in a timely basis, I'd be wlling to bet that some parts arrive broken or damaged.

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me". Steelbar is the worst company that I ever tried to deal with, ON ANYTHING! Just hearing the name leaves a nasty, bitter taste in my mouth.
 
What are you really trying to say, Andy? Go ahead and say it. Stop pulling punches!:biggrin::biggrin: Oh, by the way, I agree with all of the negative comments about steebar...turn and run, don't walk, the other way.

The library article referenced by Ken is an excellent place to start.

I would suggest to get the best and biggest lathe you can afford and have room for. Chances are you will want to turn other stuff besides pens. You can turn small things on the larger lathes but you can't turn larger things on the smaller lathes.

Good luck in your decisions.

Do a good turn daily!
Don
PenMan1 said:
I'll just go ahead and say what others are hinting around. Steelbar is the LAST place I would buy ANYTHING. And my dealing with them again would require all other pen supply companies going out of business.

On the odd chance that you receive what you actually ordered in a timely basis, I'd be wlling to bet that some parts arrive broken or damaged.

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me". Steelbar is the worst company that I ever tried to deal with, ON ANYTHING! Just hearing the name leaves a nasty, bitter taste in my mouth.
Click to expand...
 
boxerman said:
I see it's from Steebar I thought I read that they weren't in business anymore or they had bad customer service.
Click to expand...


I have NOT had good results with Steebar and would NOT order from them again. You can get the same or better quality, and a better price, and MUCH better shipping and service from most other vender's.

Al
 
One - there is much more than you need in that set.
two - you won't want a duplicator --- if you do I've got one never used that you can get real cheap.
three - there are a lot of places where you can get 25 slimline pen kits cheaper than they are selling them to you - and you won't want all that many pencil kits unless you want to give away a bunch of pen and pencil sets.
four - as a beginner you can get along with just 2 or 3 turning tools and you will probably want to try other like the Woodchuck Pro as you gain a little skill.

So while I am a seller of kits myself and don't comment on other sellers I join most of the commenter here and would look elsewhere and buy a less expensive start up. You might want to spend more for the lathe and less for the other things....
 
Interesting. You got me thinking about what I would need if I was just starting out. The following is my starter set - between $1200 and $1400 depending on how much you want to spend on the lathe. You could probably shop for sales and cut this price. If you start buying gouges, you'll need a grinder to sharpen them. The carbide tip tool lets you avoid this expense, at least in the beginning. Several trips to Harbor Freight will come in handy. Don't forget your 20% off coupon each time.

Variable speed MIDI lathe - $600
Nova Midi Chuck with two jaw sets - $100 (on sale now Woodcraft)
Pin jaws - $50
Jacobs chuck (for tailstock) - $30
Center punch set - $10 at HF (Harbor Freight)
Cone live center - $23
Cone dead center - $10
Bench-top cutoff saw - $30 HF or Miter box with saw - $8 HF
Disc sander or combo belt/disc sander - $75
Shop vacuum - $50
Drill set - $40 plus several metric drills $40
deburring tool - $10
digital calipers - $20 HF
Woodchuck Pen Pro - $72.50
Roughing gouge, other tools as needed over time
Wood handscrew - $10 HF or build your own pen press
Sandpaper, epoxy, CA glue, accelerator, Tite-Loc - $50
Micromesh pad set - $15
Safety glasses, dust mask - $20
Initial supply nice pen kits and blanks - $50 to $100
 
I just wanted to chime in and agree with the concept of "turn and run and do NOT look back". I would recommend a name brand lathe that you can get tech support and service for, you can read about a some bad experiences out turners have had but were able to get resolved. I have two Jet mini's one variable speed and one non variable speed. Take some time and search the forum postings here and learn what you can about the tools and materials available. You will not have a better experience than dealing with any member of this forum, this has been my experience. This is just my humble opinion and YMMV. I agree with Smitty also, I have a duplicator and have never turned a pen on it, if you do use it you take away your own personal design and touch.
 
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For a the $1k you're spending on that kit you can buy much, MUCH more if you're patient and take your time.

CL is a great place to find a lathe. Two summers ago I scored a 1970 Delta-Rockwell full sized cast iron beast with a 3-phase motor for $150. I spent another $150 to buy a phase converter and now I have an infinitely variable speed lathe from 1rpm to (I think) 3krpm.

Buy tools as you need them. The basics for pens are a roughing gouge, skew chisel, and a detail gouge.

Sandpaper and finishing supplies will vary depending on what you choose to use.

Start with a few cheap slim lines and plain (cheap) wood.

Expand from there.

But before you buy the lathe, get a face shield. And you'll need a sharpening system. Many swear that you MUST have a slow speed grinder. Hogwash. I use my 3400rpm grinder with nary a trouble. A Wolverine grinding jig (~$100?) is worth its weight in gold in keeping a good shape on your gouges.
 
Now, THAT is an excellent and accurate accounting of most everything you could need. The only thing I could really add is a Beall (type) collet chuck and some kind of mandrel or TBC bushings.

Very impressive list and research, Dave.

Dave Turner said:
Interesting. You got me thinking about what I would need if I was just starting out. The following is my starter set - between $1200 and $1400 depending on how much you want to spend on the lathe. You could probably shop for sales and cut this price. If you start buying gouges, you'll need a grinder to sharpen them. The carbide tip tool lets you avoid this expense, at least in the beginning. Several trips to Harbor Freight will come in handy. Don't forget your 20% off coupon each time.

Variable speed MIDI lathe - $600
Nova Midi Chuck with two jaw sets - $100 (on sale now Woodcraft)
Pin jaws - $50
Jacobs chuck (for tailstock) - $30
Center punch set - $10 at HF (Harbor Freight)
Cone live center - $23
Cone dead center - $10
Bench-top cutoff saw - $30 HF or Miter box with saw - $8 HF
Disc sander or combo belt/disc sander - $75
Shop vacuum - $50
Drill set - $40 plus several metric drills $40
deburring tool - $10
digital calipers - $20 HF
Woodchuck Pen Pro - $72.50
Roughing gouge, other tools as needed over time
Wood handscrew - $10 HF or build your own pen press
Sandpaper, epoxy, CA glue, accelerator, Tite-Loc - $50
Micromesh pad set - $15
Safety glasses, dust mask - $20
Initial supply nice pen kits and blanks - $50 to $100
Click to expand...
 
I started with the Rockler kit and do not regret it all...would do it again.

Got a set of Sorby's and another set of micro tools that I cannot remember the name (Steel City??) etc on eBay.

Using a Woodchuck for most/all of my work these days.
 
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