Starting out...beginner's kit or seperate tools

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tony0778

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Joined
Nov 16, 2007
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12
Location
Liberty, SC, USA.
I have made my sled for the band saw and the drilling jig for the drill press and am now ready to attempt pen turning. I noticed that Packard Woodworks has a basic starter kit available for 69.95. The kit includes the major tools needed for pen making such as the 7mm drill bit, glue, double mandrel, crystal coat finish, barrel trimmer, and five blanks w/slimline kits.

My question is this...is this the best route for one starting out or do you recommend purchasing items seperately for potentially better quality or selection?

Thanks in advance for your time!
 
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My opinion... A nice oval skew, and a dead center. If my 12 year old can learn like this, you can.

The dead center is used to turn "between centers" one blank half at a time. Do yourself a favor, and look into this method posted all over the site. May as well start off this way, it's cheaper than a mandrel and like many have supported, it's much more acurate.

Drill bits, but the large 115 piece set from Harbor Freight and while you are there, add in a set of Transfer Punches (to be used to take pens apart)

From your supplier, I would start with CSUSA where you can buy all these things. Buy some kits, I will go out on a limb and suggest the cigar pen to start off with. (Buy the bushings too) It's a much better kit and only a couple bucks. But plenty of spare brass tubes, practice on these spares until you have a nice pen blank.

While at CSUSA, you can buy a chisle, I would start with a 3/4 oval skew, but you can buy a gouge if you want to start that way.

You need a pen mill, I would suggest the $29.99 set which comes with a few pilot shafts (and the 10mm you need for the cigar kit)

You need something to drill your pens. This needs input for what you have for tools and if you have a lathe chuck.

I know EVERYONE starts with slimlines, but honestly the cigars are almose eaiser to make, in ways more forgiving and such a better kit for the couple bucks it's not even funny. In fact, I have some brand new spare bushings.. e-mail me and I will send the bushings to you.

All that said, the kits tend to be cheap junk and you will replace it all. Buy some good stuff and add on from there.

For a finish, just starting out, you might want to try Deft spray lacquer and work on the CA finishes once you have a few pens under your belt. You can buy a set of micro-mesh from CSUSA, cut it in 1" wide strips and it will last well over a year. I cut my own 1" strips for 150-220-320 from cheap sandpaper bought at Wal-Mart.
 
Depends on whether you want to start out as cheap as possible and build up from there or start out not planning to replace things. I suggest same as firefyter did with the exception of using good sandpaper. You'll be happier in the long run going this route since you won't be buying cheap tools and wanting to replace them. Also, with turning between centers, as stated, you will have round pens and won't have to deal with the blanks wobbling on the lathe that plagues so many beginners. The dead center is also cheaper than the mandrel ;).
 
I would not buy a starters kit. It's junk.

Start with a few chrome slimlines and cigar kits. Chrome is inexpensive and is the best non titanium finish.

I turn may pens between centers as mentioned above, but I still think you should have a mandrel.

I would suggest going to Pen State Industries online and order some of the zebra wood pre-drilled with brass tubes already installed slimlines. It's the absolute fastest way to get started. Order 2 or more sets of slimline bushings. You'll damage a few at first, and they can also be used as spacers for longer mandrels. Order extra brass tubes. I always order extra tubes.

Happy turning
 
Everyone seems to be giving good advice and the most acurate is the starter kits are not worth the price. With hind sight here is the direction I would go if just starting out.
Go to WoodnWhimsies http://www.woodnwhimsies.com

Get the following:
Universal Pen Barrel Trimming Kit
Maxi-Mandrel #1 OR #2 morse taper
Pen Kits:
Lee gives good advise on the cigar. But I would pick up both cigar and slim lines. Cigars are $3.39 and the Slims are $1.79. Get the bushings for both and they are only $3.00. You can get the 7mm and 10mm drill bits from them if you want.
Glue and Finish:
I would get a bottle of thick CA for gluing in the tubes in the blanks. This is a little more forgiving and allows you a tad more time than the thin does. Friction polish is an easy way to start, but if you stick with this you will soon learn that is not the best finish by any means. PM me with your address and I will send you a mostly full bottle that I no longer use. I also have extra 7mm and 10mm bits I can throw in.
Sanding:
Buy quality sand paper as there is a huge difference. Norton is one of the better brands and is made in Canada no China. Buy 220, 320, 400 and 600. Cut them in 1" wide strips and this will last you quite some time. Also pick up a pack of the Micro Mesh as suggested, also available at the web site I gave you. Cut the pieces in two and they will last a long time and can be cleaned with soap, water and a tooth brush. Remember to sand on slow speeds as heat will be your enemy.

Blanks can be obtained most anywhere and there is a huge difference in quality. You want dry wood and blanks that are not full of checks and cracks. I can send you a few good starter pieces. I am rather biased but when you get ready for some really nice looking burls look for one of our member that goes by n4631x. Nolan has some of the best exotics around.

Now these are not the best kits around, but they are good and you can sell them with no worries. Several of us sell these kits. I would stay away from the gold kits as the plating can wear off. Stick with the Rhodium and Black Ti. When you are ready to try something new, you will have enough knowledge to decide what is next for you. Most importantly, ready through the forum. The information on this site cannot be bought in a book of CD.

Good luck and don't forget to PM me with your mailing address.

Mike & Linda
 
If you don't mind the extra expense, I would go to the classifieds section and order your bushings from JohnnyCNC. They don't get any better and his are designed specifically for use between centers.

You guys might want to tell him how you are tunring slimlines between centers. The regular 7mm bushings don't go inside the tubes so I haven't a clue.
 
I started with a starter kit, and if I did it again, I wouldn't do it the same way. With this site I learned that friction polish isn't the way to go. And a couple other things in the starter kit I will never use again. But, the one good thing that came of it, it gave me the practice that I needed so I would be confident to continue with more expensive kits. Just buy what you need, so you don't have to buy twice.
 
I would of mentioned the slimline bushings from John, but to be honest, I don't turn many slimlines mostly becasue for the effort, I can make better pens in less time (Hey, the 7mm kit is THIN for 3/4 blanks!)

Yes, you need custom made bushings for any 7mm kit because they need to go inside the tube. This is also one reason I suggest to start with cigars to keep the cost down. If in the future you want to make the Euro, slimline ect. you could buy the good bushings (very good way to go) or even buy a mandrel if you make a lot of 7mm stuff and don't want to pay the preimum for the good bushings.

BTW, for the Micro Mesh, I cut mine into 1" wide strips and saved the rest until I needed to cut more to replace it. I had six sets of MM this way. :D
 
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