What to buy

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hillikus

Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2007
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12
Location
Thurmont, MD
So I've been accumulating my pen turning equipment slowly over the course of a few months as funding permits and now the time has come to complete my purchases. So far I have a Jet 1014VSi, turning tools, bandsaw and drill press. With a budget of about $500, with a little leeway, what would all of you experienced turners suggest for the rest of my equipment/supplies? I have pretty much made up my mind that I will be getting the Grizzly wet sharpener with a tormek jig or two but any input would be nice. I would like to drill on the lathe but don't quite know what all is required for that. Anyways if you all have time feel free to toss some ideas out there. This budget needs to include everything such as kits, drill bits, CA and everything to start out with. Thanks a ton.
 
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I don't know what that sharpener is gonna cost ya, but(with your remaining funds) If I were you, I'd find a couple kits that you like and buy a fair number of kits along with the bushings. If you don't have a mandrel, in my opinion, you should. Some here will tell you that a mandrel is obsolete, even archaic; I however,am an old school kinda guy, so I still use it. I'd also get a set of standard, letter, and metric bits. that should take care of any hole size you may need for any future kits, unless you get a kit that requires a wierdo bit, that is.
 
:)Welcome to the Madness! I'm a newbie at this too, but something that really made a difference for me was Micro Mesh. Wow! Then some super glue and BLO--boiled lindseed oil, if you haven't found the acronyms page yet. At this point--get a couple of kits and start turning! I have to watch the budget too, so I've been trying to find the kits that as much as possible take the same bushings, and "repurposing" stuff we already have. And make sure your lathe is at the right height for you. I'm short, and the guy that built the house built the workbench to fit him. There's about a 14 inch difference in our heights. I built a piece of floor that I can drag to where needed. My movable floor is about 12 inches high, on 6 legs of PT 4x4, braced on all 4 sides, and it I think 4x2 feet or something like that. Very stable, and great. I want to build another just like it so I can hook them together.

Also, look for free wood--side of the road, trimmings, etc.
 
Two good suggestions so far, now a question.

If you have only tried one or two kits, then I would agree with the suggestions to broaden your horizon and try some other kits.

If you have tried a nice variety of kits then I think you should ask yourself "What other turnings appeal to me?" Look at things in "Other things we make" and see if any of that stuff excites you. Some of it will be expensive in terms of tooling and will require you to develop a lot of new skills like segmented hollow forms. But if you find that some of the easier stuff appeals to you then think about what tooling would be needed to make it.

I like to mix things up, make a few pens then make a bowl or a bottle stopper or some other odd thing then go back and make some more pens.
 
What I was really looking for was not what kit to try because as a matter of fact I have never turned a pen but more what equipment has worked best for everyone. Like what chuck(s) to use or what it takes to drill on the lathe, what mandrel's work the best and stuff like that. Is the Barracuda 2000 worth the $100+ price tag to use with a Jacobs chuck or would the 3000 be a better investment(I think that is what I'd need to drill on the lathe but not sure).

I'm new to turning in general and of course pen turning so really looking for tips to buying equipment that will work well.
 
Some of those accessories you are gonna want to ease into, as so much is a matter of individual feel, rather than absolute. Different folks hereabouts are turning out beautiful work with a variety of different methods and equipment. For instance, some turn with nothing but an oval skew chisel, while others spend $80 on one and it just sits there. You already have a leg-up on where most of us started, so maybe start turning and see what develops, before you blow your budget on stuff you might not use much.
 
IMHO.... Make more pens! Work on controlling your cuts, Have the ends come in at the right diameter, and most important... work on the finish.

If you already have a drill press, why spend extra money right now for a chuck? Monkeynutz is right about easing in to this.
 
When I first got into this (it now seems like so so many dollars ago) all I could think about was the equipment I wanted and how much I was going to spend. As it turns out, the more I turned, the better I got, the better I got, the more pens I sold, the more pens I sold, the more equipment I can afford. Don't be like the guy who decides to take up golf and goes out and buys a $1500 set of tiger woods Nike clubs. Learn to use what you have now and then graduate to the next step er.. tool. It's a pretty cool learning process. Have fun and take it one turn at a time.
 
Originally posted by scoutharps

:)Welcome to the Madness! I'm a newbie at this too, but something that really made a difference for me was Micro Mesh. Wow! Then some super glue and BLO--boiled lindseed oil, if you haven't found the acronyms page yet. At this point--get a couple of kits and start turning! I have to watch the budget too, so I've been trying to find the kits that as much as possible take the same bushings, and "repurposing" stuff we already have. And make sure your lathe is at the right height for you. I'm short, and the guy that built the house built the workbench to fit him. There's about a 14 inch difference in our heights. I built a piece of floor that I can drag to where needed. My movable floor is about 12 inches high, on 6 legs of PT 4x4, braced on all 4 sides, and it I think 4x2 feet or something like that. Very stable, and great. I want to build another just like it so I can hook them together.

Also, look for free wood--side of the road, trimmings, etc.
Click to expand...

Don't sweat the bushing thing. It will prove a false economy and you will be limiting yourself in selection of pen styles.
Bushings are, essentially, disposable items. You will be buying them constantly. Do be sure to figure those costs into your pricing structure. Good luck.
 
Rather then more equipment I think that beginning to turn pens is where you should put your energy. Save your money and use it as you learn. I have only been turning since last October, but have found that you can make amazing pens with a lathe, drill press, bandsaw and a couple of tools. As yo learn more and become more proficient you will certainly find things ways and things on which to spend your money. Don't put your cart before your horse. A lot of things that you might spend money on such as accessories you may find that you can actually make. Start Turning!
[:p]
 
hold onto the cash until you are sure of what you want, then buy the highest quality whatever it is that you can. You will hear it many times, but quality lasts and the savings don't! The better quality tools will make you a better turner, cheap ones will frustrate you.
 
If you already have plenty of turning tools I would consider some nice accessories for the lathe. A nice live center is a great addition! I like the Oneway, or the Jet version of the Oneway (I have one of each). They are both great! Get a good jacob's chuck (like a drill chuck) on a #2 MT. Consider getting a Beall Collett Chuck, but then consider getting a larger, more complete set of colletts either off the internet or on Ebay! As far as a regular four-jaw chuck, I think a Oneway Talon is just super! Another nice accessory is a buffing set-up from Beall.

Now get out there and start turning some pens! You KNOW you're going to love it!!!

Scott.
 
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