Why is it??

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RussFairfield

Passed Away 2011
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Post Falls, Idaho.
Why is it that we will spend $10 for a piece of wood that someone else has stabilized, yet we will complain about the cost of doing it ourselves with Thin-CA glue?

The cost of the glue is less than $10 for a 2-ounce bottle, and that is enough glue to harden up 4 or 5 pens from the punkiest of wood.

It seems to me that doing it ourselves with the CA glue is the least expensive way to do it.
 
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Russ, at my age I have come to realize that complaining is part of human nature! Besides, it is one of my hobbies.

So, please do not complain that somebody complained that you complained about everyone complaining....
 
I can't wait to see the responses you get on this one, Russ. [:D] I've read everything I can about your penmaking and wood prep, wood finishing...loads of excellent stuff out there. And I've adopted as much of it as I can, bookmarking the rest for when I gain some experience and ability.

I think there are a lot of reasons for not stabilizing our own wood and many other cost cutting processes. Some of us cut our own blanks. Some stabilize, either with CA of a vaccum chamber and poly. Some buy wood and have it stabilized at only $1 per blank. Why don't we do more? A bunch of us have tiny little shops with barely enough room for a lathe, so we don't cut our own blanks. Some of us don't have air handlers and the strong smell of CA overwhelms us so we don't use CA to stabilize. Some of us use inexpensive kits to make pens because we have tight budgets for our hobby. Some of us work 10-12-14 hour days to feed our families, so we need the convenience of having a "ready-to-go" blank.

The more folks I talk to on this site, the more I realize that the circumstances vary so greatly between members that there's no way to standardize the way we approach pen making...even if it's the most efficient way imaginable. Efficient...cost effective...easy...these are all in the eyes of the individual crafter. One thing I will say, though, is ALL newbies should visit your (Russ) articles on how-to. There's something there for everyone. It's how I got started and I'm thankful for those articles everyday.
 
I agree with Lou. Some of us had a wood shop when we started turning pens, and some did not. When I started, I had a lathe and a drill press, period! I was cutting blanks in half using a hand saw. The first blanks I turned were predrilled, from PSI.

An yes, Russ, you have a wonderful site on penmaking. It helped me a lot when I started, and I still visit it from time to time. Your site is what started me on making slimlines with no center band. They are a good seller for me.
 
Gary
Where do you come up with $10.00 per blank. You have to buy some pretty exotic stuff to hit that price. $ 1.00 is the average for most blanks and if you buy any quantity they are less.
If you or a friend have a table or band saw make your own.

Good turning and be safe
Bill
 
Gary the more that you put into a writing instrument, the more you can get out of it. The most that I've sold a pen for was $125.00 I could not have got a price like that with just a plain hunk of lumber. Now it does depend on where you live and who your clients are but there can be very good money to be made. For me personaly I look for the very rare and interesting grain or burl. I've spent more than $10.00 a few times and it has always paid off for me but I just happened to find some customers that like it and don't mind shelling out the money.

Wayne
 
Very true, Wayne. It all depends on the market.

I cannot put a $10 blank in a $20 pen, that is for sure. However, I can put a $25 kit and a $10 blank in a $100 pen.
 
Personally, I link turning not stabilizing. don't know how it is done and have no interest in learning. I buy stabilized blanks or send off my self cut blanks to stabilzed if they need it. Ohterwise I use CA as Russ mentioned and it works well for me. I don't seem to be sensitive to CA fumes (as of yet at least and no I don't enjoy the odor. It stinks and is not fun so I suck it to the dust collector). I probably turn 25% stabilized blanks purchased from one of our suppliers, 25% antler, 40% non stabilized blanks and 10% CA stabalized. All of my pens get a CA finish. I am lucky to live in a market where I can pass on the price of a stabilized blank to the customer. For those of you who have not turned a stabilized (professionally) blank, you raeally should pamper yourself and turn one for your personal use. I love stabilized wood although I don't use it exclusively.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
Originally posted by wayneis
<br />Gary the more that you put into a writing instrument, the more you can get out of it. The most that I've sold a pen for was $125.00 I could not have got a price like that with just a plain hunk of lumber. Now it does depend on where you live and who your clients are but there can be very good money to be made. For me personaly I look for the very rare and interesting grain or burl. I've spent more than $10.00 a few times and it has always paid off for me but I just happened to find some customers that like it and don't mind shelling out the money.

Wayne
Click to expand...
 
I hear you Greg, I have busted out more snakewood blanks than I care to. When I price my snakewood pens, I plan on always using 2 blanks.

Russ I don't think it is the cost, but time management. I would rather put the money in $5-10 blanks, than spending time at the lathe stabilizing the stuff myself, which in the long run costs me more by being less productive.I am waiting for some private reserve stock from David, didn't even ask how much they were, just told him to pick out 3 nice ones and I can't wait till they get here. Anthony
 
Don't mind spending $10+ on a blank as long as I can sell the pen for proportionately more. If I ever can sell enough I would like to make a pen out of legal elephant ivory. I believe that enough to make a pen would be around $100[?]. Oviously this would be an expensive pen. I would do it if I could be assured a buyer. So far my most expensive blank is about $5-6. Most of what I have bought have averaged about $1. Kirk[8D]
 
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