Why, what, cost

[gallianp]

I am curious what others turn and why.
I am not a Pro-pen turner but I am picky as to what I turn and the end product.
I consider myself a hobbyist - I do not sell many pens but gift many or keep for my own collection. I do not buy $200 worth of pen materials at one order. Maybe $100.00 max. I like mid to top of the line kits. so I do not get many kits at a time. I look for what I think of as deals. I like the USPS ~~ $5.00 a box for shipping I do not like to wait WEEKS to receive my order. I have turned hundreds of pens not thousands of pens ($$$$$) -- I seem to turn pens that I have the drill bits and bushing for -- sometimes i invest in new pen types. I tend to stick just a few vendors for pen kits. I am picky about blanks mainly wood with knock out grain and I have many of them and not enough kits to use them all. I have more to say but wait to see what OTHERS have to say.

 

[bobjackson]

I turn a lot of pens, but give most of them away. I turn pepper mills, but again give most of them away. I make band-saw boxes, other jewelry boxes, banks, puzzles etc.

 

[firewhatfire]

I turn into a bear when I am grumpy. or so I am told

I mainly turn pens and I do have my favorites. Money invested ----- alot. I do shows to offset what I spend. I do price my pens on the higher end of the spectrum. Its what I think my time is worth. I am still a small timer in the show game, and may keep it that way for a while.

I try other turnings but always go back to pens.

Phil

 

[sbwertz]

I turn more pens than anything else, but also turn canes, tea lights, ornaments, candlesticks. etc.

I give most of my stuff as gifts, but sell some as a fundraiser for my church

Sharon

 

[darthintel]

I started 1 year ago and turn as a hobby....sell a few and give many gifts.
It gets me out of the house away from the TV.
I also have sent many pens to Israel to co-workers as gifts and they love them.

I love picking up wood on vacations and making pens out of it.
I have a 18" long 2.5" square piece of Ask on the lathe that I'm planning on making a rolling pin out of ...1 piece integrated handles.

 

[scottsheapens]

This is a great hobby. I started Turing pens almost two years ago. Something to unwind on weekends away from the office. My kids get many of the pens and give as gifts. I have given pens to people at work. Sold a few, but given more then sold probably. I really like seeing what it will turn out like. Acrylic, wood, deer antler. Fun stuff. I have also done a few bowls. Not artistic or very fancy, but it is something different to try to improve my turning skills.

 

[dogcatcher]

I am retired, I could careless about selling the pens I make. But it is irritating to not have the kits in my shop when I want to make one, so I keep a well stocked inventory of pen kits, and everything else I like to make. If I wake up at 4 in the morning and decide I want to make a Slimline using gunmetal plating I have the kits available. If at midnight I see something on IAP, and it inspires me top try something I have the parts there to go to the shop and try it. If our daughter-in-law calls at 3 in the afternoon and asks for a peppermill, it will be ready before she can drive here to get it.

That is why I keep a large inventory of things in the shop. If an item is running low, as in less than 10, it goes on my list of items I need to order. When I order I try to order from selected dealers, where I am not being nickel and dimed with shipping from a gadzillion places. I may pay more on some items, but in the long run, it evens out close enough that it doesn't matter.

If I croak tomorrow, our son will have a years worth of inventory to put in his own shop. But if I am alive next week, I have enough to keep me busy for months without thinking about running out of something.

 

[jttheclockman]

I am curious what others turn and why.
I am not a Pro-pen turner but I am picky as to what I turn and the end product.
I consider myself a hobbyist - I do not sell many pens but gift many or keep for my own collection. I do not buy $200 worth of pen materials at one order. Maybe $100.00 max. I like mid to top of the line kits. so I do not get many kits at a time. I look for what I think of as deals. I like the USPS ~~ $5.00 a box for shipping I do not like to wait WEEKS to receive my order. I have turned hundreds of pens not thousands of pens ($$$$$) -- I seem to turn pens that I have the drill bits and bushing for -- sometimes i invest in new pen types. I tend to stick just a few vendors for pen kits. I am picky about blanks mainly wood with knock out grain and I have many of them and not enough kits to use them all. I have more to say but wait to see what OTHERS have to say.

I turn pens and other small objects to make money. I also scrollsaw alot of items to make money. Whats wrong with that??? I give things away at times or make donations. But bottom line is I want to make money!!!!!!

 

[Rob73]

I do mostly small projects that you would see on general turning sites. I don't do many pens these days, I've just become burned out on them. There was a time I sold some of my turnings, however, I don't actively produce enough items to actually being a real business.

I want to get into some small hollow form turning soon. Perhaps some small vases, lidded boxes and so forth. I just have to find a nice free local wood source or a source that doesn't cost me an arm and a leg for wood larger than 2" spindles

BTW Nice signature.. pleasant surprise not to be barraged by religious or political signatures.

 

[Smitty37]

I am curious what others turn and why.
I am not a Pro-pen turner but I am picky as to what I turn and the end product.
I consider myself a hobbyist - I do not sell many pens but gift many or keep for my own collection. I do not buy $200 worth of pen materials at one order. Maybe $100.00 max. I like mid to top of the line kits. so I do not get many kits at a time. I look for what I think of as deals. I like the USPS ~~ $5.00 a box for shipping I do not like to wait WEEKS to receive my order. I have turned hundreds of pens not thousands of pens ($$$$$) -- I seem to turn pens that I have the drill bits and bushing for -- sometimes i invest in new pen types. I tend to stick just a few vendors for pen kits. I am picky about blanks mainly wood with knock out grain and I have many of them and not enough kits to use them all. I have more to say but wait to see what OTHERS have to say.

I turn pens and other small objects to make money. I also scrollsaw alot of items to make money. Whats wrong with that??? I give things away at times or make donations. But bottom line is I want to make money!!!!!!

Not a thing John.

 

[JLewis]

I restore high end sports cars for a living. I do museum work for a living. I turn pens and do small woodworking to take my mind away. I like the feel of wood. The warmth of wood. Metal is a cold hard substance. Wood is quiet and laid back.

I do sell some of my work. I don't have a huge stock of made items. Everything is by custom order. Most of the time you ask for a commission and I make you what I think you will want, with the wood you want. I do oil finishes on my pens, I am not a an of CA finish or acrylics. There are plenty of plastics out there. While I am not a world class turner I do charge a premium price. When it becomes a job I will stop.

 

[gallianp]

John T. wrote "I turn pens and other small objects to make money. I also scrollsaw alot of items to make money. Whats wrong with that??? I give things away at times or make donations. But bottom line is I want to make money!!!!!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whats wrong with that? Not a thing is wrong with that! I do other things to support my life but turning is not one of them... I wish you good fortune.
PG

Bowls, boxes, pens and other neat thing on the lathe and some flat work also.

 

[alxe24]

I enjoy making pens a lot. I also enjoy selling them as well, and that supports the hobby. I usually have about 30 pens at hand and sell 5 or 6 a month in average. On the last two months I sold 11 pens for a total of $1225 and that got me a set of tap dies ( will try to male some from scratch ) alumilite, color powders and some other odds and ends therefore I feel good about being able to make an order of half that money to keep me going.
Resuming I could not turn and make everything I do without selling them. Next thing I'm looking at is a metal lathe (big dreams)

 

[jttheclockman]

John T. wrote "I turn pens and other small objects to make money. I also scrollsaw alot of items to make money. Whats wrong with that??? I give things away at times or make donations. But bottom line is I want to make money!!!!!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whats wrong with that? Not a thing is wrong with that! I do other things to support my life but turning is not one of them... I wish you good fortune.
PG

Bowls, boxes, pens and other neat thing on the lathe and some flat work also.

Don't get me wrong I did not mean anything by my reply but this topic comes up many many times and is asked in many different ways. It always starts out with many people stating how they do this for a hobby and just give away pens. I thought i would throw it out there that I want to make money. I did not get into this and spend thousands of dollars to just give away pens. If you can afford that then good for you but there are people who do want to make some money and even if it is just enough to keep their hobby afloat. That is all my reply was about. This hobby is not a cheap one for sure.

 

[Smitty37]

John T. wrote "I turn pens and other small objects to make money. I also scrollsaw alot of items to make money. Whats wrong with that??? I give things away at times or make donations. But bottom line is I want to make money!!!!!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whats wrong with that? Not a thing is wrong with that! I do other things to support my life but turning is not one of them... I wish you good fortune.
PG

Bowls, boxes, pens and other neat thing on the lathe and some flat work also.

Don't get me wrong I did not mean anything by my reply but this topic comes up many many times and is asked in many different ways. It always starts out with many people stating how they do this for a hobby and just give away pens. I thought i would throw it out there that I want to make money. I did not get into this and spend thousands of dollars to just give away pens. If you can afford that then good for you but there are people who do want to make some money and even if it is just enough to keep their hobby afloat. That is all my reply was about. This hobby is not a cheap one for sure.

You're right it is not a cheap hobby - but then most hobbies aren't.
My wife collected ear rings for awhile (not expensive ones) and although most sets were pretty low cost when considered individually, she has 300 or so sets and we have a fairly good sized piece of change in that hobby.

Now her thing is bracelets, and most of them don't cost more than $10 - $15 but 50 or 60 of them (and growing) still adds up.

As I said earlier, there is nothing wrong with taking up turning (or about anything else for that matter) with the goal of making money - it's pretty hard to get along without money in our society.

On the other hand it's also ok to take up turning for relaxation, therapy, fun or any of another thousand or so reasons too.

 

[LagniappeRob]

I turn mainly pens. I do sell most of them... I do at least a couple of art shows a month. Personally I like trying new component sets out but there are a few that I go back to: Sierra EB's and lately Virage BP and now Virage RB/FP sets. I do pick the up the bushings (have a wall full!) but use them only for getting them close to size. Then I switch to TBC without them. Means more stopping and measuring, but I get a more concentric size this way (it works for me - your mileage may vary). Compared to the OP I buy a lot more sets, but I suspect it's not as many as others (Trobee comes to mind instantly - wish I had his sales). I'm at just under $1000 since 1/1/13 in materials (components, blanks, abrasives, glues, finishes, etc). And I'm already starting lists for the next orders for probably next week. But then 1/2 of that was to Woodturnings for their new years sale. The rest was mainly to a few IAP member/vendors.

At this point, it's growing organically from a materials standpoint. Meaning the sales are covering the costs of materials plus. I do put some money into it, but mainly in terms of new equipment (like the new lathe came out of my pocket). I sell partly because of it does bring in some extra money and funds the hobby-business, but also I like going to the art shows and working with the people. I've made a number of friends both other vendors and customers.

 

[RussFromNH]

I am in IT, I like working with wood for a hobby and to unplug. I give my pens away as gifts so far. If I get better, who knows. I have been turning for about a year, but due to young kids and work I don't get into my shop very often. I turn pens and pepper mills (not good enough to post pictures yet), and build wooden model ships. I find the joy in the building, not as much in the finished product. I have dozens of 1/2 finished projects in my workshop (model ship hulls, 1/2 turned blanks)..

 

[Haynie]

I use large cameras to make large negatives. It is my first love. Changes in the film photography market caused my favorite films to be discontinued, my printing medium was discontinued being forced to move here, run a business I hated, support a depressive, be a dad, and husband sent me into a funk. I wanted a nice pen, could not afford it, found this place and thought I might be able to make some spare money in my free time. I made a few quickly got better, never had an issue and the first 10 or so completed pens convinced me I could be pretty good at this. Now I can't complete a pen to save my live. I have been trying for over 2 months now to complete 1 pen. Seriously thinking that I am going to give this up. It is NOT relaxing anymore.

 

[jttheclockman]

John T. wrote "I turn pens and other small objects to make money. I also scrollsaw alot of items to make money. Whats wrong with that??? I give things away at times or make donations. But bottom line is I want to make money!!!!!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whats wrong with that? Not a thing is wrong with that! I do other things to support my life but turning is not one of them... I wish you good fortune.
PG

Bowls, boxes, pens and other neat thing on the lathe and some flat work also.

Don't get me wrong I did not mean anything by my reply but this topic comes up many many times and is asked in many different ways. It always starts out with many people stating how they do this for a hobby and just give away pens. I thought i would throw it out there that I want to make money. I did not get into this and spend thousands of dollars to just give away pens. If you can afford that then good for you but there are people who do want to make some money and even if it is just enough to keep their hobby afloat. That is all my reply was about. This hobby is not a cheap one for sure.

You're right it is not a cheap hobby - but then most hobbies aren't.
My wife collected ear rings for awhile (not expensive ones) and although most sets were pretty low cost when considered individually, she has 300 or so sets and we have a fairly good sized piece of change in that hobby.

Now her thing is bracelets, and most of them don't cost more than $10 - $15 but 50 or 60 of them (and growing) still adds up.

As I said earlier, there is nothing wrong with taking up turning (or about anything else for that matter) with the goal of making money - it's pretty hard to get along without money in our society.

On the other hand it's also ok to take up turning for relaxation, therapy, fun or any of another thousand or so reasons too.

Sometimes it is just amazing what people collect. Collecting cars would be a hobby I would like to try someday in my next life.:biggrin:

 

[jttheclockman]

I am in IT, I like working with wood for a hobby and to unplug. I give my pens away as gifts so far. If I get better, who knows. I have been turning for about a year, but due to young kids and work I don't get into my shop very often. I turn pens and pepper mills (not good enough to post pictures yet), and build wooden model ships. I find the joy in the building, not as much in the finished product. I have dozens of 1/2 finished projects in my workshop (model ship hulls, 1/2 turned blanks)..

There was a fella here and I can not for the life of me remember his name but he was into ship building and man his work was exceptional. It was so life like. I do not remember why he started showing us them but it was a site to see. You would have enjoyed it I am sure. Maybe a search format might bring them up but it has been awhile ago.

 

[RussFromNH]

There was a fella here and I can not for the life of me remember his name but he was into ship building and man his work was exceptional. It was so life like. I do not remember why he started showing us them but it was a site to see. You would have enjoyed it I am sure. Maybe a search format might bring them up but it has been awhile ago.

Ulises Victoria posted pictures back in October 2011 of a beautiful model of the Bounty... The detail was unbelievable.

 

[sbwertz]

I use large cameras to make large negatives. It is my first love. Changes in the film photography market caused my favorite films to be discontinued, my printing medium was discontinued .

I have a 4x5 speed graphic and a 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 crown graphic and all the tanks, frames, etc to develop them. I know what you mean. It is a lost art.

Sharon

 

[Haynie]

It's not a lost art just less supplies and more expensive. I shoot 8x10, 5x7, 4x5, and medium format. I have a 2 1/4x3 1/4 but never really shot it. If I am going to use a camera with movements just easier to shoot large format.

 

[Smitty37]

John T. wrote "I turn pens and other small objects to make money. I also scrollsaw alot of items to make money. Whats wrong with that??? I give things away at times or make donations. But bottom line is I want to make money!!!!!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whats wrong with that? Not a thing is wrong with that! I do other things to support my life but turning is not one of them... I wish you good fortune.
PG

Bowls, boxes, pens and other neat thing on the lathe and some flat work also.

Don't get me wrong I did not mean anything by my reply but this topic comes up many many times and is asked in many different ways. It always starts out with many people stating how they do this for a hobby and just give away pens. I thought i would throw it out there that I want to make money. I did not get into this and spend thousands of dollars to just give away pens. If you can afford that then good for you but there are people who do want to make some money and even if it is just enough to keep their hobby afloat. That is all my reply was about. This hobby is not a cheap one for sure.

You're right it is not a cheap hobby - but then most hobbies aren't.
My wife collected ear rings for awhile (not expensive ones) and although most sets were pretty low cost when considered individually, she has 300 or so sets and we have a fairly good sized piece of change in that hobby.

Now her thing is bracelets, and most of them don't cost more than $10 - $15 but 50 or 60 of them (and growing) still adds up.

As I said earlier, there is nothing wrong with taking up turning (or about anything else for that matter) with the goal of making money - it's pretty hard to get along without money in our society.

On the other hand it's also ok to take up turning for relaxation, therapy, fun or any of another thousand or so reasons too.

Sometimes it is just amazing what people collect. Collecting cars would be a hobby I would like to try someday in my next life.:biggrin:

Me too....you start with about a 10 Acre (about 443600 sq ft) environmentally controlled building to house them and maybe a hundred million dollars and you should be able to put together a pretty decent collection.

 

[booney0717]

So far i have not been very adventurous. Mostly pens and bottle stoppers!

 

[TellicoTurning]

I started turning about 10 years ago as a stress relief from my job... I started with pens and sold them as a way to pay for the hobby... now that I'm retired I still turn for stress relief, and sell the turnings to supplement the retirement income and to make the turning pay for itself... but now while I still like to turn a pen now and then,
I prefer to turn other things besides pens... I do bowls, pepper mills, bottle stoppers, wood wine glasses stems, hollow forms, crematory urns and anything else I can think of that I can do on a lathe... I turn to sell the items.

 

[76winger]

I make pens because I enjoy making them and to support my enjoyment of woodworking in general. But due to past mistakes of spending too much on my hobby/activities and sending a lot of money down the drain, I decided this one has to pay for itself or I just can't do it.

I've settled on penturning for the majority of my activities right now quiet simply because I have better luck selling them (which again supports the interest) than I do other I've tried such as bowls & vessels, desk accessories, bird feeders and nestboxes.

I really enjoy making the bigger pens with with the bling that many don't like, but realize I can't make and sell only those because the sales are fewer than the smaller and medium pens. So I try to keep a balance of several models from the slimlines up through the big Emperors and Majestics to show customers and prospects the range of what I can do, and reinforce that I can make any those to their liking with materials and platings available.

So I make them to sell them and sell them to support this great pastime and hobby.

But there's also an aspect of my pen making that isn't about selling my work and it provides a little balance to it all. Giving some away is part of the enjoyment too, and it's a joy to occasionally give one of my pens away to an appreciative recipient. It makes them happy and you get the joy of seeing that smile on their face.

I've also donated some for fund raisers at work and the lodge I hang out at and those although are gifts from me, are also sold for money that in turn is utilized for a good cause.

In a nutshell: It's the joy of making them and the joy of making people happy with them.

 

[jttheclockman]

There was a fella here and I can not for the life of me remember his name but he was into ship building and man his work was exceptional. It was so life like. I do not remember why he started showing us them but it was a site to see. You would have enjoyed it I am sure. Maybe a search format might bring them up but it has been awhile ago.

Ulises Victoria posted pictures back in October 2011 of a beautiful model of the Bounty... The detail was unbelievable.

Yes I think that was it.

 

[jttheclockman]

John T. wrote "I turn pens and other small objects to make money. I also scrollsaw alot of items to make money. Whats wrong with that??? I give things away at times or make donations. But bottom line is I want to make money!!!!!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whats wrong with that? Not a thing is wrong with that! I do other things to support my life but turning is not one of them... I wish you good fortune.
PG

Bowls, boxes, pens and other neat thing on the lathe and some flat work also.

Don't get me wrong I did not mean anything by my reply but this topic comes up many many times and is asked in many different ways. It always starts out with many people stating how they do this for a hobby and just give away pens. I thought i would throw it out there that I want to make money. I did not get into this and spend thousands of dollars to just give away pens. If you can afford that then good for you but there are people who do want to make some money and even if it is just enough to keep their hobby afloat. That is all my reply was about. This hobby is not a cheap one for sure.

You're right it is not a cheap hobby - but then most hobbies aren't.
My wife collected ear rings for awhile (not expensive ones) and although most sets were pretty low cost when considered individually, she has 300 or so sets and we have a fairly good sized piece of change in that hobby.

Now her thing is bracelets, and most of them don't cost more than $10 - $15 but 50 or 60 of them (and growing) still adds up.

As I said earlier, there is nothing wrong with taking up turning (or about anything else for that matter) with the goal of making money - it's pretty hard to get along without money in our society.

On the other hand it's also ok to take up turning for relaxation, therapy, fun or any of another thousand or so reasons too.

Sometimes it is just amazing what people collect. Collecting cars would be a hobby I would like to try someday in my next life.:biggrin:

Me too....you start with about a 10 Acre (about 443600 sq ft) environmentally controlled building to house them and maybe a hundred million dollars and you should be able to put together a pretty decent collection.

Heck if I sell a few more pens I just might have enough to get started. I think I can buy the first hubcap. :biggrin:

 

[orbit308]

I started about 6 years ago. I bought a lathe to turn bowls, but soon found out about pens. Although I haven't spent the entire time with pens, lately I have concentrated on quality and making more unique pens (bullet cartridge, antler, etc..)with minimal kit parts. Not kitless yet. I definitely have money invested, its just the time I wish I had more of to do this.

 

[ToddMR]

I too turn as a hobby. I sell some at some small craft shows, and people at work. I give a lot away to charity events, or family and friends. I find it to be fun unless I have issue after issue sometimes (LOL). I started out doing wood and now primarily do resin blanks. Not sure why other than I can find an array of colors and normally no finish is needed like CA. Still I find it just as rewarding to do a nice wood blank like BOW or Cocobolo from time to time.

Part of the biggest reason I got into turning at all was due to my dad's family being wood workers, mostly carpenters by trade. I however am a computer geek. This was a way for me to in a small way, connect with my family. Started off using my grandpa's lathe he bought as a kid in the 20's, an old Montgomery ward lathe. Its anchored to the wall, but I don't really use it any more. I would LOVE to have it restored like on American Restoration, but I am sure it would cost me way more money than I could ever afford. I use a Jet 1014 midi lathe, and have done a couple canes and some bowls.