Pen and Pencil Turning

[katie-did]

99% of hunters around here mount their antlers so it had to get them. I know all the ones that Part-Timer gets we mount.
   It is really hard to find sheds are here because it is hard to get into wood and fields cause the owner will not let you in to walk them. I will get some someday. The only sheds I have ever found have been eaten by our large population of field mice, squirrels, and Chipmunks.
   Not really sure that I want to get started in turning them because everyone want them around here and I am not sure that I want to turn that many of them for a nasty as antler is. Some of the wood that I have turned has been nasty enough. I HATE turning Walnut!! The pen/turnings turn out beautiful but the scrubbing I have to give myself after turning to get all the dust out of my pores almost hurts. And some of the exotics smell terrible even thought that respirator. But some are total worth it.

[Onthesauk]

When I was a kid I cut antlers on a band saw to make buttons for a sweater my Mother knitted for me.  I still remember the terrible smell!

[Patty]

I was turning some spalted maple Sunday that had some checking in it. I wanted to make Norm a pepper grinder.  With the gouge catching in the cracks, things weren't working out so good.  :   I am wondering if you can fill those cracks with a glue or something and then finish the job.   ???

[metalspinner]

Patty,
You certainly can.  My favorate is CA glue.  It comes in several viscosities - thin, thick, and gel.  Each has its own application is pen turning.  The thin is good for soaking punky type areas.  Usually when turning spalted things, I sand through 400 grit then saturate the wood with the thin glue prior to finishing then let dry. Then backup the 220, 320 then 400.  This gives the wood a nice hard surface for your friction finish to polish up.

The thick is good for filling in tear out, pores, or little imperfections.  Before you complete the shape - let's say 95% complete, fill in the gaps with a touch of thick CA glue, hand sand with the grain diection using 220 grit or so, let dry, then sand with the machine on.  Repeat if needed, then turn to completion. 

The gel if for really bad things like a major crack down to your tube.  Same technique as filling above, but leave more wood for turning at the end.  Several applications are better than one heavy.  Use a little dust from around your lathe to help fill in the crack.

Be careful with this glue.  If you saturate the wood with CA glue, lots of heat will build up while it cures.  Always use a dust collecter to pull fumes and dust  away from you.  Never apply it with the lathe running, it will splatter on you and everything.  Apply with the lathe off and rotate by hand to keep it from dripping.

I try not to use the accelorater to much.  Sometimes it makes the glue bubble up and your pieces in ruined. :  Ask me how I know this. :-[

[metalspinner]

A couple other things...
When you buy your glues,  Make sure you pick up the de-activater.  And make sure it is always with in reach of your lathe by either hand. ;D :-[

A couple extra tips, or caps, for the bottles are nice to have around , too.

[Patty]

Thank you! I appreciate the advice. I will let you know how it goes.

[thurlow]

Some of the "locals" turn corn cob pens........by first saturating the cobs with CA glue.

[Patty]

While I am waiting for my new chuck to arrive,     I have decided to make my mom a brass bell to add to her collection. My question is this: I want the handle top to have  pointy end. In order to do this do I cut my stock  an inch or so too long and then make it pointed by severing it from my original piece? As it is, my tail stock and head stock won't let me make the ends really narrow and fine tipped without hitting my tool on them. Any advice is appreciated.

[metalspinner]

Patty,
What kind of chuck did you order?

The pointed end of the handel can be made a number of ways.  I'm assuming you don't have a four jaw chuck. (It's on the way)  To get a perfect point on the end, you will need to part it off while the lathe is spinning.  Let's say the pointed end will be on the tailstock side. ( the right hand side). 
First, you need a way for the lathe to hold the stock after it's parted off later.  I would do this with a screw chuck.  Your lathe probably came with a face plate.  Just screw a flat piece of wood to this, turn it round, drill a hole right in the center with the tail stock, then screw in a screw from the back.

Second, drill a hole into the end of your extra long handle stock so you  can screw it onto your screw chuck. Then screw it on your screw chuck.  Bring the tailstock to the right hand side of the wood and engage the tailstock.

Third, turn your profile to shape.  Bring your pointed end down to a pencil sized diameter.  You should leave some extra wood for you tools to clear the live center. Then continue turning the pointed end a little at a time until you get to a toothpick diameter.  When you get this close, reach your left hand around the back of the turning and support the wood with your fingers, then hold the tool on the steel shaft close to the cutting edge and continue turning the point one handed until eventual release of the waste wood at the live center. 

This will be perfectly safe. The screw chuck will hold the wood, and the live center will simply stop turning.  If you want to continue to turn the profile of the point, sharpen your tool, support the turning with your fingers and turn to shape with a light touch.

Of course, no long sleeve shirts, watches, braclets,rings or long hair allowed at the lathe.

I'll take pics if you need them

[Patty]

I have ordered a Oneway Talon Chuck, it should be here this week. I found it on eBay and talked to the sales lady. She is a wood turner from back east in Delaware I think. She says the Woodturner's Club out there is pretty cool. They have live demos every month to teach them new techniques.

Metalspinner, thanks for the advice and thanks for taking the time. I am going to print your instructions and give it a try. I have tried to keep all the helpful hints from friends in a notebook so I can refer to them as I go. I will let you know how it goes. 

Today I want to make a pen for my son who is coming home from Maryland tomorrow. Steve sent Norm some hardwoods from Hawaii that I am looking forward to spinning. I made my daughter in law a little cherry wood bowl for her jewelry. It is fun to make gifts for those you care about.

[Patty]

Yet another question.  :   

I got in my talon chuck and it is awesome. Thanks for that one, Charlie!  So Saturday I go to finish my peppermill, now that I have the new chuck, only to discover I need yet another tool! I guess I should read all of the instructions before I start a project, but that would just make it too easy!  :     I need to drill a 1 1/16" hole down through the center of the mill body which is 8" long. The only thing I have to drill that large of hole is a spade bit for the electric drill, and I am not sure I can do a straight hole through the center with the drill. Can the drill chuck for the mini-lathe hold a spade bit?  What do you folks recommend?

Thanks in advance. 

[beenthere]

What is the "mill body" that you are drilling through?  Is it wood?  I'm not getting the picture here, as you can tell. 

[thurlow]

Patty........do you have a source for INEXPENSIVE peppermill mechanisms?  All I've been able to find run $12-$15 each, which doesn't sound too bad, but...................our church has a Craft's Fair/Fall Festival each year as a fund raiser;  I'm the designated woodworker : and don't think we could sell the peppermill/salt shaker combos for much more than what we'd have in them.  I've got everyone looking at Goodwill and similar places for old ones that we could rob the guts out of, but so far no luck.

Thanks.........

[Patty]

Beenthere,  the one I am turning is from spalted maple.

Thurlow, I think the kit was around $12-$15. Norm wanted a new peppermill, so I just ordered the kit. This is a first for me, and obviously is causing me some anxiety. First I needed a chuck, and now I guess I need a drill chuck. Although I am not sure.  :  One thing you may look at is their other kits, they have several to choose from.  I thought their keychain/pocket knives were pretty neat. I ordered some of them, but have not made any yet.   The place I have ordered from is called Craft Supplies USA. http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/index.html

[Radar67]

Patty, the drill chucks will hold the spade bits. Also, if you use the rest as a guide for the slender part of the spade bit, you can drill it with your electric drill. I've drilled holes like this with the lathe running at low speeds using an electric drill. The spinning lathe keeps the hole centered, just go slow.

Stew

[Steve]

I want to get into pen turning but don't have a clue! What do you think about an all at once purchase like this http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/cgi-bin/shopper?preadd=action&key=850-9500

Would I be better off buying all these things seperately or not?

I'm actually going to set this up at a friends that is going to do the turning and learning himself.

[Patty]

Steve,

I am the novice around here, but folks told me to get the variable speed Jet mini-lathe. It is more expensive, but I find myself using the variable speeds quite often. I found mine on eBay for around $350 plus shipping.

I found a place that sells the HSS steel tools for a great price. Her store is in Alexandria VA. Her website is: www.landingcrafts.com  OF course I found her site AFTER I bought the more expensive Sorby tools.  :   The big deal with your tools is that they should be HSS so they stay good and sharp.

[Patty]

Thanks for the tip Radar. I will give it a try when the lathe drill chuck comes in. In the mean time, I am going to see if the drill press will accomodate the spade bit. My only fear is that I won't keep the hole straight as I drill. Norm hates it when all the peppercorns fall out of the hole where I accidently went thru the side!  ;D

[metalspinner]

Patty,
I like to use a forstner bit to drill the  pepper shakers.  I do this on the drill press before  it's turned on the lathe.  Make a "v" block and clamp the blank to it before trying to drill that large piece.  Use a bit extension to get the extra lenghth.  The good extenders are 1/2" diameter.  On the spalted maple shakers spray some shellac in the drilled hole to seal the spalted wood from your  pepper corns.

Thurlow,
Yes, they are expensive.  If you can find inexpensive ones that work let us all know! :D

Steve,
Everything except the lathe and tools in the "All in one" purchase is "disposable".  You should probably look for the best deal on the lathe and tool.  You will probably find a less expensive setup.  The biggest question I have on the "All in One" are the tools included.  I'm just not sure of the quality .  The finish and glue are top shelf, but don't know about the pen kits.  Craft Supplies usually has nice quality kits as does Berea Hardwoods.  Woodcraft gets theirs from Berea.  I get disappointed with the quality of  Penn State's kits.  Although I haven't bought from them in a few years.

[Radar67]

Steve, I bought the starter kit from Penn State Industries. The lathe is a JET with manual 6 speed adjustment (very easy and quick to adjust), they also have the varible speed set up. Here is the lathe JET Lathe and the starter kit, Lathe and starter set A little under $360.00. The tools that come with the kit are not HSS. I am still using them, just have to sharpen often. I also opted to purchase a 4 jaw chuck from Grizzley for another $100 bucks (for turning bowls). It has been a very good investment and I have enjoyed learning to use it.

Stew

[Steve]

Thanks all,

This is just the kind of advice I was needing. Now for the miriad of pen kits (metal parts) and designs. I guess it is just a matter of taste? Should I just buy one of each and see what I like?

I do have the wood, no need there... ;)

[metalspinner]

If you can turn one pen, you can turn any pen.  It's really just a matter of procedure.  The style of pen you choose is just a matter of taste.  Some pen kits allow for a little more creative leeway.

When you purchase a pen kit,  buy a bag of extra tubes.  This allows you to practice without committing the pen kit hardware( $5 - $10).  Also pickup an extra mandrel shaft ($3) for when you bend yours.  Be careful with the amount of pressure you use from the tailstock.  If it gets bent, your pens will turn out oval. :D  Also, your project won't be put on hold waiting for UPS. 

[Radar67]

Steve, I would start out with the $1.70 slim line kits from www.woodturningz.com. If you go with the starter pack, you will get 5 pen and 5 pencil kits to learn with. I also recommend the extra barrels or tubes and the extra mandrel. I've had some real good luck with the slim line kits. I also turn what feels right to me...I have yet to turn a slim line kit down to where it is suppose to be. I'll see if I can get some pictures posted.

Stew

[Radar67]

Here are a few of my slim line kits, using my wood.


Red Cedar with a Fancy slim line kit in gun metal.


Oak burl


Spalted Red Oak


Spalted Beech


Japanese Maple


Desert Ironwood


Pink Plastic


Purple Plastic

All of the kits except for the first are basic slim line gold kits from Wood Turninz.

Stew

[Steve]

Thanks a bunch Stew, beautiful woods and pens you have there yourself.

I want to offer a Hawaiian selection kinda thing. I have 4 or 5 woods from Hawaii that would make a nice set- I think..