Pen and Pencil Turning

[Patty]

Now that is way cool Daren. After Norm gets all my big power tools in order  ;)  I plan to get one of those mini-lathes. What brand did you buy?

[Daren]

Patty, I bought a JET. I think it is the old model pen lathe from what I read, I think it is discontinued. $100 new in the box on e-bay. I am sure there are nicer ones, but for playing around this one suits me fine.

[Patty]

Daren, is this the model you bought?  JET 708329 Mini Pen Lathe   I also am looking at this mdel:JET-1014 MINI LATHE

Does anyone have experience with these models?

[Burlkraft]

I've used them and they are a DanG nice small lathe. ;) ;) ;) ;)

For the money, I don't think there is a better buy

[Daren]

Mine is a JPL-358. Just a pen lathe, not a true mini lathe. It is a smooth running little dude. If I knew I would use it alot I would have bought a bigger one, maybe. For playing around at the workbench when I don't want to do any heavy lifting it is fine.

[Radar67]

I've got that model lathe, it just doesn't have the speed control (speed adjusted manually on mine). It is definitely one of the best tools I have owned. It's got plenty of weight, plenty of power, and is the perfect size for small projects.

Stew

[Patty]

Ok I found a Jet minilathe with the variable speed model 1014VS. I am going to order it this afternoon.  Daren inspired me to go ahead and take the plunge.   8)     

I have been saving back bits and pieces of wood that I thought were just too pretty to toss and am really looking forward to getting started.

I normally make homemade jam to give away to my good customers, and I will continue to do so for awhile. Norm thought a pen set would be a nice give away. Hopefully by Christmas Time I will be good enough with the new lathe to try this new gift idea.

[9shooter]

Here are a few sources; Craft supplies USA, Arizona Silhouette, Pens of color, woodturningz.com, Yordon pens, wooden wonders home, berea hard woods co. The latter manufactures pen kits and has some of the best quality. Some of their kits run $150. You can find tutorials and pen turning info @ penturners.org. If you think you might get the disease bad, I would recommend getting the better quality mandrels and trimmers. Good luck!

[Patty]

The lathe and tool that Charlie suggested both arrived today.  8)  WOW  ;D

Two rules I have already learned:

1) The first piece of wood you try to turn probably shouldn't be white oak.  Cherry worked much better.  ;)

2) Don't wear a low-neck cut shirt....guess where all the chips fly! 

Tomorrow is a turtleneck and maybe another piece of cherry. This tool is the coolest thing I've tried for a long time!  8)  We''ll be turning now! 8)

[Daren]

2) Don't wear a low-neck cut shirt....guess where all the chips fly!

I bet I can guess ;). They will fill your shirt pocket too. Have fun.

[Daren]

Patty, how is it going? My knee hurt today so I played with mine (lathe) again today. I made a little walnut table, that is o.k, but if you can see in the picture there is a cherry turned bowl setting on it that is smaller than a dime.




Here is an oak table and cherry vase. I stuck a little flower in the vase after the picture, pretty cool. The tools you can buy get you started, but I have made many little ones with pieces of busted bandmill blades on the bench grinder.

[Daren]

AH heck, this picture just looks better. I remember a piece of advice Tom gave me about photos of my work, "Add something interesting, some background, a person..." I am just going from memory, but I took it to heart and he was right. I picked a weed from the yard and stuck in the vase and it (for me) changed the whole picture.

[Tom]

cool!!   I like it. 

[Patty]

I love your tiny little pieces of artwork.  8)  I am reading how-to books still.  :P I have not gone back and spun the lathe since my first couple of days. Tomorrow we hope to drive to Des Moines and pick-up a couple things at the Woodsmith Store. The book I am reading suggests 4 basic tools that I should get for spindles.

No excuses, but we have been really busy at the day job. We get there at 7:30 and get home around 5 or 5:30. Then there are chores, gardens, etc. Springtime is a hard time to get into the wood shop. I hope to spend a few minutes there everyday this next week. It would be a welcome break away from the phone. I need to just get up and go do it.  :     OK so these are excuses, and I am really really good at them.  :-\

[wiam]

Patty, you do not have all the excuses 'cause I use some.


Will

[Tom]

Spindle turning!!

Good luck.   

I can do it a little as a one-off.  To make 4 almost alike would require having God sitting to my left.

I envy folks that can turn spindles.

[Norm]

My new pen Patty made for me today. Her first attempt.



It's spalted hard maple.

[metalspinner]

That's a nice pen!.  Good job, Patty.  The "cigar" style is my favorate.  Try making one with deer antler...they are awsome. ;)

[Modat22]

Lee Valley has a nice little pen turning starter set, videos and books.

The prettiest pen I ever saw turned was made from a mastadon (sp?) tooth purchased from ebay. The fella made a jig and mounted a right angle grinder to his lathe with a ceramic tile cutting blade to form the tooth into a pen. He also made some fantastic knife handles out of the same prehistoric teeth.

Peace all!
Sam

[Patty]

Thank you so much! 

Metalspinner, I thought the antler idea was cool also. In fact, I have the deer antler all ready to spin. I need to get a new collar for my band saw in order to trim the antler to size. The pieces are so tiny it falls through the hole that is around the blade. (I lost the original collar )


On second thought I think I'll just start out with a bigger antler, and then trim it down with the orbital sander or something, rather than wait for the collar. At the rate I go, it could be several months before I get the collar ordered.  :

[Radar67]

Patty, the deer antler makes nice pens, but be ready for the rancid smell while turning. My step father was in the shop while I turned one, he told me that you wouldn't have to worry about him turning one because it made him sick to his stomach.

Stew

[katie-did]

That is AWSOME Patty.  8) Glad to see that you got your stuff and have had success with it. I am getting ready to start back in again. I just go so over whelmed after all that I did last Christmas I took some time off because it was just no fun anymore. But now I think that I am ready to get started again. The kids go back to school in 2 weeks and I may find some free time then. I have not tried the antler yet but I really want too I just have not been willing to spend the money.
Good luck in your turning.
Katie-Did

[jon12345]

Antler dust is nasty, it clogs stuff and smells nasty, Id recommend wearing a respirator (3M~$19.95) or at least a mask when working with it.   

[Patty]

Oh yea...the antler does smell nasty. Yikes!   

Katy-did, find some hunters in your area and ask for antlers from the bucks they kill this fall. They should be free. Also, deer shed their antlers every winter...around here it is in late January or early February. You can walk out in the woods and find them on the ground.

[Max sawdust]

Congratulations on the lathe Patty 8)

Turning is sooooo fun ;D

My lathe is an old ship builders beast with a 4 foot bed, it runs rough but is fun.  Had a knob on a closet door that needed replacing this morning so I turned one up in Birch ;D

Just fun to have those shavings fly

Max