1.
What lathe should I get?
2.
How do I get a lasting finish?
3.
What tool should I use to bore a
hole in a blank?
4.
Who is the Duke of Burl?
5.
My blanks blow out when I drill,
what am I doing wrong?
6.
Do I need a pen mill?
7.
How do I sharpen a pen mill?
8.
How do I use my pen mill for
larger tubes?
9.
How do I use a belt sander to square my blanks?
10. What is the best finish to use
on pens?
11. Were does everyone buy their
supplies?
12. What's the best glue to use for
gluing tubes in blanks?
13. What lathe tools should I get
for pen turning?
14. What are the best books on pen
turning?
15. What drills should I buy?
16. How do I make a wooden
centerband?
17. How do you make crushed stone
inlaid rings?
18. How do I find an Art and Craft
Shows where I can sell my pens?
19. What tool should I use to bore hole in the blank?
20. I have a Shopsmith what mandrel should I buy?
21. Do bushings from other manufacturers fit my mandrel?
22. Those ads in yahoo really annoy me... is there a way around them?
23. Where is the Penturners Chat?
24. Why are my pens out of round?
25. How often do I need to sharpen my tools?
1. What lathe should I get?
Ask four turners, get four answers. Ask twenty turners, get twenty answers.
There is no right answer to this question. It will depend on the
individual turner. Here are some questions you need to ask yourself (not
necessarily in order of importance).
a. How much do you have to spend? Remember you will need to buy
some tools and accessories to make pens (see the tool list).
b. How much space do you have? Are you lucky enough to
have a large work area or will the lathe be located in your bedroom. (We
do have at least one member who turns pens in his bedroom). Space might
play a factor in your decision to purchase a mini, midi or full size lathe.
c. What projects do you want to do? Only pens, larger pieces,
bowls?
d. Are you only going to be working with wood or do you want to turn
metal also? You can turn wooden pens on a metal lathe, you can even turn
aluminum on wood lathe!
From a recent poll started last summer for what kind of lathe do you own,
here are the results, of 179 votes. I'm sure these numbers have changed since
we now have so many more members.......
Delta 8 4.47%
Jet 13 7.26%
Delta (midi) 11 6.15%
Jet (mini) 43 24.02%
One Way 1 0.56%
Sherline 8 4.47%
Carba Tec 12 6.70%
WoodWrite 2 1.12%
Nova (Mercury) 4 2.23%
Nova 7 3.91%
Robert Sorby 0 0.00%
Sears 6 3.35%
Harbor Freight 4 2.23%
Harbor Freight (Mini) 4 2.23%
Grizzley 4 2.23%
Grizzly (mini) 4 2.23%
PooleWood 0 0.00%
WoodFast 3 1.68%
WoodTec 0 0.00%
Ridgid 1 0.56%
Other 44 24.58%
Here are some of the more common lathes broken downs on price.
$100 to $200
Harbor Freight
Grizzly
$200 to $300
Carba Tec
$300 to $400
Jet Mini
Delta Midi
Nova Mercury
Ultimately, nobody can make the decision for you. Try to answer some of the
above questions, check out some of the lathes if possible. Do a search in
the Yahoo Penturners message archive for the lathe you are interested in. If
you can’t narrow it down leave a message on the Yahoo Penturners group asking
for advice about the models you are thinking of getting. Good luck
and let the chips fly!
2. How do I get a lasting finish?
My best finish uses a coat of Minwax sanding sealer. When that is dry I sand
it with 600 grit and give it a coat of Deft lacquer. Deft dries quickly and is
available in spray cans or pints. You can apply 3 or 4 coats a day depending on
how deep you want the finish. Another light sanding and then polish with Novis
polish. That will give you a lacquer finish that will last for years and not
dull form skin oils. It does take more time than friction polish.
by William Lee
3. What tool should I use to bore a hole in a blank?
You should use a drill! Drill press has better accuracy. A hand held drill
will work, but you have to remember to use a vise or other clamping device to
hold the material to be drilled.
By PC
4. Who is the Duke of Burl?
Bill Baumbeck. Arizona
Silhouettes. Highly recommended for beautiful stabilized woods
by Rich Kleinhenz
5. My blanks blow out when I drill, what am I doing wrong?
There are several reasons why blanks may split. Most often, blowouts happen
as the drill bit breaks through. To avoid that, cut the blanks a little long
(1/4 or so), drill only till 1/8 shy of breaking through, then use a band saw
to cut to the final length. If you're not drilling straight, use a better type
of bit. Possibly use larger blanks. It's harder to drill a 3/8 blank than a 5/8.
Use a sharp bit. Keep the bit cool (sharp bit, lower drill speed). Retract the
bit often. With critical material as often as every diameter towards the end of
the hole. Use different wood, some are more prone to blowing out than
other. Rich Kleinhenz beginner What should I
look for in a drill press? Stroke. The longer the better. I would
look for at least 3 1/4, that's pretty easy to find. Better yet is 4 or 5. But,
if you have less stroke, you can still drill deeper holes occasionally by
drilling to the end of the stroke, raising the bit, shimming up the work, then
drilling the rest of the way.
by Rich Kleinhenz
6. Do I need a pen mill?
You need a way of squaring the ends of a pen barrel to the axis of the
glued-in tube. A pen mill or barrel-facer is a good way. You can also use a
stationary sander (belt or disk) with a little jig.
by Rich Kleinhenz
7. How do I sharpen a pen mill?
You can use a small diamond file or a stone in each flute of the cutter.
Some cutters are made in such a way that the backsurface of the cutting edge is
not flat but rounded which makes it much harder, and which is why I don't like
certain mills. Try not to touch the front surface of the cutter if you can
avoid it, they need to be even and square. If necessary, remove the center
barrel, set the cutterhead down on a stone and move it around a little, VERY
LIGHTLY is the key word here.
by Rich Kleinhenz
8. How do I use my pen mill for larger tubes?
Some pen mills have sleeves available (Woodcraft comes to mind), others
have different center barrels that you can switch out, you you can also simply
make an adapter. Just glue up a blank (something hard, does not have to be
wood) on a 7 mm tube, and turn it down such that the larger tube will just slip
over it. Put that adapter on your pen mill, and you have a new size! What you
don't get that way is the reaming action of the primary center barrel, but I
find that typically does not to such a good job anyway, better to use other
means. You can use busted tubes for that, they do not have to be perfect or
full length! It's better to make your own because you won't be able to find a
fitting piece for every size tube you'll encounter.
by Rich Kleinhenz
9. How do I use a belt sander to square my blanks?
You can get a little jig from Penn State Industries, or make your own: Make
a rectangular block of hardwood. Drill a size D hole, perfectly square to one
face. Glue in a D drill bit in reverse, or a D drill blank, or piece of an old
7mm mandrel, such that maybe 2.5 stick out. Now make sure that your sander
table and miter gauge are square to the belt sander (or disk sander) surface.
Clamp the block to your miter gauge. The size D rod should now be perfectly
square to the surface. Slip your blank onto it, and sand it square! Make
adapters for other than 7mm tubes.
by Rich Kleinhenz
10. What is the best finish to use on pens?
Sorry, there is no such thing... everybody has his/her own methods, and the
perfect finish, despite manufacturers' claims, has yet to be found. It is
important to polish the wood to your best abilities. When the finish wears,
you'll still have highly polished wood. A few random pointers anyway: 1) Seal
your wood. There are several products out there, popular ones are Mylands
Cellulose Sealer, Woodwrite Ltd CN11. 2) Try stabilized blanks. These can be
polished to a high gloss and don't need a finish. 3) Everybody tries HUT PPP
once... it looks good at first but does not last at all. A little better if
applied over a sealer. 4) Std wood finishes that you are familiar with can be
applied, like lacquer, polyurethane, oil finishes. Whatever you're comfortable
can be applied on a pen. You can use stains. But some of these processes are
very slow.
by Rich Kleinhenz
11. Were does everyone buy their supplies?
Go to the Links
section , there you will find lots of suppliers listed
12. What's the best glue to use for gluing tubes in blanks?
Most people use either cyanoacrylate (CA) a.k.a. superglue, epoxy or
polyurethane (PU). Any one of those can give good results, if properly used.
The important thing is to assure a good bond, and proper fill (no gaps between
the tube and the barrel). CA glue is quick, and can be worked a few minutes of
settling time. It is best to use FLEXIBLE CA glue, or GAP-FILLING. Do not use
thin CA! Epoxy comes in several 'speeds': 5-min epoxy is good because you can
turn the barrel after 1/2 hour drying time. Longer cure time epoxies are also
available. PU needs to dry overnight, but it has a wonderful property in that
it expands as it dries. That helps assure a good fill! It is moisture
activated, therefore not the best for plastics, in some climates at least.
by Rich Kleinhenz
13. What lathe tools should I get for pen turning? (also see the tools page)
The one tool that could probably do all is a 3/8 or 1/2 spindle gouge. Get
one made out of high speed steel (HSS) rather than a carbon steel one. A HSS
tool will keep its edge much longer, so you can turn more between sharpening. I
personally do 90% of my pen turning with a 1/2 spindle gouge. The next tool, as
you get into a little bit more sophisticated pens, would have to be a parting
tool: A 3/16 is useful to cut the tenons on Euro-style pens. A narrow one (1/16)
is useful also, and necessary to make the slim Euro style. But you can regrind
an old screwdriver for that, just grind the side parallel for maybe 1/8, then
grind the front surface a a slight angle (maybe 70-80 deg) to the top surface.
Some turners also use a (3/4) roughing gouge, others a skew. You can add more
tools as you get comfortable, however far your budget will stretch.
by Rich Kleinhenz
14. What are the best books on pen turning?
Christensen and Burningham, Turning Pens and Pencils, ISBN 1 86108 100 6,
is an excellent reference, my first recommendation to anyone, from beginners
through experts. Dick Sing, Pens from the Wood Lathe , Schiffer, ISBN 0-88740-939-3
is a good introduction, with lots of pictures. Dick Sing's second book 'Unique
and Unusual Pens from the Wood Lathe, ISBN 0-7643-0359-7, covers more advanced
pens and techniques, again very pictorial presentation. Mike Cripps, Turning
Pens and Desk Accessories, ISBN 0-7643-0051-2 is similar to Dick Sing's first
book in scope and presentation. Tom Stults, Penmaking Made Simple covers 17
specific pens, black and white sketches, I have no idea where I picked that one
up. Tom Hutchinson, The Pen Turning Manual, 1st edition (1995), published by
HUT Products, covers the basics of pen turning, and has plans for a down-draft
workstation dust collection system. Tom Hutchinson, The Pen Turning Manual, 2nd
edition (1999), includes instruction sheets on a number of pens. Once you get
past the horrible looking pen on the cover page, the inside is a decent
overview of materials and techniques.
by Rich Kleinhenz
15. What drills should I buy?
The best bits for drilling blanks are probably pilot bits like
Black&Decker's Bullet bits. They seem to give the least blowouts and have
less of a tendency to wander. Some metric sizes are available from Crafts
Supplies USA (penturnerscatalog.com). Other popular bit types are parabolic
bits, they are optimized for chip removal, but they to tend to wander and they
they grab if you drill through the end. Bradpoint bits also have a center spur
that helps them go straight. The cheap chinese import bits are just that...
cheap chinese import bits. The best bradpoint bits are probably from Lee
Valley. They come in metric sizes also. Do not waste your time with std. jobber
drill bits.
by Rich Kleinhenz
16. How do I make a wooden centerband?
Here is how to make fixed (glued on, as opposed to lose) centerbands. The
important thing is that the band has to be jointed to the main body, and that
the interface is square to the axis of the pen. If you glue 2 pieces of wood
together, then drill them, chances are that you hole is not 100% perpendicular
to the joint. It's amazing how little it has to be off to be noticeable! Here
is the way I work around that problem. Mount and turn the barrel the way you
normally do. Do not turn quite to the final diameter! Now remove the wood down
to the brass tube using a cutoff tool, for the length of the desired
centerband. The diameter of the rough turned barrel at the centerband end must
be smaller than the diameter of your barrel trimmer, if that's what you use to
square your faces. Now you can drill your (contrasting) wood for the centerband.
Use a barrel trimmer to square off 1 side. Then cut off a piece a tad longer
than the desired band width on the band saw. When you slide the square-off side
of the center band piece onto the cap tube, you get a perfect joint. Now you
also see the reason why you needed to have a rough turned diameter smaller than
your barrel trimmer... otherwise you would not be able to slide the 2 pieces
together. Glue it in place (CA is perfect for that) then use your barrel
trimmer to square the center band, removing material until the brass tube is
just exposed. Now turn both together to the desired diameter and shape. You can
also use a belt sander for squaring off, of course, if you're set up that way,
or drill on the lathe using a chuck, and do your squaring at the same time. One
note of caution. Some kits are VERY sensitive to barrel length. Because
whenever you square off and expose the brass tube you lose a little length, and
you do this twice, you may have to be twice as careful :-) Then you can add an
accent like a burnt ring make with a steel wire, inlay paint or crushed stone,
to your heart's desire. The easiest type of kit to try this with are the 7mm
kits. Slimline or (7mm) Euro kits work equally well, because they are very
forgiving in terms of length.
by Rich Kleinhenz
17. How do you make crushed stone inlaid rings?
Crushed semiprecious stone is available from Bill Baumbeck ( http://www.arizonasilhouette.com/ ). The
best grade for pens is probably 'fine'. A 1 oz package will go a very long way
on pens! It's best to leave the barrel a tad oversize. You cut a groove into
the barrel, or possibly enlarge a natural void with a dremel tool. Then you
overfill a small section on top of the pen with the crushed stone. Now you let
some CA glue wick into it. Do not overfill, you do not want the CA to run and
for a drop at the underside or you won't be able to fill there! Micro
applicators are available for Satellite City CA, and for Bob Smith CA, possibly
others. These will allow you to apply the right dose. Hit it with accelerator.
Now you rotate the pen a little, fill in the new top section, wick CA, hit with
accelerator and continue doing his until you're filled all the way around. Now
you have to turn it down flush with the surface. The stone is very hard, be
prepared to sharpen your tools several times. Also, do not wait overnight, when
the CA fully cures it's even harder. An ideal tool for this is one of the
carbide tipped tools available from Charlie Glynn (see the bookmarks section).
You may need to do a second pass using x-fine stone to fill in tiny voids, at
least another application of CA to get a smooth surface. The easiest stone to
start with is probably crushed malachite.
by Rich Kleinhenz
18. How do I find an Art and Craft Shows where I can sell my pens?
Here are some links to help you find craft shows in your states. The
About.com Art/Crafts Business site is packed with information and links on all
aspects of the crafting business including links to several databases of shows
in every state.
The other links are searchable databases with listings for craft shows all over
the USA.
The Sunshine Artist Magazine database:
Craft Shows USA database
About.com
Art/Craft Business
It's got all kinds of tips and advice on doing craft shows.
by Pat L.
19. What tool should I use to bore hole in the blank?
You should use a drill! Drill press has better accuracy. A hand held drill
will work, but you have to remember to use a vise or other clamping device to
hold the material to be drilled.
20. I have a Shopsmith what mandrel should I buy?
On the SS you have a couple of options. It really depends on where you'll be
buying most of your kits, that's whose mandrel you should buy. Penn State
Industries makes a mandrel specifically for the Shopsmith, it has a 5/8\ bore
and goes directly onthe SS quill, normal setscrew mount. For all other mandrels
you have to use your drill chuck. Nothing wrong with that, as long as your
chuck runs true. See other FAQ entries for mandrel/bushing compatibility
21. Do bushings from other manufacturers fit my mandrel?
There is no standard for mandrel diameters, therefore no manfacturer
guarantees that their bushings will fit anyone else's mandrel or vice versa.
There seem to be 2 major diameters out there: '7mm' and '8mm'. 7m will let the
tubes used in 7mm kits side on, and 8mm will let the from tube for american
flat top pens (a.k.a. Parker Style) and others slide on. Everyone has a '7mm'
mandrel. Berea and HUT have 8mm mandrels also. If you have bushings that don't
quite fit a particular mandrel, you can ream them out to the right size. It is
best to have several mandrels, if you use kits/bushings from several companies.
22. Those ads in yahoo really annoy me... is there a way
around them?
1) Work offline, using email. Select no html conversion in the setup. 2)
When viewing online, use the 'expand' button. This is not available on search
results, though. 3) Use a popup-ad killer. I use'popup killer 1.43' a freeware
program. There are lots of others if you do a search on 'popup ad' in
www.download.com Are there any online tutorials?, Go to the Links section (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/penturners/links)
and into the 'Instruction and Tutorials' section
23. Where is the
Penturners Chat?
A: Wednesday night, 9 p.m. Eastern. We are now using PALTALK, a program
you must install beforehand. You can get it at
http://www.paltalk.com/paltalk10/download/download.htm It's best if
you have a microphone. Log into paltalk, go to groups, look for
PENTURNERS under MISC in GROUPS. Password is SLIMLINE. First person there
needs to set up the chatroom, don't forget checking VOICE and setting the
SLIMLINE password. When the last person leaves, the chatroom
disappears till it's set up again.
24. Why are my
pens out of round?
Possibilities: 1. Make sure you are using the right bushings. Check that the
barrels fit snugly on the bushing, and that the bushings are not lose on the
mandrel. They should just slip on. 2. Check that your mandrel is straight. Your
fingers are very sensitive to out-of-round. Check near the headstock, in the
middle, and at the tailstock, with the lathe spinning fast. If you have a dial
or test indicator, you can use that also. .002\ or .003\ runout are probably as
good as it gets. 3. Make sure you are not putting end pressure on the mandrel.
Only advance the tailstock far enough to take out any lateray play at the live
center, no more. 4. Make sure your live center does not bottom out in the
mandrel (see the section for Shopsmith live center)
25. How often do I need to sharpen my tools?
Butch says: Here's the short answer. If you've ever used a sharp tool, you
will know when it is dull. OK, not much help there. --How long between
sharpenings? Lot depends on the material. Compare for example soft wood versus
dymondwood., or a BB stabilized blank. There are times I will touch up the edge
between the two halves of the blank. Other materials can make several pens
without touch up. The harder materials will wear your edge much quicker than a
soft material. A good indicator of need to sharpen is the amount of pressure
you apply to the tool to get it to cut. If you find yourself applying a lot of
pressure, stop and sharpen. Your tools should cut with light pressure alone.
Excess pressure is: a) inherently unsafe, b)deforms the mandrel resulting in
out-of-round, c) just too damn much work. A sharp edge is the intersection of
two perfectly flat planes. It is this interface that does the cutting. Whether
to use a stone or grinding wheel will depend on the edge you have. I generally
will not use a wheel unless the edge is damaged, nicked from hitting a bushing,
or dropped, something like that. Otherwise, a stone, oil or water with a
stropping block or strap is sufficient. It is critically important to get a
true flat surface. On turning tools this is difficult to do visually by hand. A
jig/guide system is invaluable. I often suggest Woodcraft demos and classes.
Here again I will do so. If you have a sharpening class available to you
through a local woodworking store or club, by all means attend. Further there
are many great books on the subject. Final thought. It is not necessary to go
broke purchasing an expensive sharpening system. Often times the demo store
will push their monthly special, which by coincidence is the expensive Tormek
or similar system. They are good, but unless you are sharpening a lot of tools
all the time, stick with the basics. If your tools are bad, it is worth the
money to have them professionally sharpened, and just have the stones necessary
to touch them up. Once sharpened properly, touch up is all you should need,
unless you drop them, or your kids/spouse opens a can of paint with them (not
that I know anyone that has happened to).
Greg says: Short answer: it depends. Depends on the type of material, what
angle you have ground on your gouge, your angle of approach to the object, how
forceful you are with it, and the actual grade of steel. HSS, as I understand,
comes in various grades. I have some older HSS tools that dull fairly quickly.
I also have some M2 tools that hold their edge longer. I have a gouge made from
3020 steel that holds its edge the longest, but I still sometimes have to
sharpen it more than once on a pen, depending on the material. How do you tell
when it needs to be sharpened? On a gouge, if you can see any light reflecting
off the very tip, it should be either sharpened, or hold the tool so that
another part of the edge cuts the wood. How do you sharpen your tools freehand
on the grinder?? I personally use the One Way Wolverine system, and it is SO
very nice! Quick, simple, and leaves a great edge! You can sharpen them
freehand, but I find the Wolverine so easy, I'll stick with it. See previous
posts about the Wolverine, and a way to create your own sharpening system
similar to the Wolverine. I didn't see a question here, but I think you're
asking if dymondwood is any different than regular wood. Yes, it usually is,
but be aware there are several products sold that use that name (although it is
a copyrighted name). Some of them are very very hard and dense, while others
are not so dense. Regardless, I have found sharp tools are an absolute must.
Don't try to get too aggressive with your cuts, and keep your tools sharp, and
you should be fine. What might be helpful is to turn the lathe off, hold your
gouge up to the wood, and turn the lathe manually, altering your gouge (or any
other tool) until you see the wood cut. Gouges should basically have
\curly-q's\ that peel off for most materials. There are several very good
sharpening videos out there, and I think those should be mandatory for
beginners. I wish I had seen them when I was a beginner. One of the best that
I've seen was by Bonnie Klein.
Rich says sharpen any time you think the tool MIGHT need sharpening! You don't
have to grind for an hour, but if you feel the pen blank getting hot, or you
think 'ghosh, didn't this use to cut better?' go ahead and give it a short
touch-up at least. There are some woods that are very hard on pens: teak,
desert ironwood, and many stabilized woods, also some of the manmade materials
like corian are very abrasive, and you can't even do a whole pen. Especially
for your last cuts you want a sharp tool, so unless you turn with multiple
tools (I usually don't) go sharpen. Other woods you can turn a dozen pens
without sharpening.
END
