My long answer to what can be a complicated question
I approached starting up the same way that you are. I spent about three weeks reading many posts here to determine what people used and like and the various techniques that were being used and then came up with my own mix. I really wanted to get started, but wanted to minimize the cost where possible.
This forum and its many contributors was invaluable to me, so I will take the time to reciprocate by offering my advice and how I solved the same problem you're facing. By the way, it isn't a problem, but rather just the somewhat puzzling beginning of something you will enjoy for a lifetime! Whatever you buy, you will someday find something you want or like better to replace it, but buying the best of everything up front can be daunting.
The lathe is the centerpiece of it all in my mind, so I didn't skimp here - I bought a Jet Mini lathe with variable speed and have NO regrets. The on/off switch failed after 1 year (likely due to my wet fingers), but under the 5-year warranty, Jet quickly replaced the part. Who gives a 5 year warranty these days? I made an extremely sturdy stand for it using an ~11" * 4' oak stair tread (sold at Home Depot) and 4"x4" fir posts for the legs/cross pieces and bolted it to the wall in my shop for greater stability (it was already very stable). If you don't have a saw, such stores will make one or two cuts for you, and you might get them to make a few extra just by asking.
I already had a miter saw and use that to cut my blanks - a hand saw would do if you want to put off a saw purchase (SERIOUSLY). I INVESTED in a Bealle collet system. I turn my blanks between centers (at HIGH speed) down to the diameter of one of the collets for this system (usually the 3/4"). If you miss the 3/4" stop, you have to turn down to the 5/8". I then insert the blank into the collet and drill (at LOW speed) using a drill bit and chuck mounted in the tail stock. The drill (not rotating) is moved slowly into the blank and if all is lined up, it is extremely precise (MUST have the turned blank inserted straight into the collet). I use the collet system to hold the barrel trimmer as well. Although some do this strictly by hand, I usually do it at HIGH speed, stopping just short of hitting the tube, and will then do the rest by hand.
I use the lathe for pen assembly as well. I used to use the mandrel and bushings to hold the pen body and would press the parts on using a piece of wood between it and the tail stock, which I could slowly turn, but recently came across this ultimate assembly tool, which I now use exclusively and like very much (so I will plug it again):
http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/s...en_Ultimate_Assembly_Tool___pen_ultimate?Args=
I initially started out with a cheap 3 tool set (gouge, skew and parting tool) from Woodcraft, but much later bought a 6 piece set by Penn State (also cheap), as well as ONE expensive Sorby gouge along the way. There is no doubt that the Sorby tool is assembled in a better way than the others, but the other tools are all HSS as well and have worked very well for my purposes. Besides the way the tools are inserted into and retained in the handle, I couldn't find a reason to pay the higher price for the more expensive tools. Those with more experience and/or the true woodturners can probably give you plenty of reasons why the more expensive tools are worth the price (which I wouldn't dispute).
I can tell you that had I bought the 6 piece Benjamins Best Midi tool set (the Penn State set purchased via Amazon.com) as my first purchase, I wouldn't have needed the other 4 tools. The 6 piece set duplicates those tools and adds a couple of gouges and a scraper. The roughing gouge is excellent for taking the square blank down to a cylinder (its all in the name) and the scraper turns out (no pun intended) to be very useful/fast to get the pen blanks down near to their final size, where I then let the skew take over. I used to do much of this work with the skew and found that it took much longer to do. And sometimes, all would be going well and it would catch (because I was getting impatient or not paying attention).
As for sharpening, I haven't yet, and have made over 170 pens. I do hone before making every pen using a medium then fine honing stone. I'm sure that I would notice a difference were my tools to be truly sharpened, but if/when (likely when) I finally do that it will be using sandpaper on a flat granite surface. I'm not ready to get into the sharpener business and fear that I would be taking off way more metal than is necessary.
Good luck.
Jason
