losing interest

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jack barnes

Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2005
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371
Location
Springfield, Ma.
It seems like I'm losing interest in turning pens, I've only turned a couple in the last few weeeks and everytime I go to the shop I just can't decided what kit or blank to use. I would like to know if this has happen to anyone else, and how do you get back in the swing of turning?

Jack
 
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I almost gave up penturning when I moved about 5 years ago, as I thought I wouldn't have a shop. Within time I fixed that and built a small shop, as I was still eager to keep turning. Because I've made miniatures the last few years, I just haven't had time to turn pens, and I am trying to work my way back into the swing of it again. My suggestion would be to find something that motivates you---perhaps look through the albums here, maybe it's time to make a gift for someone---maybe try turning something else---bottlestopper, peppermill, shaving brush, or????
 
I would agree with others. Try something new. If not a new item, you could always push yourself some other way -- some new segmented blank, or some other challenge. Look for something that you really wish you could do with pens and work toward doing it.
 
I think this is quite common. By looking at the number of members here and just taking a guess for the ones that never posted or stopped posting some time ago, It would be reasonable to assume that this happens to some.

For me, I haven't ramped up to the number of pens that I thought I would be making by this time 3 years on. However, I have found my niche - I enjoy thinking through a pen as much as making it. If it were to become work - for me - it would lose its appeal and be more pressure than enjoyment. the act of thinking one through and making it is a therapy session for me and is my relaxing time away from work.
 
I am in a slump right now ,I wonder if it has anything to do with not seeing the sun in about 6 months.
I have been trying some bowls lately but the sun and pen turning are just around the corner. Cheer up my friend.
 
Heck, there is nothing wrong with taking a break. This is supposed to be fun, and if there is a time when penturning isn't as much fun, take a break. You might want to try your hand at bowls or peppermills as has been suggested. On the other hand, planting a spring garden might be just what you want to do right now. Shoot, build a birdhouse or two.
 
Yep try something different! Back around November I would go out to the shop, sit around looking at the hundreds of kits and blanks and couldn't find one I wanted to make. I ordered a few Stylus magazines from Anthony and got to flipping through them thinking how nice it would be to try and make a nice pen myself without the same ole kits.

Well it worked, now I once again enjoy waking up and heading out to the shop but now I spend 90% of my time thinking about ideas and 10% turning them into reality. Other than two pens for my nieces I haven't made a kit pen since early December but am having more fun than when I was turning 2 or three pens a day.

I think it's the repetition that gets us.
 
They say "Variety is the spice of life". I am kind of in a slump also so I turned a Mother of Pearl and was showing to my bank clerk and she immediately purchased it from me.:D Now I a little more motivated but want to start doing miniatures and peppermills. Look throught the "Other Things We Make" discussion and you will see alot of good ideas. We have to much invested to just quit but sometimes I just want to sell all of my supplies.
 
Originally posted by wdcav1952

Heck, there is nothing wrong with taking a break. This is supposed to be fun, and if there is a time when penturning isn't as much fun, take a break. You might want to try your hand at bowls or peppermills as has been suggested. On the other hand, planting a spring garden might be just what you want to do right now. Shoot, build a birdhouse or two.
Click to expand...

Yeah .... or do what Cav does .... go fill a couple of teeth. Or, better yet . . . do a root canal!! [:0]
 
i can't even imagine sitting 'around looking at the hundreds of kits and blanks'
i know it's something that you build into....but dang.....i'm down to about 4 kits.......having hundreds is way beyond my imagination!!!!!
 
I know exactly what you're talking about! There's been times where I grab a blank, then a kit, and then I look at the kit and the blank together, put the blank back, grab something new which then won't work for the kit, so I put it all back and start grabbing again.

Pretty soon I just put everything away and shut off the lights. heh

What I've found to motivate me is just picking a tool and making a nice, custom handle for it. That gets me excited about using the 'new' tool, and takes my mind off of being so picky about what I'm going to turn. I just grab something and go, and pretty soon I'm back in the swing.
 
I started making pens in '95 and that's all I did for about 3 years. Then I started making bowls until this past November when I started doing pens again.

If it's not fun, don't do it, it's not a chore.
 
I think that it is only natural. We all go thru swings in what excites our imagination and what does not. Repetition dulls the mind. I glued up the first tubes in several weeks tonight. I have been focused on bowls and boxes lately and now I can't wait for tomorrow to turn the 2 blanks from tonight. I always have something new in mind to try to keep it fresh.
 
I think the 'slump' may have something to do with winter. Those who do the shows have no shows to go to. The rest of us have probably been making loads of pens for christmass gifts. Now all of a sudden we dont HAVE to rush and make a pen.

My solution was to try turning a new(for me) pen. It was a euro from a single blank ( no centre band and twist at the nib), I had seen them done on here and I thought I would give it a go myself. I had some fun figuring it out and it turned out nice. Unfortunately I gave it away before I took any Pice but it has started me off in a different direction than the plain old kits.

The Acrylics from Follow3 have also arrived( again something I havent attempted before) so I have regained my enthusiasm again.

So take a short break or try something that you havent done before. You will remember how much fun it is
 
Jack,
I have been making almost exclusively pens for over 5 years, over 500 of them. I, too find myself in a quandry of what to make and which kit to use. Not because I am bored but because I am excited and want to make the best pen with the best blank! I have also been turning other things as of late as the holiday season and huge pen making period is over. So, I force myself to break away, so I dont lose that edge. I also am making some modified stuff for Provo and the pen turners rendezvous. Go over to the Guild site and browse, perhaps you could work on making an entry for that, a great way to get noticed and maybe do a collaboration with someone.
Glenn
 
Are you making pens for friends and family as gifts or to sell?

Do you make the pen(what you decide) and then gift or sell it? Or, when someone sees a pen and says I like that but in another color you go and make that 1?

I made a couple that I decided on myself at first. Then as more and more people saw them and said they wanted to buy some I became more of an order taker and found myself looking around for specific colors or with a list of pens for specific people.

I am not sayin there is anything wrong with this method but it got to be more and more like a JOB(now I've done it, I used the "J" word) and less like a fun hobby for myself.

I decided that I was only primarily going to make pens that I wanted to, AND try different things. If someone told me that they wanted a pen made that I did not already have completed then I would simply say I can do that for you but I am going to charge a little more. If they really wanted it their way they were willing to pay or just wait till I got aorund to making it(after mine) rather than taking orders and making nothing but orders.

Best of luck:D
 
Originally posted by wdcav1952

Heck, there is nothing wrong with taking a break. This is supposed to be fun, and if there is a time when penturning isn't as much fun, take a break. You might want to try your hand at bowls or peppermills as has been suggested. On the other hand, planting a spring garden might be just what you want to do right now. Shoot, build a birdhouse or two.
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I agree with Cav. Stop making them for a while. I can go a month or two without making a pen and then yesteday, I made 10. Being a pen turner doesn't mean that you need to make them all of the time.
 
clean/organize the shop, pick blanks you think might go with different kits, let your mind wander around the shop and pick out the "i've been meaning to do that" things...I sometimes go several weeks without turning on the lathe, but I'm still "working" in the shop....
 
I'm pretty close to what Lou said, If the only thing I did concerning pen turning was pick the next pen to make, I would not be in my shop very much. I do have boxes of kits stacks of blanks to choose from but I save them for when I am really enthusiastically interested in making them. otherwise I do other projects, group buys, Help my kids make things they want or whatever. My shop is here for my enjoyment. Remember the same catalogs that have pen kits are full of other things to make as well.
 
I pretty much take a break every year, starting about Christmas and going to the end of January. I just stay away from the lathe and concentrate on other things.
 
For me, the fun of just turning pens has turned into a quest to find unusual and strange things to turn. I have done Aligator Jaw Bones, Alabaster, Camel Bones, pine cones, real ivory, corn cobs, bamboo stalks, antler, cereals, grape vines, compressed sunflower seeds, pepper corns and coffee beans cast in acrylic, copper pot scrubbers and I even have some human bones (bought off of Ebay)to try but my better half says that's too spooky.
Some "word of mouth" sales have come my way and I am currently locked into making about 50 pens of the same kinds. I can't wait to get them delivered and get back to fun. The money is good but I really enjoy the challenge of the unusual. Probably the toughest turn for me is the lowly pine cone. They are flat hard to do but look great when they turn out right.
Well, back to the shop to finish up the shell casing and Lone Star Flag pens for the orders. May take a break and try another bamboo pen.
 
I make a weird lamination or segmented blank or look for some really different and hard to find wood, I made a couple of the artic fern blanks and couldn't wait to turn them, it really is what you make of it! Howard
 
Originally posted by wdcav1952

Heck, there is nothing wrong with taking a break. This is supposed to be fun, and if there is a time when penturning isn't as much fun, take a break. You might want to try your hand at bowls or peppermills as has been suggested. On the other hand, planting a spring garden might be just what you want to do right now. Shoot, build a birdhouse or two.
Click to expand...


Cav is right. Now, since I work in a woodshop 25-30 hours a week, I get my fill of woodworking at times. Until a week or two ago when I made a small batch of "zen" mag-top pens, I hadn't made a pen in 3 months.

Take a break. Get a breather. After a while, if it's meant to be, the bug will bite you again. Trust me!;)
 
Jack,
I go through the same thing periodically... I've been turning about 6 or 7 years, but I get tired of pens sometimes... just turn something else until you get tired of that, then pens are fun again..

As far as deciding what kit or blank, that's always a quantry for me... my wife is a Libra and she says they always have trouble making up their minds... I'm on the cusp between Virgo and Libra... maybe it's in the stars[?][?]:D
 
Come on over and we will go and blow up something. It always gets my blood flowing. Maybe you can go and argue with my nitwit nieghbor, that always kills a good 10 minutes. But seriously, take a break, go fishing or shooting or just something else to fill in some time. The shop does start to close in after a while.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I did one craft fair last fall and I will not do another it seems that it took all the fun out making pens. I got everything I need to setup the HF paint pot and never took it out of the box. The same goes for the powder coater, I even bought a mini metal lathe took it out of the box but never used it.
I'm going to Pheonix Az this week, maybe I'll drive out to Carefree and visit Anthony's Pen Works, and droul(sp), maybe that'll kick start me.

Jack
 
Jack, have a great trip and relax while you are out there. The scenery is beautiful when you look at the mountains and mesas. I used to spend a lot of time just sitting there staring at Superstition Mountain, wondering about the legend of the Lost Dutchmans Mine. I used to have a place in Apache Junction until it turned into all housing developments. If you ever want a hand with it, I would be happy to drive over and help you put together your Pressure Pot. I am about 1 1/2 hours south of you. Just have a good trip and relax for a bit.
 
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