N00B Questions

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McBryde

Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2010
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686
Location
Humnoke, Arkansas
Hello All,

I am just starting out in the pen turning stuff, and have yet to do my first pen, but am itching to so very very soon, just having to mount up my arsenal of items that I am going to need before I start. My question is, what is a good pen kit to start out with? I figure my first pen will be a good running for the "uglyest pen contest" but I was wondering what to start out with. I am going to have to buy my kit to start out, and just figured ya'll might be able to steer me in the right direction of cheapest place to buy it, as well as the right kit to buy to start out with. I would also like to know what your opinion would be as to the best wood to start out with? Is there any that is alot harder to work with, so I should steer clear of it starting out, or should I just start out with a predrilled kit to put together?

Please help me out. I teach high school for a living, and definately don't feel as if I could teach anything on here, really feel out of my element as I am taking in vast amounts of overwhelming knowledge.

Thanks in advance,

Emerson
 
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I like a Cigar for a first pen. Or a Sierra. Slims are cheap but have the smallest tube size and diameter if you are making a true slim.

Beartooth woods in the vender sections sells both at good prices GL
Manny
 
Sierra's are nice. Only one piece to turn, and only one piece to press in place. Makes it hard to mess up. Acrylic blanks are nice too. Easy to turn, and much easier to get a great finish, compared to wood. This is one of those questions when every one who responds will offer different answers.
 
For what it's worth, here are a few basics. If you have a store such as woodcraft or such near you, I would start with a kit you could buy from a walk in retail location, because if you realize you needed extras (bushings, drill bits, vices, mills, etc...) they should have in stock what you need for your particular kit without having to mail order, and they could guide you when you purchase. Lot's of people start with slimlines. For the life of me I can't figure out why. Since the tubes are so small, they require the most turning, and IMO are some of the hardest to get right. Cost does not equal difficulty. Starting with something like the Cigar that others mentioned is a much better route, even the Wall Street (or Sierra) style is a good route. Inexpensive and larger single barrel with stupid-proof assembly. Both these also make a much nicer pen. As far as material, wood would be a good starting point. The ones mentioned are great, one of my personal favorites is Cocobolo. It has so many variations in figure and color, and it drills and turns very nicely. It is also a wood that is unlikely to "blow-out" when the drill bit exits the wood (you'll understand what that means after it happens a few times :biggrin:) Any info you could ever want is right here, and everyone is more than happy to help, so the most important thing to remember is if you have a question about anything you encounter, just ask:) But like I said, if you have access to a retail location, they can make sure you go home properly prepared for whatever kit you decide, and you will have a much more gratifying first experience. Good luck, and be sure to post your first for the rest of us to admire, perfect or not.
 
Toms, I kinda figured that would be the way it went. OK then, another question for you all, if $$ was no option for pen kit, would you start with a harder pen and wood so you would not know the difference of difficulty?

E
 
Don't know if this helps but ,my mandrels came with slimeline bushings and a 7mm drill bit. If you are thinking of coming to our meeting in March (ARKLATEX CHAPTER) We have a guy that sells kits as cheap as anybody. And I would be glad to help you turn one or five etc.
I vote ,for slimeline first,cause I think if you can master the versatillity of it, you can move up to others and move up your price as you go.
Serria is the easiest to make. It is one piece of wood ,you can get two blanks from one pen blank, both bushings are the same ,and only one side is pressed in, uses parker style refill that can be changed to a black ,red or blue gel,and checking other sites,it can bring ,if not twice the money as a slim close to it ,unless you buy a lazer blank or one of the many special blanks made for it.Then it would be more.
 
Hey Mac, I am going to try my hardest to make it down there for that meeting. The first pen I ever make will never get sold, lol , so I want to go with something I will like. I kind of find the sierra style pen to be ugly for some reason, but not sure why. It just looks wierd to me I guess. The slimline looks better to me, and then of course I like the tycoons, Apollo infinity's and Olympian Elite 2, as well as some others, but I know this is a lot higher priced pen kit to start out with. I kind of like the cigar pens, just not sure which I want to do first, guess I'll have to just pick one.

Mac, what all goes on at these meetings? Is there vendors there? What all stuff will we do?

E
 
To me, making a "straight" slimline (so that it looks like a wooden "Cross" brand of pen) is one of the hardest to do. If you master that in sizing to the fittings, any of the others will be no more difficult, and some quite easy in comparison.

IMO, the easiest to get started with - is the Sierra type. One tube, larger size.

Starting with more expensive kits or blanks is not more difficult per se, just more aggravating if you mess it up!
 
I started with slimline.
To me the sierra is the easiest. single barrel, 2 pens from one standed blank, thicker material, bushings are the same size. overall just more forgiving.
 
E....I think you hit it with turning a pen you will like. My first was a slim line and I'm still using it.

In turning a tenon is an end of the turning which is turned to a diameter to fit into something else. In this case to fit inside the center ring. Some kits will leave wood on the brass tube for correct fit and some will have you turn down to the tube. You might also turn to mount a blank in a scroll chuck.

As for the tenion on a European Style, go to: http://www2.woodcraft.com/PDF/77B04.pdf it's a link to their instructions and shows a tenon.

And here's a link to a video on it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh-e9VoWMQQ
 
When choosing pen kits, I agree with most everyone and say the Sierra is an easy and fun one to do. But don't buy the 22k or 24k models. They look great if you never use them. Buy some chrome or gold or black titanium finishes and they'll last forever.

If you can't find these finishes, 10k gold will last longer than the higher number "gold" kits.
 
I just got to thinking about something, and it is that when my grandfather was cremated, we made a box out of black walnut for him. I think there is still some of that wood at my grandmother's house. I think that would be a great piece of wood to do my first pen out of since he was the one that taught me a lot about woodworking. It should be a good centimental piece as my first since I will be keeping it and using it. I have to make this first one special, no slim line or sierra for Grandpa, he taught me better than that. Gotta do something special, I just might have to have help to do it, lol.

E
 
McBryde said:
Anyone have a pic of this tenon? I don't understand what it is, and can't seen to find one anywhere.

E
Click to expand...

Here is the CSUSA instruction on turning a European... you'll see the tenon on the cap end of the pen, down near the center band ... matter of fact, the center band fits over the tenon.
 

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