New to Wood Turning

[paultay23]

Hi all
My name is Paul and i am from Leicester. I am a reasonable woodworker both machine and hand woodworking, reasonable not an expert. I have been spending money, sorry i mean woodworking for about 12 months now, having spent i fortune on kit, i have now decided to venture into woodturning. I purchased a new (reconditioned) Record Power DML320, and a Record Power SC3 Geared Scroll Chuck Package amongst other items today. I spent more than i wanted, but having bought crap Table Saw etc and then buying "proper" ones i decided not to make the same mistake with my lathe...or perhaps i have !!!. I expect i will start with pen turning and then ...well who knows. I hope to get loads of tips and tricks from here, my next purchase will be a pen turning toolkit and pen kits...any advice or recommendation...Cheers Paul

 

[Phil Dart]

Hi Paul - welcome to the forum. The advice from me is to consider carefully before you shell out for a "pen turning tool kit" where you think your pen making journey and your whole turning experience take you You don't need specialist tools to make pens - you can make them just as easily with standard tools. Dedicated pen tools tend to be miniature.

You can turn both pens and other things with standard tools but you'll struggle to turn other things with miniature tools.

 

[paultay23]

Thanks for the reply Phil, i do have a set of Robert Sorbet tools from 25 years ago, when i had a dabble... but now i have retired i hope to more then dabble. Sorry i was more thinking the actual mandrel and things..not sure of the terminology as yet

 

[Penpal]

Welcome Paul. I used long handled tools for all turning for many years,later on I cut the handles down to bring me in touch with the smaller sized pens,there is no problem with three tools I figure you need to turn pens with your new lathe. Join a wood group in your area and see for yourself what is needed or not and which ones you will be comfortable with. Look before you leap and be happy,enjoy.

Peter.

 

[paultay23]

Thanks Peter for taking the trouble and time to reply. I will look to see what groups are local or watch loads of YouTube. Cheers Paul

 

[Penpal]

Paul couple of pics that show a plain Mandrel read shaft held in the headstock by a collet holder and on the tailstock a so called mandrel saver that simply slide fits on that end of the mandrel.

A conventional bowl gouge turning a blank.I sharpen the gouge on a 8 inch bench grinder.

The end of a tool that has a four faced cutter made of tough steel,I sharpen mine after blunting the four facets by placing it down on a diamond file. My tool is about 8 to 10 inches long plus the handle.

As I come onto some more pics I will post them. NB I only turn half a pen at a time and measure using a caliper always for close fits to the tip,centre and top measuring from the kit.

A mandrel saver works for me.

Kind regards Peter.

 

[Morse]

Welcome Paul.
Joining a local club is good advice.
There are numerous ways to turn pens so have a good look and listen.
Then decide the way you want to go.
In the “buy and sell” section on this forum there are a few people selling pen kits,
Including our Phil at Beaufort ink.
Dave

 

[paultay23]

Peter, you are most kind, nice to put an image to a couple of items i have heard spoken about. I need to dig my chisels out to see exactly was i have got and get 25 years of dust off them. I have a 125mm grinder, hopefully that will do me for now. I also have some diamond stones etc.. Cheers Peter

 

[paultay23]

Thanks Dave. i had noticed and took a quick look at Phil's site. I will be watching, listening and learning. My bowls club members better keep there old Lignum Vitae Bowls hidden from me now.. Cheers Paul

 

[wm460]

G'Day Paul,

Welcome to the forum from the cool centre of Australia.

 

[paultay23]

Hi Matey thanks for the welcome, from the rainy centre of the UK... I briefly visited Sydney and Brisbane earlier in the year. Our cruise ship could not get to the centre of Australia...

 

[paultay23]

Tools


Looks like these need some attention.

 

[sammy]

Welcome Paul, you will soon be knocking out great pens and I'm looking forward to seeing them.
George

 

[AllenN]

Welcome Paul. You have received lots of good advice already. Nothing wrong with those tools that a good sharpen and a little TLC won’t solve and you have all you need to turn the pens there. Mandrels are a good idea but you can turn a pen between centres too especially if you have the bushes ( the pieces of metal that indicate the final turned diameter) with the 60 degree ends to fit the drives. If you look on the websites of the suppliers who are on the forum you will see some of these. Personally I use a mandrel most of the time. You might also look out for the book on Pen Turning by Walter Hall ( also on this forum). Worth getting from the library if you don’t want to buy it. I found it very useful when I started on the pen journey. U tube is great but for me there is nothing quite like a book. Probably just my age.

 

[paultay23]

Welcome Paul, you will soon be knocking out great pens and I'm looking forward to seeing them.
George

Cheers George

 

[paultay23]

Thanks Allen, yes i have been given good advice...Cheers

 

[paultay23]

Example of my "other work"

I am new to woodwork, here is my first bit of furniture, hopefully my turning will be of the same quality.

Sorry if not allowed

 

[Penpal]

View attachment 37105
Looks like these need some attention.

The second third and fifth chisels are enablers for pens,good quality IMHO.

Go with these mate. Like the first furniture as well.You must have many more honey dos lined up.Many years ago I went to a major turn around held out of town 200 miles from here for three days in a basketball stadium and a huge generator to fire up 40 lathes, a guy from WAgga Wagga a transplanted Dutchman turned a huge platter from really tough burl,he turned it over the three days using the first small shaped gouge. 900.00 dollars it yielded and this twenty years ago. You never know mate or ever be deceived time and care pay huge dividends.

Peter.

 

[yorkshireman]

Welcome Paul mate, you’ve come to the right place. Sharpening will be your next, and probably most important, expense.

 

[paultay23]

Thanks Keith, i have only just mastered my woodworking chisel sharpening technique...