I made my first kit pen exactly a year ago today. It was actually a pencil because I needed one for my workshop. I was quite dismissive of pen making at the time if I’m honest but, as I don’t need to explain to anybody on here, it soon grabbed hold of me.
Before that my journey into wood turning started after I made an acoustic guitar. I spent 4 weeks in mid Wales where I learnt from an excellent luthier. I hired a little cottage on the river Severn (where it’s more of a stream as the location was very close to the source), and the experience was entirely life-changing.
When I got home I built a small workshop, initially with the intention of making acoustic guitars, however it soon became apparent that I didn’t really have the space required. So my carpenter friend suggested I get a lathe and so I did. I got heavily into bowl making and then the pen thing happened. I quickly developed an interest in making kitless pens because of the precision required. This is also true of guitar making where a fraction of a millimetre thickness can make the world of difference to the tonal qualities of the instrument. It’s a totally different experience to whacking a big lump of cherry on the lathe and cutting a bowl. However I do miss that so I tend to alternate between the two in waves. Currently I’m on quite a big pen wave!
Anyway here’s the guitar I made.
Cheers
Ash
Before that my journey into wood turning started after I made an acoustic guitar. I spent 4 weeks in mid Wales where I learnt from an excellent luthier. I hired a little cottage on the river Severn (where it’s more of a stream as the location was very close to the source), and the experience was entirely life-changing.
When I got home I built a small workshop, initially with the intention of making acoustic guitars, however it soon became apparent that I didn’t really have the space required. So my carpenter friend suggested I get a lathe and so I did. I got heavily into bowl making and then the pen thing happened. I quickly developed an interest in making kitless pens because of the precision required. This is also true of guitar making where a fraction of a millimetre thickness can make the world of difference to the tonal qualities of the instrument. It’s a totally different experience to whacking a big lump of cherry on the lathe and cutting a bowl. However I do miss that so I tend to alternate between the two in waves. Currently I’m on quite a big pen wave!
Anyway here’s the guitar I made.
Cheers
Ash
