# What is your favorite part of ...



## HuskyDriver (Dec 23, 2005)

What is your favorite part of pen turing?  Post your reasons why!


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## HuskyDriver (Dec 23, 2005)

My personalfavorite is finishing. I just love to watch it all came together and really shine.


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## woodwish (Dec 24, 2005)

I think it is interesting that in the first 10 votes that "turning" on the PenTURNERS web site had 0 votes []  In the actual pen making part it is my favorite, I just love turning and watching the wood peel away in layers.  I voted for the "giving as gifts" category, handmade gifts always seem to be a special gift.  Last Christmas I gave away dozens of pens from trees leveled by Hurricane Ivan to friends and family members that had survived a long cleanup and recovery period.  This year I did the same with some trees downed by Katrina for some evacuees that have moved into our town.  I have refused to sell a pen made with hurricane debris, just doesn't seem right.  I did exchange a few with a rich lawyer for a nice donation to our church's hurricane recovery efforts.  Living on the Florida Gulf Coast it seems that collecting hurricane debris wood for turning is an annual event. [8D]


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## Rifleman1776 (Dec 24, 2005)

None of above.
Holding the finished product.


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## Daniel (Dec 24, 2005)

Although finishing runs a close second, I voted designing as my favorite. It is a challenge to take a plainer looking piece of wood and make something eye catching out of it. balance in material combinations can be an art in itself. but just for the record the entire process is pretty high on my list of things I like to do.


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## Jerry Crice (Dec 25, 2005)

I voted on "giving as gift". People that I have given the pens to are surprized that the pens were "hand made" and it allows them to see a side of me that they never realized existed.


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## Termite1964 (Dec 26, 2005)

I enjoy the turning part the most.


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## pete00 (Dec 26, 2005)

Well
I am amazed at how the pen or item seems to take on a life of its own when turning then finishing. I plan on putting a feature at a certain point but when i try, the wood says not there over here. Same with the shape, i have a shape in mind but when i start to shape it the wood seems to tell me what shape it want to be.
I hope that feeling never goes away...if it does dont tell me. []

pete


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## ldimick (Dec 27, 2005)

I like the choices equally. The part that I find to be drudgy is drilling and squaring.


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## HuskyDriver (Dec 27, 2005)

> _Originally posted by ldimick_
> <br />I like the choices equally. The part that I find to be drudgy is drilling and squaring.



I guess that would be my least favorite also.  especially when I have a bunch of blanks ready to go all at once.


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## nilsatcraft (Dec 27, 2005)

Definitely turning for me.  That's what when you get covered in ribbons and when your nostrils turn various colors.  What could be better than that?


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## esheffield (Dec 27, 2005)

I voted for turning, though my favorite part (by only a tiny bit) is probably assembly, although the Elegant Americans I made lately have about changed my mind on that! [xx(] I guess for the purposes of this poll though assembly is lumped in with finishing. And the sanding, applying poly, polishing, etc. is probably the LEAST favorite part for me. []


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## wayneis (Dec 28, 2005)

Although I enjoy all aspects of making pens, for me the favorite part is giving them away to people who know the value and what I put into each pen that I make.  I've had several friends and relitives come visit me at my shop and they see everything that goes into making a pen.  My wood pen take anywhere from 4 to 6 hours each and they get to see this so they have seen my process.  The next biggest smile comes while I'm on the way to the bank with the proceeds of selling a couple.

Wayne


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## Teniko (Dec 28, 2005)

My favorite part is when teenagers and their dads from church come to the house and I teach them to turn a pen. The look of wonder in their eyes that they made something and the comraderie between us is pretty special. Right behind that would be the giving away. I only sell to support to be able to continue what I truly enjoy[] ,Dave.


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## jb_pratt (Jan 12, 2006)

My favorite part is going out to my garage for some "therapy".  For me turning is a stress reliever


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## PatAllen (Jan 17, 2006)

I've only done 4 pens so far, so really...
But this last one is in Smoke Tree with swirls of yellow, cream and brown. I've just watched BB's video on turning and did my finishing a bit differently. Watching the wood come alive again under my hand is a wonderful thing.


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## MDWine (Jan 18, 2006)

I chose finishing.
My favorite part is about 3 grits from the final high end of MM (12000?)... anyway, as I approach the last three grits, it is exciting to see the lacquer finish become smoother and smoother, and more glass-like.


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## alamocdc (Jan 18, 2006)

May favorite part isn't up there. I like assembling the pen and seeing it all come together. Sometimes it isn't what I hoped for, but I'm also often surprised. But I chose designing b/c I like trying to figure our how I can do it differently the everyone else.


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## Glenn McCullough (Feb 8, 2006)

My favorite part of penmaking is when I am done turning, I really get excited when I get to touch the BLO to the wood and really see it (especially burl)for the first time!! For this reason alone is why there is no comparison to turning wood!
IMHO!


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## Jim15 (Feb 9, 2006)

I would have to pick all the above choice. I think each step has it's own rewards.


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## Johnathan (Feb 9, 2006)

I love to see the wood come alive as soon as the finish goes on! Sometimes I am completely surprised by what is lurking inside.


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## Dario (Feb 9, 2006)

I love the turning part the most. []


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## scroller99 (Feb 10, 2006)

I enjoy every step of the process,but I like the way the pen can look so normal or plain as you finish sanding then when you apply the finish it turns out to look nothing like the piece of wood you started with! after all the pens I have made and all the other turning I do [and scrollsawing] it still shocks me at times when I shut down the lathe to see what it can reveal. Howard


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