# Which step of pen turning you hate the most?



## ALexG (Jul 27, 2012)

I hate to sand the tubes, is something that annoys me a lot, I started doing it by hand, then switched to put them in the mandrel to do it faster but still can't suppress the feeling, why don't they come pre-sanded? In winter I bring all the new tubes inside my house, and do the sanding while watching a movie in order to make the work a little more pleasant.


----------



## avbill (Jul 27, 2012)

i put the tubes between centers and turn on the loathe and sand take 2 seconds.  there really no problem.  


On another note  There's an thread on why is it necessary to sand?


----------



## mrcook4570 (Jul 27, 2012)

ALexG said:


> I hate to sand the tubes,




Then do not sand them.  It has been several years since I have sanded a tube.  It is an unnecessary step.  The biggest factor in getting a good bond between the blank and the tube lies in your ability to attain 100% glue coverage on the tube AFTER it has been pushed in the blank.  If you are putting glue only on the tube, then most of the glue will be removed when you insert it in the blank.


----------



## ALA (Jul 27, 2012)

I was thinking about something along this line yesterday as I was doing a CA finish.  I was thinking "what is the most time consuming part of making a pen? 

I don't mind sanding the tubes but, CA finsh is another thing!


----------



## Turned Around (Jul 27, 2012)

i think the CA finishes is the worst part. worth it when you see the final product, but still a bit of a pain. for me though, i think it's because i have a standard lathe, and i'm a tall guy, so i spend most of the time hunched over....

i think i need to make risers or something for it.


----------



## RetiredJake (Jul 27, 2012)

Turned Around said:


> for me though, i think it's because i have a standard lathe, and i'm a tall guy, so i spend most of the time hunched over....
> 
> i think i need to make risers or something for it.


 
I had the same problem. I made my lathe stand from a set of plans in ShopNotes magazine. Turned out to be too short. I laminated some MDF blocks, painted to match and lifted the lathe another 2 1/4". Just right now.


----------



## biednick (Jul 27, 2012)

Squareing the tubes. I hate it.


----------



## Xander (Jul 27, 2012)

Worst step in making a pen?? Paying for the kit. :biggrin:


----------



## Flaturner (Jul 27, 2012)

*Yuck!*

Absolutely worst step in pen making...CLEAN UP!!!


----------



## Ulises Victoria (Jul 27, 2012)

Flaturner said:


> Absolutely worst step in pen making...CLEAN UP!!!



I was thinking what to say when I saw this answer, and couldn't agree more!!!


----------



## watch_art (Jul 27, 2012)

Ulises Victoria said:


> Flaturner said:
> 
> 
> > Absolutely worst step in pen making...CLEAN UP!!!
> ...



yeah - sweeping the floor and having to move everything to get the bits of shavings that have flown behind everything. 

OTherwise - what's to hate??  :biggrin:  It's so much fun!


----------



## JimB (Jul 27, 2012)

Dis-assembly... nothing like needing to redo it.


----------



## Smitty37 (Jul 27, 2012)

Xander said:


> Worst step in making a pen?? Paying for the kit. :biggrin:


Well then - don't......It won't cost you too much more to buy all the necessary equipment and raw materials to make your own than it costs to pay for the kits.....probably not more than an average of 20 to 30 times the price of the kits.:biggrin::biggrin:


----------



## mredburn (Jul 27, 2012)

We are supposed to clean Up?


----------



## Curly (Jul 27, 2012)

watch_art said:
			
		

> OTherwise - what's to hate??  :biggrin:  It's so much fun!



From a past post or two of yours I would have bet anything it was when a pen or pen part fail while making it. 
Pete

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner because I can't reach my desktop!


----------



## its_virgil (Jul 27, 2012)

The first step towards the light switch to turn off the lights for the evening.:biggrin:
Do a good turn daily!
Don


----------



## nativewooder (Jul 27, 2012)

I don't "hate" anything that's not evil!  No time!  If it annoys me, I find a better way.  If I can't find a better way, I don't do it!  Life's too short!  Eat dessert FIRST!:biggrin::biggrin:


----------



## reiddog1 (Jul 27, 2012)

I would say it's the sanding of the CA finish to the exact diameter of the kit (plus or minus .002 of course).


----------



## Xander (Jul 27, 2012)

Smitty37 said:


> Xander said:
> 
> 
> > Worst step in making a pen?? Paying for the kit. :biggrin:
> ...


 
Funny you should say that. I have been thinking about going 'component-less', I like a challenge. Thing is .... being on a disability payment means funding ANY hobby is next to impossible. That's why I haven't made a pen in weeks/months.


----------



## plantman (Jul 27, 2012)

:frown: To me the part I dread most about pen making is putting a price on it. Some pens you can start with a $2 pen kit, a scrap piece of wood, put on a wax finish, and make a nice looking pen in 20 minutes. You can price this pen at $10-!5 and make money. On the other hand, You could spend days defining your design, and another couple of days cutting, glueing, turning, and finishing the pen. The pen kit could run you $10-50. Making the blank, plus turning, and then doing a perfect finishing job. How do you price something like that? If your doing this for a friend or just a hobby there's not a problem. The smile upon giving, or the pride in workmanship is your reward. However, if you are going to try to make a living or add to your income, you have to account for time spent. If your just getting your cost plus a little out of your work, it's just a hobby that you enjoy doing. I least enjoy sanding! But the finish is only as good as the base it rests on!! When you take the time to properly prepare your blank, you will be proud of your finished pen. And that concludes the sermon of the day.      Jim S


----------



## OLDMAN5050 (Jul 27, 2012)

Seeing them go out the door when it is finished........but can't keep them all


----------



## firewhatfire (Jul 27, 2012)

Not being able to.


----------



## Displaced Canadian (Jul 27, 2012)

Drilling the blanks. It's not hard just don't like doing it. Also turning square acrylic blanks round.


----------



## Tim'sTurnings (Jul 27, 2012)

Applying the finish. 

Especially when you spend a lot of time applying finish coats, then needing to sand it off and start over.


----------



## Smitty37 (Jul 27, 2012)

nativewooder said:


> I don't "hate" anything that's not evil! No time! If it annoys me, I find a better way. If I can't find a better way, I don't do it! Life's too short! *Eat dessert FIRST*!:biggrin::biggrin:


 And then all you have to look forward to is the broccoli and spinach.


----------



## Tage (Jul 27, 2012)

Reverse painting the tubes.  When I use a brush, paint gets too thick and the tubes don't fit well, and when I spray, it's just a mess!


----------



## Smitty37 (Jul 27, 2012)

Tage said:


> Reverse painting the tubes. When I use a brush, paint gets too thick and the tubes don't fit well, and when I spray, it's just a mess!


Have you tried one of those litte airbrush sprayers? I don't think they are as messy as spray cans or regular spray guns.


----------



## azamiryou (Jul 28, 2012)

Photo time. It's not that it's really so awful, it just takes longer than it seems like it should, and I find myself putting it off and putting it off. And then sometimes I get the photos onto the computer and they're no good, and I have to re-do it. I think part of it is also that I have to find a good space to do it, no room for a permanent photo setup so it means clearing off a workbench or finding space in the house.


----------



## edstreet (Jul 28, 2012)

Let me interject and pose a different viewpoint on this thread.

If you dislike one/several parts of the process, this applies to everything not just pen making, that is your brain telling you there is a better method that you should be using and to look for it.

I.e. 
If you dislike sanding the tubes then you can get spray etching primer.

If you dislike shop clean up then you can arrange your shop so that dust flows into one area making cleanup a breeze.

If you dislike pricing then you can make an excel spreadsheet and put in pen name, component price, blank price, various markup schemes and pick which one you like the best.


I would urge each and every one of us to not look for new equipment to solve problems with but look for better method to use what we have currently.  Often times equipment is indeed the answer but many things is drastic overkill.

Ed


----------



## Sylvanite (Jul 28, 2012)

Taxes.


----------



## watch_art (Jul 28, 2012)

Curly said:


> watch_art said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



yeah - that does **** me off - but usually only have big failures when i'm tired and shouldn't even be working, let alone standing up.


----------



## Smitty37 (Jul 28, 2012)

Sylvanite said:


> Taxes.


good thing to hate....I don't hate anybody, and I don't hate very many things.  But I'm with you on this one.


----------



## bastallard (Jul 28, 2012)

I hate waiting for new stuff to be delivered.


----------



## frank123 (Jul 28, 2012)

About disliking sanding tubes:

I used to sand tubes but found that just degreasing them with brake parts cleaner and gluing them in works just as well.

I use 5 minute epoxy most of the time since I managed to get several tubes stuck half way with CA and a few more that refused to cure except on the very ends using rubberized CA.

Epoxy just works, at least for me, without problems.  People with more experience than I have may disagree, and I yield to their experience if they do.

I have little patience with routine things, particularly when they add to the time required without really gaining anything, and just go with whatever route seems to work effectively for me and leave it at that.

(FWIW, I also plug the ends of the tube with a piece of potato slice and work the tube back and forth while twisting it to get the glue fully spread when using the epoxy.  CA doesn't seem to allow that.)


----------

