# What do you do besides pens?



## cdcarter (Sep 10, 2007)

Question on materials got me thinking. How many of us are converted furniture makers? How many of us do a variety of things besides turning? What best describes what you do?


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## ed4copies (Sep 10, 2007)

Pens are a "spindle-type" of thing.

I did not answer, because I do pens and other gift items that I believe will (and historically have) sell (sold).  This does NOT include bowls where the blank costs a fortune and the public generally does not see the value.  Utilitarian outsells beauty in MY market.


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## cdcarter (Sep 10, 2007)

Ed,

I've also been slow to get to bowls because of amount of wood required, but I have a stack of now-dried cherry logs I'm going to get some blanks out of without paying $40 per, so that should be fun. 

But (one thing that sparked the poll) I'm taking a haitus from pens for a few weeks to make a coffee table for my son. Really, furniture is my first love. Besides, I have a new table saw to play with, and you know how it is having a new toy! []


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## alamocdc (Sep 10, 2007)

I was building furniture before I got my first lathe. Most of my focus these days is turning, but I still enjoy the craft of "woodworking".


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## Ligget (Sep 10, 2007)

I bought a load of bowl blanks thinking I would eventually turn small boxes, bowls etc..Never got round to doing anything else seriously except pens, so all I use my DVRxp for is pens and pencils.[]


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## kent4Him (Sep 10, 2007)

Not sure where to answer.  I spend more time doing bird houses than pens.  I also sell a lot more of them as well.


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## great12b4ever (Sep 10, 2007)

I'm like the others, not sure where to list myself, I started doing craft and distressed items, then signs, moved into country type furniture, then outdoor furniture, and then on into fine furniture, Arts and Crafts, Mission, Stickley etc. The inherited my fathers old (1953) Shop Master Lathe, and turned a couple of pens, so have been concentrating on that recently.  Am having Way too much Fun with these pens, to stop, BUT I have about 800 or more board feet in 5/4, 6/4, 8/4 and some 10/4 cherry wood that has been stickered and drying for approx 3 1/2 years, and it is CALLING for me.[][].  But for now pens it is.

Rob


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## theturningcircle (Sep 10, 2007)

For the past 18 months I have concentrated on pens but I haven't forgotten my other love of turned boxes and clocks. My love of clocks stems from my collection of antique clocks and I turn boxes and sell these through craft galleries. My style in clocks is seen in my photo albums. My 'Heart Clock' sells well but is a pain to make. Takes me about a day to make one.


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## loglugger (Sep 10, 2007)

Should be able to check more than one. Do a little bit of all of them.
Bob


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## DCBluesman (Sep 10, 2007)

I can barely make pens. [8D]


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## Kalai (Sep 10, 2007)

I have always been a turner but did not start turning pens until recently, I turn pens and minature bowls for relaxation and I turn bowls for a living.[]   Aloha.

Chris
Kalai[]


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## ashaw (Sep 10, 2007)

My hobby side of woodworking is clocks and cases.


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## stevers (Sep 10, 2007)

I do about 75% or more pens and the rest is flat work. Thats what my shop was built for until this un-naturally addictive hobby came along.[][][]


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## toolcrazy (Sep 11, 2007)

I dabble in a little bit of everything. I took up pens cause it was instant satisfaction. With friction polish, you can have a item done in an hour or so. (don't worry, I don't use friction polish any longer. Wanna buy some?) []


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## palmermethod (Sep 12, 2007)

Just started penturning and any lathe work. But I have a pretty nice (read $$$)workshop and have to use _all_ the equipment one way or another. I feel guilty not using it. Retired now but will be making small cabinets, doo-dads and what-nots for Christmas this year. When I get tired of the other stuff or move to a smaller place I'll probably just keep the pen stuff.


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## redfishsc (Sep 15, 2007)

I do the occasional cabinet, file drawer, and refinishing project. I charge a heap more per hour for those things since I can't do them in the comfort of my home-- I have to work in that sweltering or butt-freezing shop rather than a nice, climate controlled spare bedroom, close to the 'fridgerator.

Of course, my main paying job is carpentry/maintenance at the seminary, fixing doors and building bookshelves and, well, if it's broke, we fix it.


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## TellicoTurning (Sep 16, 2007)

I turn about anything I can on a lathe; pens, peppermills, duck calls, deer grunts, bowls, candle lights, kaleidoscopes, and things I haven't thought of yet.

So far I've only bought wood for pens, game calls and peppermills... I have two whole trees laying in the yard drying.. 1 is elm and 1 is maple.. I generally use them for the larger items since the wood is relatively free.  Only cost a couple of hundred to have the elm taken down and cut into lengths close to a size I can nearly handle.  The maple I got from a local church for the cost of hauling it away... a couple gallons of gas and a little sweat and labor.


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## cdcarter (Sep 16, 2007)

know what you mean about having to use everything.

I was in full production mode this weekend on a coffee table that doesn't have a round piece on it. Lathe was about the only tool that didn't get cranked up -- had the planer, jointer, table saw, miter saw, band saw, circular saw, belt sander and pretty much everything else working. No router -- that's next weekend! -- but was doing tenons on tablesaw with dado stack that in past I'd have done on my router table. Flat has its attractions.


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## bob393 (Sep 21, 2007)

I do pens, bowls, stoppers, key chains, ornaments, 
grinders and a whole lot of flat work.


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## snowman56 (Sep 22, 2007)

I'm mostly a pen turner, but I make keychains to match the pens for those who want them. I have bought several large burls and plan on making bowls as soon as I get the right equipment to do them. I started a small one, but still need the right tools to finish it.


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