# My First Pen!!!!



## candy1land (Oct 23, 2009)

Hello all! I just got back from my first pen turning class at Woodcraft for beginners. It was the greatest time I've had in a LONG while! I am posting a very poorly taken picture of my first creation. I'm so excited I can't wait to do more. 

I also bought my new lathe tonight and all the accessories I will need to turn another one. More power tools to come but in the meantime I just wanted to share my excitement! Thanks again for all your advice! I pick up my new machine on Sunday and will be buying my first few turning tools. 

I did this one with only a roughing gouge. I can't wait to try out a skew! My transitions came out so awesome you would think I had been doing this for a long while. 

More to come! 

Candy


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## el_d (Oct 23, 2009)

Congrats Candy. Looks good. What type of wood is it?


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## traderdon55 (Oct 23, 2009)

Welcome to the vortex. Take a picture of your money so you can remember what it looked like. There will always a new tool ect. calling for your money as soon as you get it.


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## candy1land (Oct 23, 2009)

It's a nice piece of maple.  And yes...after shopping last night I see what you mean about money flying out the door.  It's going to be a VERY expensive first two months to get into thsi "hobby"!!  

LOL


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## Mark (Oct 23, 2009)

Congrats on the first pen. It looks great. Enjoy the addiction...


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## snyiper (Oct 23, 2009)

Candy it wont stop after the first 2 months trust me!! It just slows down as the need for electricity and food loom.


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## candy1land (Oct 23, 2009)

snyiper said:


> Candy it wont stop after the first 2 months trust me!! It just slows down as the need for electricity and food loom.


 
HA HA Snyiper!  I see what you mean.  Now I just day dream about what other tools I can buy and it's only been one day since I started!  OH BROTHER am I in trouble. 

I was thinking this morning as I was getting ready for work that if I start bringing my lunch and eating breakfast at home I could buy more stuff with the savings.  It's already begun!  LOL

:rotfl:

Candy


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## nava1uni (Oct 23, 2009)

It is quite an addiction.  Wood can be gotten easily.  I ask for a piece whenever I see a tree cutting truck.  I also get scraps from cabinet making shops, wood, corian.  You can make pens from many things.  Look for wood here on IAP, it is a lot less expensive.  I have been turning for 2  years now and as others have stated this is just the beginning.  Sort of like a hole in the pocket.


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## pssherman (Oct 23, 2009)

candy1land said:


> .
> 
> .....if I start bringing my lunch and eating breakfast at home I could buy more stuff with the savings.



Thats the spirit!!! When you start thinking about how many blanks you can get out of the dining room table, its time to dampen your cravings a bit. Just a little bit mind you, only enough to keep you from cutting up your furniture.


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## bitshird (Oct 23, 2009)

Nice first pen, and why worry money is just a fleeting thing, it never lasts any way.


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## dalemcginnis (Oct 23, 2009)

Congratulations.  Your going to spend the money on something anyway, it might as well be pen stuff.:biggrin:


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## chuckforsyth (Oct 25, 2009)

*My First Pen*

Good job Candy Please bring it to our next meeting so we can see it. You should hang on to this pen so you can look back on the thrill of making it and also so you can see how far you have progressed in this Fun but not so cheap hobby.
                      See Ya at the meeting,Chuck


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## Justdon83 (Oct 26, 2009)

Good job Candy! It looks a lot better than my first pen.


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## dustmaker (Oct 26, 2009)

You are off to a great start.  You sound a lot like me...I have been at this for a little over two weeks and the obsession is still strong...growing even stronger since I found this group.  If I had known this would be this much fun I would have started a loooong time ago!  Enjoy!


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## gaeast54 (Oct 26, 2009)

*wow*

Great job. And we know where you will be spending most of your free time at. Turn and burn and create.


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## CSue (Oct 27, 2009)

So, Candy, you've had a weekend.  Setting up for the second yet?


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## candy1land (Oct 29, 2009)

CSue said:


> So, Candy, you've had a weekend. Setting up for the second yet?


 
Hi Cathy!  I spent last weekend finishing the new shop construction...well almost.  And then I went and picked up my lathe and spent Sunday setting it up.  I must say that Delta lathe purrs when you turn it on.  I LOVE the fact that it has a speed dial that is smooth to operate and change speeds.  

Now I just have to figure out my tool situation.  I borrowed a roughing gouge from WC to play while the one I want is on order.  I played with my first skew as well and I'm not yet impressed but I see it in my future for sure.  

I bought four more slimline pen kits and some inexpensive "practice" wood.  So this weekend I will finally turn pen #2 if all goes well.  : ) 

I didn't have all of the tools I needed to cut with but I should be ok for Saturday.  More pics to come.  And I'll post them of my lathe too!  I love it!!  It was expensive but I can already tell it will be well worth it down the road.  

Thanks for asking!  

Candy


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## CSue (Nov 1, 2009)

Do you have a bandsaw?  Drill?  
I remembered when I first began I only had a hand drill and a jigsaw.  It wasn't easy.  I was so anxious to turn SOMETHING that I got a bunch of dowels from the limberyard and turned between centers.  

If you need some pre-drilled and cut blanks, I can make some for you -small charge :smile-big:.


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## candy1land (Nov 1, 2009)

*My Second Attempt*



CSue said:


> Do you have a bandsaw? Drill?
> I remembered when I first began I only had a hand drill and a jigsaw. It wasn't easy. I was so anxious to turn SOMETHING that I got a bunch of dowels from the limberyard and turned between centers.
> 
> If you need some pre-drilled and cut blanks, I can make some for you -small charge :smile-big:.


 
Well attempt #2 down!  YAY!  I will post my second attempt later today.  My 3rd attempt didn't make it past the pen mill phase.....I was drilling and the whole blank split in half.  I still have the tube and the other half.  Any suggestions?  I guess I can try to find another piece of wood to match the half that didn't break apart.  

I do have a very cheap drill that didn't perform this weekend at all.  The barrel trimmer bit kept getting loose in the drill chuck (keyless on a craftsman 9V drill).  Eventually I had to put the barrel trimmer bit into my dad's electric drill with a keyed chuck and that's when I split my first blank in two.  The other three pieces drilled out just fine.  So it's a work in progress.  I see a new drill in my future for sure.....9V won't cut it really and the chuck is so loose I can't tighten it around the barrel trimmer.

As for a drill press...my dad has a REALLY, REALLY old one that I used and wouldn't you know it....the thing drilled straighter than the one I used in my Woodcraft class.  So I will get by with his for now. 

I tried cutting my blanks in half with a miter saw - now that didn't work out very well at ALL!  The blade on the saw kept catching the blanks and ripping them out of my hand.  It did HORRIBLE cuts leaving the ends all frayed on the blanks and I barely got them cut.  I should have given up and used a hand saw...it would have been MUCH safer and done much less damage to the blanks.  

Anyway - the bandsaw I want is on sale this month so it will be coming to live at my new shop shortly!  I need to crank out A LOT of pens for X-mas and I can't see myself having all these "mechanical" issues every time I try to turn a pen.  Once I have that saw all should go smoothly until I start to need more tools for turning.  It took me over two hours to make this second and attempt a third pen this weekend because once again nothing worked like I thought it would.  Go figure. 

I'm excited though and I'm ready to jump from slimlines to the next size and see what that will yield.  I haven't been courageous enough to try a CA finish yet so that will be coming next too.  

Any suggestions?  Wish me luck!  

Thanks!

Candy


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## keithlong (Nov 1, 2009)

Hey Candy,
Your first pen looks good. Welcome to the addiction, it only gets worst. I love the slimline kits because they are so versitile and can be easily modified. I have made some wall streetII's also. I have plenty of Mahogany wood, if you pm me your address, i will be happy to send you some. Keep showing us pics of your progress.


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## dankc908 (Nov 1, 2009)

Candy -

Hang in there w/ the skew.  It takes a while to make it work right but the effort is worth it!  When I started (last March) I decided to "tame the skew".  Now, once I turn "to round" I then play with the skew for the next 1/4" or so (now I go deeper) until I can see what it does and how it does it.  You'll do great!  One other reply, to your forum, suggested to be careful when you begin looking at the dining room table.  Our is 100+ year old oak and I've wondered how many pens it would make! <GRIN>  Welcome to the club!


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## wizical (Jan 29, 2010)

looks good.....i dont want to even look at my credit card statement!!!


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## Rfturner (May 26, 2010)

Welcome to the votex of pen making leave your wallet at home as it is now empty anyways. The tools will come then you will see more...I need that... like a router I just bought.


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## Sylvanite (May 26, 2010)

That's a great start!  Why is it that everybody else's first pens look so much better than mine did? lol.

Regards,
Eric


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## Santacraig (Jun 6, 2010)

2 months????  I have had my lathe 6 years and turned a few pens and I can't get out of Woodcraft or Rockler for less than $100.00  !!
  My wife loves to help me pick out blanks!


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## PaulDoug (Jun 6, 2010)

Nice first one and welcome to the forum.  I wouldn't worry about the drillpress, drill on the lathe.  And a good tool to do pen blanks is a Wood Pen Pro.  It will do it all, start to finish.  Also eliminates the need for a grinder and sharpening system.


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## ToddMR (Jun 7, 2010)

I started only a couple months ago.  It is kind of funny how you start to think, ok if I don't go out to eat, or if I can sell this thing, that means more money for turning!  LOL!  It is kind of funny how that all works out.  Welcome to the fun of turning!


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## Ligget (Jun 7, 2010)

Looking good from over here too!


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## lorbay (Jun 7, 2010)

Nice job . Great form.

Lin.


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## ldb2000 (Jun 7, 2010)

Just in case no one has noticed , this pen was posted October of last year and Candy hasn't been on the forums since the beginning of April .


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## PenMan1 (Jun 7, 2010)

Nice first, Candy. Let the addiction begin!


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## Stevej72 (Jun 7, 2010)

Hey Candy, great job on your first pen!  Looking forward to seeing more.


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## boxerman (Jun 7, 2010)

Very nice 1st pen.


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