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Help For Those Wanting To Start Pen Turning


richardandtracy

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There have been a number of similar queries about starting pen turning, and I thought it might be helpful to gather together some potentially useful information together.

 

Before buying anything, decide what you want to do, and have an idea how you are going to achieve what you want.

 

So, now comes the biggest decision. Do you want to use a metal lathe or a wood lathe. Using both will could well come later, but let's look at the benefits and postential limitations of each lathe type:

 

Wood Lathe

  • Simple.
  • Fairly quick to learn.
  • Relatively cheap.
  • Relatively light.
  • Very good for curves and artistic expression.
  • Not good for repeatability.
  • Cannot cut threads, will need taps & dies.
  • Requires manual dexterity. Some people never achieve the required skill level [me included].
  • Good for wood & plastics. Don't use for metal.

 

 

Metal Lathe

  • Can be very complicated.
  • Relatively slow to learn.
  • Relatively Expensive, though the smallest sizes can be surprisingly affordable.
  • Good for repeatability and precision.
  • Very heavy for their size.
  • Poor for artistic expression.
  • Curves are difficult.
  • Most metal lathes thesedays can cut threads, though on the cheaper ones you may have to buy optional gear sets to enable this to be done.
  • No/very little manual dexterity is required.
  • You can make your own mandrels & other tooling.
  • Good for plastics & metal. Unlikely to go fast enough to turn wood very well.

 

As you choose the lathe, it's worthwhile thinking about what you are going to do with it.

Do you want to make custom pens or kit pens? If kit pens, you may tend towards the wood lathe, and custom pens tend to prefer the metal lathe. Remember there are no hard & fast rules. If you get the wrong lathe, you will just be forced to aquire a greater skill level to make the pens you want.

Is there any stuff you are going to want to do in addition to the pen work? Do you hanker after lace bobbin making? If so, a small wood lathe is OK. If you also want to make motorcycle front forks for your dream chopper, then a metal lathe is obviously in order, and a pretty big one at that. Always try to go for a lathe at least one size bigger than you think you'll need. The reason? Once you start turning you'll do all sorts of other stuff too, and there is more room on bigger lathes, so the work area is less cramped & the tooling is easier to move about.

 

So, you've now decided on the lathe you want, and whether you are going to concentrate more on kit or custom pens, it's time to consider other general workshop tools.

 

General Workshop Tools

  • Drill Press. This is useful for drilling initial holes in blanks whether for kit or custom pens. You can drill on the lathe, but it takes more time.
  • Range of HSS drills. 1-12mm in 0.5mm steps is a good start, or in inches, 1/16th" to 1/2" in 1/32" steps.
  • Hacksaw to cut blanks.
  • Scriber to mark centres.
  • Set square (3-4" or 75-100mm) is useful both as a straight edge and as a square.
  • 4" Vice for holding things and gently assembling the pressed in parts of kit pens.
  • Rule.
  • Vernier caliper is useful.
  • Pencil.
  • 16lb sledge hammer. Stress relief tool after applying to work that has gone wrong.
  • Calculator. (How good is your mental maths?)

     

     

Please note that you can get away with less than the list I have made, but it'll be easier with what I've suggested. There are additional tools that may help, but are not really vital.

 

In the next post will be wood lathe specific tools (someone may have to make additional suggestions here, as I'm not particularly up to speed with wood lathes), and the one after has metal lathe specific tools.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

 

 

 

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  • 3 years later...
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  • Addertooth

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  • siamackz

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  • darrin1200

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  • sajiskumar

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Thank you for this orientation! I intend to purchase a lathe in order to (i) make replacement parts for vintage pen restoration (ii) make tools to help me with restoration. This means I will work mainly with celluloid, hard rubber, acrylic, and metals. I suppose a metal lathe is the appropriate choice then? My questions are:

1. How do I choose the right specifications? Is something like this the right choice for the kind of work I described? https://www.tanotis.com/products/proxxon-fd-150-e-precision-lathe-360x150x150mm-4-5kg?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9LDNvvuo2wIVyY6PCh2TJg07EAQYAiABEgLX8vD_BwE&variant=40487623440

2. Will the lathe also take care of drilling? Or will I need another machine for that?

3. How can I learn? I have reached out to some professionals in my city but they arent open to mentoring me, so this is not an option. Is it realistic to study videos online and read a book or two and figure it out myself?

 

Thanks!

Edited by siamackz

My Vintage Montblanc Website--> link

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  • 4 weeks later...

While you may be able to make that lathe work, you may find it quickly limiting.

If its all that is available, you could make it work. I learned a lot of my information from YouTube and forums.

Darrin McArthur

Timber Elegance ~ Handcrafted Writing Instruments

My Etsy Store

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While you may be able to make that lathe work, you may find it quickly limiting.

If its all that is available, you could make it work. I learned a lot of my information from YouTube and forums.

Thanks for your response. What is missing in the lathe I suggested - what specs would you recommend?

My Vintage Montblanc Website--> link

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  • 9 months later...

Siamackz,

 

You're a clever bloke, there's so much on the internet on turning metal and fabricating with a lathe that you can start by teaching yourself. However, if you have the time to devote to learning you can. It takes time to learn these things as an autodidact. But rest assured that although it takes time through reading, watching and practising much can be achieved.

 

Like you I started out knowing very little about fabricating on a metal lathe but I'm surprised how much I have learned and achieved in the few years since I bought my lathe and started from scratch.

 

Actually, I found that since I started on the journey of teaching myself lathe work new opportunities have opened up through others offering help in some small way or pearls of wisdom from other machinists on-line.

 

I suppose the main difference between your aim and journey and mine will be that I bought my lathe for making fly fishing rod components as I make bamboo fly rods. I also want to eventually teach myself to make fly fishing reels. Of course this is as an 'amateur' in the true sense of the word not as a production manufacturer.

 

I bought a Hercus 260 that is actually a Southbend GS 26-075 lathe. Here are a few pictures of the lathe and some of the work I do with it.

 

post-147802-0-87832200-1554200530_thumb.jpg

 

Making a rod grip

 

post-147802-0-09321400-1554201166_thumb.jpg

 

post-147802-0-21213600-1554201257_thumb.jpg

 

post-147802-0-66847500-1554201308_thumb.jpg

 

post-147802-0-54573000-1554201840_thumb.jpg

 

Reel seat wood and nickel silver hardware

 

post-147802-0-22035900-1554201935_thumb.jpg

 

post-147802-0-45834800-1554202028_thumb.jpg

 

post-147802-0-37966000-1554202188_thumb.jpg

 

post-147802-0-97628900-1554202314_thumb.jpg

 

I've taught myself to cut threads in both metric and Whitworth on the same lathe. I've made tools and repaired reels.

 

I hope this post encourages you to get started. I'm a firm believer that making useful but beautiful things is a fundamental part of being human and because of that very satisfying!

 

Good luck!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I am another pen guy searching for a lathe for a long time.Very much inspired by your reply. Thank you Boris.

-saji

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Siamackz,

 

You're a clever bloke, there's so much on the internet on turning metal and fabricating with a lathe that you can start by teaching yourself. However, if you have the time to devote to learning you can. It takes time to learn these things as an autodidact. But rest assured that although it takes time through reading, watching and practising much can be achieved.

 

Like you I started out knowing very little about fabricating on a metal lathe but I'm surprised how much I have learned and achieved in the few years since I bought my lathe and started from scratch.

 

Actually, I found that since I started on the journey of teaching myself lathe work new opportunities have opened up through others offering help in some small way or pearls of wisdom from other machinists on-line.

 

I suppose the main difference between your aim and journey and mine will be that I bought my lathe for making fly fishing rod components as I make bamboo fly rods. I also want to eventually teach myself to make fly fishing reels. Of course this is as an 'amateur' in the true sense of the word not as a production manufacturer.

 

I bought a Hercus 260 that is actually a Southbend GS 26-075 lathe. Here are a few pictures of the lathe and some of the work I do with it.

 

20161214_215532.jpg

 

Making a rod grip

 

20171221_141706.jpg

 

20171221_143758.jpg

 

20171221_145901.jpg

 

20180611_122826_36.jpg

 

Reel seat wood and nickel silver hardware

 

20180908_203142.jpg

 

20180908_203220 (1).jpg

 

20181019_181046.jpg

 

20180929_071223.jpg

 

I've taught myself to cut threads in both metric and Whitworth on the same lathe. I've made tools and repaired reels.

 

I hope this post encourages you to get started. I'm a firm believer that making useful but beautiful things is a fundamental part of being human and because of that very satisfying!

 

Good luck!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow! This is very inspiring! I hope to buy a lathe and start soon.

My Vintage Montblanc Website--> link

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  • 6 months later...

Thanks for your response. What is missing in the lathe I suggested - what specs would you recommend?

 

Sorry for not replying sooner. I don't drop by the forum as much anymore.

 

The proxon is a good tool for its size, but you will find it quickly limiting. In pen making, the "swing" of the lathe is not as important as the "distance between centers".

I would not go with anything smaller that 300mm between centers.

 

Here is a link to a mini lathe guide https://littlemachineshop.com/images/fpngallery/info/MiniLatheUsersGuide.pdf

 

The Little Machine Shop, is a very helpfull resource for information. https://littlemachineshop.com/info/minilathe.php

 

One of the sayings that goes along with lathes:

 

You can make small items on big lathes, but you can't make big things on small lathes.

Darrin McArthur

Timber Elegance ~ Handcrafted Writing Instruments

My Etsy Store

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Sorry for not replying sooner. I don't drop by the forum as much anymore.

 

The proxon is a good tool for its size, but you will find it quickly limiting. In pen making, the "swing" of the lathe is not as important as the "distance between centers".

I would not go with anything smaller that 300mm between centers.

 

Here is a link to a mini lathe guide https://littlemachineshop.com/images/fpngallery/info/MiniLatheUsersGuide.pdf

 

The Little Machine Shop, is a very helpfull resource for information. https://littlemachineshop.com/info/minilathe.php

 

One of the sayings that goes along with lathes:

 

You can make small items on big lathes, but you can't make big things on small lathes.

Thanks so much for your response. The resources you shared are really great!

My Vintage Montblanc Website--> link

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  • 10 months later...

I am not sure I will be making pens nearly as much as making pen parts for vintage pens. In the past, if I needed to change the dimensions on a section, it meant chucking it up in a drill, spinning the part, while carefully hand-carving it with a dremel tool. It was good for ballpark shaping work, but not precision press-fit dimensions. So, I decided it was time for an upgrade.

 

 

First Cut.jpg

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NEATO

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Nice lathe! I've always wanted one.

PAKMAN

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PakMan,

 

I was a Machinist many decades ago, and had always wanted some machining tools for home. It just seemed that things never lined up right for me to get one. With the combination of the Stimulus check, and a lucky (minor) Powerball win, the stars fell into alignment. I am eventually wanting to get a small milling machine too. This way almost any part can be machined (or at least those parts not stamped and folded).

 

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  • 5 weeks later...

Yes, as said earlier, 300 mm (12 inches of length) is a very minimum value. I thought the poster was not being conservative enough. The lathe in the picture 16 inches center to center. (for the non-machinist layman this means if you removed the chuck and put in a pointed spindle, and put a short pointed spindle in the tailstock, you have 16 inches of space between those two points). Mini-lathe math gives far less "working length", as most mini-lathe Chucks are 3 to 4 inches thick (so there goes a few inches of working length), AND.. If you decide you want to drill the rod stock in the chuck, you need to put a "drill chuck" which holds the drill bit in the tail stock. The shaft the drill chuck sits on plus the length of the chuck will frequently eat about another 4 inches of length. And then you have the length of the drill itself. If you are drilling a 4 inch deep hole, the drill must be 4 inches long. well..

All of this adds up and consumes a lot of working length. A word of warning, the Central Machinery (Harbor Freight) lathe which is advertised as 7 X 10, is actually a 7 X 8 lathe; nobody in the industry understands how they produced their measurement, it certainly is not a "center to center" measurement. Generally, many people are less than fully pleased with their 7 X 10 lathe.

 

There are work arounds, like having a "collet" hold your pen body (instead of the chuck), and that way most of the material is INSIDE the spindle which normally holds the chuck (your work is in the space known as the headstock). This method works well for drilling, but the pen body must be sticking Out from the collet to have the outside of it shaped and machined (shaping is an advanced technique done with the motor off, as versus normal machining/turning/boring/facing/threading where the part is spinning). Shaping is used for making a ribbed shape, where the ribs run from the nib end to the butt end of the pen.

 

So, after all these words, I would be more likely to recommend a 7 by 16 lathe or larger,(also known as 7 X 16) over a 7 by 12 lathe for ease of setup. By the way, for those who imagine other projects besides pens on their lathe, the first number (the 7), is as deceptive as the length figure. Most of these lathes come with tiny chucks, which can only safely grab an object well under 7 inches in diameter. On my lathe, which has a 4 inch diameter chuck, the "inside jaws" will at a maximum grasp an item about 2.5 inches in diameter, the outside jaws will grasp larger items, but certainly Not 6 or 7 inch items. This means that your other projects you do on the lathe will not be huge. The seven inch figure is for how large across the part can be (diameter) before it starts rubbing on other parts of the lathe, not how large it can "reasonably machine". This is why you see people like Darrin1200 rather sensibly looking at a 8.5 inch by 20 inch lathe, which will support items larger than pens.

 

Making threads are one of the strengths of these lathes. Buying 3 lead taps and dies are pricy, they cost about 150 to 200 US dollars for a single matched tap and die pair. Engine lathes (like the one pictured) can directly cut those threads on a pen, or, you can buy some annealed O-1 stock and make a tap and die, and then heat-treat (harden) it for durability. Three lead threads are preferable for the body and cap because it does not require several rotations to screw the cap down and secure it.

 

Good sources to look online at lathes/mills in the USA are well defined. Certainly you can find an exceptionally priced lathe on eBay. It is very much a random roll of the dice on outcomes; most are made in China and can have hit or miss quality control. There are three US companies which have their lathes made in China (usually Sieg makes them), BUT they impose additional quality control and have local contact for any problem the purchaser encounters. Those companies are (in no particular order) Grizzly, LittleMachineShop, and PrecisionMatthews. These three resellers are (as of 2020), responsive to support issues, with a phone support based in the USA. They have available more "upscale/enhanced" versions of the Sieg lathes out of China. The one I got had machine ground "ways" (versus rough milled) which are hardened, digital read out (DRO) on the Tailstock (for drilling), Crossfeed (for cutting diameters), and Compound slide (for cutting angles and chamfers). It came with a brushless 0.67 HP motor, and a Quick Change Tool Post (QCTP). It also came with a 4 inch (100mm) chuck, as versus the usual 3 inch (80mm); the larger chuck supports larger diameter work.

 

Cutting tools, drills, reamers, and measurement tools like calipers and/or micrometers are a part of the cost too. If you are going to grind high speed steel tools, then a good quality grinder becomes part of the cost as well. Most machinists who do more than pens, have as much in their various tool as the lathe itself. However, for pen making you can start pretty basic, and you can add tools as time goes on. This keeps you from facing a huge up-front heart-stopping cost on day one.

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  • 6 months later...
On 10/4/2020 at 11:15 AM, Addertooth said:

Cutting tools, drills, reamers, and measurement tools like calipers and/or micrometers are a part of the cost too. If you are going to grind high speed steel tools, then a good quality grinder becomes part of the cost as well. Most machinists who do more than pens, have as much in their various tool as the lathe itself. However, for pen making you can start pretty basic, and you can add tools as time goes on. This keeps you from facing a huge up-front heart-stopping cost on day one.

 

It's a slippery slope with the tools for sure, and it's VERY easy to end up with 10x as much (or more) invested in accessories and tooling vs the lathe itself. A new chuck (even just a Bison) can easily out-price the cost of an older used engine lathe these days. Throw in dial calipers, micrometers, thread micrometers, HSS tools, grinders, sanders, carbide tooling, tool holders, multiple centers, supports, DRO's, etc. etc. and it starts to add up. As you note, the nice part is you don't have to go "all in" and buy it all up front; you just add one piece here or there and the next thing you know you have forgotten half the tools you have. 🤣

 

As lathes go, I never met a machinist (hobbyist or pro) who said "boy, I wish I bought a smaller one" -- as you learn to use the machine you will find innumerable projects to use it for and a large swing and long bed end up coming in handy more often than you'll first realize. Don't ignore used machines either; part of the beauty of "fun" work is that the wear on the ways and screws won't ruin your day since you generally won't be trying to do better than +/- 0.0005" anyway (most specs will give you 5-10x more wiggle room than that too), and learning how to handle backlash and such will make you a better machinist to boot! Also, depending on your location, it may be rather easy to find a very inexpensive good condition lathe (or mill, or surface grinder, or welder, or [insert "unpopular with millenials" industrial tool here]) -- LOADS of the smaller independent machine shops are going out of business; the owners want to retire and too many of the younger generation just don't have an interest in learning how to make things so the only option is to close up shop. I ended up with two lathes (both Clausing 5300s) because the shops that had them were both on the verge of putting them out by the dumpster for scrap!

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  • 4 months later...

I finally finished up some tasks that were on hold.  I had held up on finishing welding the steel table until I upgraded my welding machine.  The table is now mostly finished, except for the quarter inch steel plate table-top which will be added to the right side, and shelving.  The Milling Machine, which is a Precision Matthews 728VT, was uncrated and hoisted up on top of the 3/8ths inch top plate. 

 

 

Hoisted and On Steel Table.jpg

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  • 3 months later...

The Original Poster for this thread (RichardandTracy), correctly described wood lathes as being "Very good for curves and artistic expression".

This is due to the fact that wood lathes have a "wood turning tool rest", which you place your wood gouge on, and perform a hand cut the surface.

This allows you to easily do graceful curves and radius cuts by hand.  It gives a more organic look to your cuts. 

 

A similar option is available for metal lathes as well. Little Machine Shop sells one of these rests which mounts upon the tool post on a metal lathe.

It allows you to do the same kind of operations by hand gouge, as a wood lathe uses.  You no longer have to decide between artistic outer diameter (O.D.) cuts,

or precision press-fit cuts and threads.  As of December of 2021, this add-on part is less than $70.  

 

At little Machine shop, it is item number 1685.  The search function on their website will bring it up. 

 

 

 

 

Wood Turning Tool Rest.jpg

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