Pen turning..... what do I need?

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

damo8604

Established Member
UKW Supporter
Joined
15 Jul 2015
Messages
156
Reaction score
18
Location
Aldershot, Hants
Hi All,

I'm picking up a DML24x MkII this weekend and want to try my hand at turning some pens.....

Would someone be so kind as to tell me what I need in order to do this please? I got as far as ordering pen blanks...... that's it :-(

Kind regards
Damian
 
That's smashing thank you, I'm thinking of ordering a Planet Universal pen turning kit as I assume that has all the mandrels/trimmers/drill bits/bushings I need. I haven't picked up my lathe yet so I'll hold off purchasing until I know what size I need, I assume it's 1MT and I don't know if it comes with a live tail stock or not
 
Hi

You're correct, your choice of lathe has a 1MT. I have the Planet pen mandrel and it's very good but that price seems a bit steep, (maybe I'm just out of touch), have you looked at buying the basic mandrel and adding bushes / mandrels as needed? If you know someone with a metalworking lathe the bushes and additional mandrels are very easy to produce.

Regards Mick
 
woodpig":gwx9d0mb said:
This looks like a nice tool.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-de ... l-ax802501

Might actually buy one myself in the not too future.

I have that one, but bent the mandrel. When in Axminster I picked this one up http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-ev ... l-ax942635. It's only a fiver extra over the deluxe, but much, much nicer to use especially when I make two types of pen at the same time and I swap pieces around between turning and finishing.

Phil
 
Be careful, there can be very slight differences in the diameter of the mandrel rod between brands. I have the Axi revolution which includes the mandrel saver and it's pretty decent.

I'd suggest you buy a decent one as you'll find pen making is addictive but if you want a cheap mandrel to just have a go, there's a guy on ebay selling them for £19 delivered ( terryl194511 ).
The important thing if not using a mandrel saver in the tailstock is don't overtighten. You could of course turn a pen between centres without too many problems and maybe practice with wood offcuts before risking the blanks you bought.
You could even buy some 1/4" or 6mm rod, thread one end to take a nut and put the drive end into a collet or Jacobs chuck.

If you haven't already Damian, join http://www.penturners.co.uk/ and you'll get all the help and advice you will ever need.

Bob
 
Back
Top