Pen Turning Tools Advice Needed

[Billy Moore]

Well I have a lathe, Jet Mini Lathe at a yard sale Great Shape and a Great Deal!!! I am looking at pen turning to start and need advice on tools. I have one (1) chisel that came with the lathe and it is not very good at all. I know many of the things I need for pen turning -mandrel, bushings eets. I have looked at starter kits but the quality of some of the tools seems to be mediocre at best. Biggest question is on a pen mill. I have looked at many and have yet to fined one that seems to e good for the money. The Whiteside has bad reviews as far as it staying sharp and some of the others have no reviews at all. Any suggestions and comments appreciated.

Thanks
Billy

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Welcome! My $0.02. I bought the Whiteside mill set. It looks way cool, but as you read, does not stay sharp. Pass. I bought a mill from PSI a long time ago and the WS supposed to have replaced that, but I think the PSI is a better buy. I'm not entirely happy with the PSI either, so I picked up the WS and was even more disappointed......

For tools, there is a whole world of selections, good luck in what you choose. My only suggestion, is not to buy a pen specific tool set to start. Reason is that you'd be limited in what you can turn. Buy "normal" sized tools, and try other things. In the event that you really only turn pens, buying a pen specific tools are the way to go. So, buy 2 sets...... And hollowing set, and a bowl set, and coring set. Oh, sorry. I'll stop.

[Fred Belknap]

Billy I tried the mills and found they caused problems. I now turn pen blanks to right thickness and trim them to length with a disk sander mounted on the lathe. I mount a 3 inch disk on a 1/4" drill sanding pad and put a jacob chuck in the tail stock to hold a dowel the size of pen tube to guide the pen blank. I have a set of center punches and I usually can find one that fits the pen tube pretty close, a drill bit will work to. I cut the pen blanks pretty close on bandsaw so I don't have much to take off. I hope this is clear, it is easier to do than explain.

[Mike Campbell KS]

I have had both of those pen mills, and several others and none of them have seemed much better than the other. However, I do have the WS carbide trimmer, and that thing can be a beast. It is a little costly, $20.

[Guy Belleman]

Pen mills don't work well on all woods. Like many above, if I see that the mill is not cutting cleanly, then I will sand down the ends on a belt sander. I use a miter gauge on the stationary belt sander to promote a good perpendicular sanding. Although, sometimes when drilling the tube hole, the alignment is not perfectly parallel to the blank edge, or the blank edge is rough, all making the perpendicular sanding require closer attention.

[Stan Smith]

Sometimes I use the pen mill and sometimes just a 10" disk (hf) sander. If I use the pen mill (psi? w/ multiple sizes), I use it in the drill press and finish off with the disk sander. Of course some of this dependes upon your blank size (1", 3/4", etc.)

As to turning tools, I now use a carbide cutter from roughing to finish. I was using some Sorby mini tools. I just got some Harrison Specialties full size tools, but they are too big for pen turning for me. YMMV. I'm waiting for their pen rougher tool to get here so can't comment on it yet. Their quality is better than Easy Tools, IMO, but Easy Tools are lighter

[Justin Hemphill]

I have recently (six months ago) started down the same road you're on Billy! I'm freaking loving it so far!

This is the barrel trimming kit I bought and it's worked just fine for every pen I've turned so far: http://www.woodturningz.com/9-Piece-Barrel-Trimmer-Kit

As far as tools go, my advice is this. Do NOT put off turning pens because you don't have "the right tools". Took me months to get up the nerve to try turning acrylic because I didn't have a fancy pen tool. Pffffft.

These are the tools I have: http://www.harborfreight.com/8-piece...set-35444.html

I've used two of them. The medium roughing gouge, and the scew. And I've turned a billion different types of wood, and many different acrylics. No True-stone yet, but I will, soon. Yes, you can buy better tools. But you don't have to to enjoy this hobby!

Get some cheap wood and just make shavings.

[James Combs]

Billy, I use a homemade version of this tool. I is also my goto tool for roughing out small bowls and other small turnings. It is my rougher "and" my finisher for pens. I use it as both a scraper and as a skew. I will rough with it as scraper and finish using it as a skew and/or very light touch scraper. I also have the Easywood set of three midi tools, if I am making any sort of intricate profiles(beads, coves, etc.) I will grab the EW detailer or the small round one but most of my pens I can do with my homemade carbide tool.

[Rob Price]

I'm amazed at how many turners don't sharpen their pen mills. I have two different mills and both needed sharpening 'out if the box.' We sharpen our other tools, why not this one? I use a flat diamond hone and sharpen every couple of uses. You'll be amazed how much better it cuts. If I'm worried about tear out I will sand or use a few drops of thin CA as a stabilizer first. Helps prevent tear out on the ends while turning as well. I've had a hard time getting blanks perfectly square on a belt sander personally.

I usually use a roughing gouge and the skew for my pens. I did buy some carbide tools for harder acrylic and antler pens, but those can wait.

[Dan Masshardt]

There is another site with EXHAUSTIVE info on all these things.

- the tools I use constantly for pens are a wide continental style spindle gouge, easy wood tools pen turning tool oval skew, and sorby spindle master. I could turn a pen from start to finish with any one of these tools but I like to go for the tool I feel will best get at the step I'm at and material.

- no pen mill at all for me after many pens still. Many I use belt / disk sander. Many others I now trim ends in a g3 chuck with pin jaws.

[Billy Moore]

Many thanks to everyone that replied. After reading your responses, a lot of web browsing and even a couple of phone calls - I emptied my wallet and ordered or purchased what I need, ( and a lot of what I wanted). Ordered from three different web sites and made the long trip to Woodcraft today. Now of course it is going to snow tomorrow. Well at least I have some heat in the shop Again Thanks to everyone !!!!

[Stan Smith]

Good for you, Billy. I know what it means to have heat in the shop. You are going to to have a lot of fun with your tools regardless of which type and brand you bought. I'm one who has bought too many different types of chisels which I've now discovered that I really didn't need nor use. There are skills to learn for gouges, skews, and scrapers. Take your time and do some practice on something. Turn it down to the size of a pencil. You can read a lot of books and watch a lot of dvd's, but there's no substitute for actual turning, IMO. Be careful and wear eye protection.