Most Reliable Pen Kits

[Stan Smith]

I've never tried the between centers method. However, having both halves on the mandrel at the same time, helps me get the proportions and shapes that I want for a particular style. I don't think that I could do the between centers method very well. YMMV

[Brian Kent]

Steve, it is good to know about good mechanisms at any price. The "under $10" is for round one of trying it out.
Stan, I may well end up trying mandrels later. I'll start between centers and see what happens next.

[Dan Hintz]

Brian,

I often use a mandrel for roughing out two-barrel kits, but I always finish one barrel at a time between centers. It's too easy to get an off-center bushing that goes unnoticed until you try and assemble the kit... and THEN you notice things don't match up. Doesn't happen with TBC.

[Rick Gibson]

Anything wrong with this as a dead center?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...A1THAZDOWP300U

Will work fine. Busy Bee in Canada has them for $4.99 or carbide tipped ones for $9.99. Grizzly also carries them for roughly the price of the one you pointed out.

One of my favourite kits is the perfect fit http://www.bereahardwoods.com/pen-kit/sets/Perfect_Fit_gold_or_chrome.html
It has one of the nicest feeling twist mechanisms of any and is in your price range, plus if you want to make a pencil it's just a simple matter of replacing the ink refill with the pencil mechanism.

[Brian Kent]

Thank you.

[Jim Underwood]

I have liked the Wall Street pen kits in one of the more durable finishes (Titanium, Rhodium, or Chrome). It's a one piece kit and doesn't take too long to turn and finish. The fact that it's a one piece body means that you can turn it between centers without feeling like you've lost time, like with the slimline models. Been buying mine from Exotic Blanks.

If you get an acrylic blank, then it goes that much faster. You don't have to put any finish on it, just buff it until it shines.

[Christopher Collins]

you can also get "space pen" ink refills from http://www.spacepen.com/cartridge.aspx. the same pens used by astronauts.
If it's good enough for NASA, it's good enough for me.
They write underwater, upside down, in the vacuum of outer space!, and in any temperature from -30ºF to +250ºF.

That's pretty reliable!

[Lee Reep]

I never buy the cheap gold plated kits. The few I've made wear too quickly. On the other hand, chrome kits are inexpensive, and the plating is durable. I prefer rhodium/platinum platings, and titanium gold and titanium black. One of my favorite kits to turn is the Virage (aka Princeton at Woodcraft).

My favorite slim style pen is the Streamline. It has a bigger centerband and makes a fatter pen than a regular Slimline. Timberbits in Australia sells them in upgrade platings for $3. I've had really good luck with ordering from them, and delivery to the USA is reasonable, and quick.

[Stan Smith]

Will work fine. Busy Bee in Canada has them for $4.99 or carbide tipped ones for $9.99. Grizzly also carries them for roughly the price of the one you pointed out.

One of my favourite kits is the perfect fit http://www.bereahardwoods.com/pen-kit/sets/Perfect_Fit_gold_or_chrome.html
It has one of the nicest feeling twist mechanisms of any and is in your price range, plus if you want to make a pencil it's just a simple matter of replacing the ink refill with the pencil mechanism.

Many thanks for that info. You have given me an idea for Christmas presents for this year. I had never heard of these interchangeable pen/pencil combos before.

[Brian Kent]

Yes, my 8 pen kits have arrived.
Yes, my imagination tells me I know how to do this.
Yes, I would appreciate at least a page of instructions for turning between centers and assembly.
Yes, I thank you in advance.

[Rick Gibson]

Here's a utube video that shows how. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6wTnychR1U

[Brian Kent]

1) Substitute for a barrel trimmer so I can work this morning before getting one? Forstner bit in the drill press?

2) Was I supposed to get a different kind of bushing for turning between centers?

Maybe I need to get a mandrel and barrel trimmer at Rockler before I can start???

[Fred Belknap]

Substitute for a barrel trimmer so I can work this morning before getting one?

Brian I use a small sanding disk in the lathe and a drill bit the size to fit inside the brass tube. Put the pen blank on the drill bit and slide the tailstock up to the sanding disk. Little slow but works good. I have a set of punches in various sizes I use instead of drill bits but either works.

[Dick Mahany]

1) Substitute for a barrel trimmer so I can work this morning before getting one? Forstner bit in the drill press?

2) Was I supposed to get a different kind of bushing for turning between centers?

Maybe I need to get a mandrel and barrel trimmer at Rockler before I can start???

Barrel trimmers can be tricky and I have also gone the sanding disc in headstock route. You can easily make a morse taper pattern and turn a taper to glue to a flat disc in short order. As far as between center bushings, yes they are different than mandrel bushings in that they have a 60° cone from a center drill to locate on the matching live and dead centers. Those bushings can easily be made from scrap pieces of Corian or similar on the wood lathe. Just measure and match the diameters from your mandrel bushing set. Good luck and enjoy.

[Brian Kent]

The part I don't get about the bushing is that it seems like it should have to fit inside the ends of the instead of being adjacent to the ends.