Thanks for previous info/made first pen

[John Nowack]

Thanks for all of the previous info about getting my garage set up. I ended up settling fo the $40 1976 craftsman 12" with tools. I thought it would give me a starting point and some left over money to buy a drill press and small band saw.

I turned my first anything which was a pen. I slightly screwed everything up form cutting the blank to putting it together.
it is very plan but it is functional. I seemed to have some trouble getting a smooth run with the the tool. The were a few lines that I had to sand out. Is this typical or is it a matter of practice?

I will send pics of the new shop and maybe the new pen but it is a very plain $1.00 blank. My neice wants me to make her a rainbow colored one. Are the blanks that have been glued together with different colors much harder to turn?

I lost my other thread and do not know how to look up an old one without endless searching. Is there a better way? Also you can see I don't take time spell checking. Is this "I spell" safe and functional? Sorry fo all the questions.

[Bernie Weishapl]

John in this post click on your name. It will come up find all posts for John. Click on that and there will be the 3 posts you have made. Click on each of those and it will open up to all the post for that thread. Hope that helps. You might go to the Woodcraft store they have in Tulsa. They have books, video's and classes that will save you a ton of frustration.

[Ron Raymond]

Congratulations on your first project, John. Don't worry about problems with your first attempt...if you said everything went perfect, we wouldn't believe you! We've all been there, done that. Practice, practice, practice. If you need a source for good cheap blanks, look on "the" auction site for woodmanmike8875. He sells boxes of 154 blanks...I've gotten several for under $20 including shipping. He mills them perfectly square...I'm planning on making a bunch of inside-out ornaments.

[Ellen Benkin]

I've found that if the first one is perfect, the next two will be disasters. You've got a lot to look forward to.

[John Nowack]

thanks for the info. I can't seem to see were my name is that I can click on. I will figure it out. I have a book and a video but, of coarse, they both use differnt methods to achieve the same result (that's ok I usually like to find my own way that works). I am my own worst critic because I was only a little off on drilling the hole so, one side was a little thin and then the glue did not stick so I pushed the brass tube out a little when I was flushing up the ends. i just cut that piece off so the pin is a little short. All in all it turned out alright and it did not take very long. thats why I picked the lathe because I need instant gratification some times but I know I will be able to take on larger projects in the future

[John Nowack]

Were is "The" auction site. I looked on ebay and his name came up. I assume that is it. Are these basic straight grain blanks or due you get some of the more exotic blanks like the curly or spalted woods.