Newbie to Turning need help...

[Andy Sowers]

Hi

My wife has always wanted to turn pens... but alas, I didn't own a lathe. UNTIL NOW. Came across an old craftsman lathe from the 1960s on craigslist that was NEVER used, and after some quick cleanup, it looks like new!

The headstock and tailstock have #1 morse tapers, will this work for pen turning? The headstock spindle is also threaded on the end, not sure yet what the thread is, but the diameter is 3/4". The center point in the tailstock is siezed up and cannot be removed from the morse taper. I may have to replace the entire tailstock spindle if this is a problem.

Can someone point me in the right direction for figuring out all the necessary accessories that we need to get, in order to start pen turning. Right now we have nothing but the lathe.

Sorry for asking such basic questions, I'm sure they've been asked 1000 times, but searching for pen turning here results in way too many hits...

Thanks in advance for your help.
Andy

[Steve Schlumpf]

Andy - Welcome to the wonderful world of turning!

I started off with a Craftsman mono-tube lathe from the early 50s - worked great to learn how to turn on! My lathe had a 3/4" - 16 tpi spindle and I would think yours would also. You can go to the Craftsman (Sears) website and look up your lathe. They should have a parts list and even a manual available for it!

I am not a pen turner - so can't answer your questions about equipment needed.

Good luck with getting your tailstock functional. You may have to spray it down good with some type of liquid wrench or something to break it loose.

[curtis rosche]

lets ee a picture of your lathe. sounds like mine. i think all the old craftsman spindles were 3/4x16

[Scott Donley]

This plus a 60 degree live center will get you started. Good luck !
http://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKSTART1E.html
Also get their FREE DVD on pen making basics, it can be a lot of help.
http://www.pennstateind.com/store/DVD.html

[Andy Sowers]

photo of my lathe

[Tom Hintz]

You can get the mandrels in either #1 or #2 Morse tapers so that is not an issue. I have a story on turning pens at the link below that shows the basics of what you can use to turn them. Not everything shown is necessary but this is turning so the slpope is steep and slippery.....

http://www.newwoodworker.com/turning/trnpens.html

[Mark P. Brown]

Great little learning lathe.
Wood can be had free or nearly free from a lot of sources, cabinet shops furniture repair shops and dumpsters.
Tools: an inexpensive set of chisels (high speed steel) - set of calipers and digital caliper - Jacobs chuck with 1 Morris taper - drill bits for the type of pens you want to turn ( start with 2 types at first the expand as you learn) - sandpaper 120 - 600 grit wet or dry - thick and thin ca glue - boiled linseed oil (BLO) - acetone - denatured alcohol (DNA) - good finish wax - first aid kit for the shop - box fan - large shop vac or dust collector - respirator.
AND MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL A GOOD FACE SHIELD!!!
Work safe and be safe.
Mark

[Greg Ketell]

If you are searching for a motor, PennStateIndustries has a 1/2HP electronic variable speed motor and controller available for about $100. They also have a good starter lathe for about $160.

www.surpluscenter.com has a bunch of 1/2 HP electric motors available. But they seem to all be around $100 too.

[Richard Madison]

Andy, Your picture almost (but not quite) brought a tear to my eye. Like Steve, started with a trusty mono-tube Craftsman and made some pretty nice pieces with it. The electronic variable speed motor is a good suggestion, as the minimum speed on mine (about 800) was a little scary at the time (for 11-3/4" bowls). It would be fine for pens and other spindle turning.

[Jim Sebring]

It's a vile smelling product, but will eventually cause almost anything to loosen up.

[David Christopher]

Andy, do you have a motor for your lathe?

[Andy Sowers]

Very observant Dave. Sadly, no motor yet. We're still scrounging around. We also need to find a permanent spot to mount this guy, as he's not going to be sitting on the workbench.

Jim, we tried PB Blaster Penetrating Catalyst tonight, and no go. :-(

Great list Mark. :-) Thanks!

[Ron Erickson]

Andy most lathes have a hole in the tail stock to insert a steel rod, to then hit with a hammer to drive the mores taper out. Just thought since you are new to turning you might not know this. Ron

[Andy Sowers]

Thanks to all for the suggestions so far!

With regards to the motor for this lathe... the manual says that 1/3-1/2hp is recommended. My question for those of you with much more experience: Does this sound ok? I checked other 12" lathes, and it seems that 1/2-3/4hp seems to be more of the norm these days.

I was originally thinking about trying to find a used motor and step pully here locally, but Greg's post about the variable speed motor from Penn State now has me wondering. Has anyone used this motor before? It looks on the small/wimpy side compared to what I was thinking a 1/2hp motor would be.

Also, on a totally different topic... what chisels/gouges/etc should be on our short list. We're mostly interested in pen turning, but might venture a little bit... Finally, can someone recommend some pen sets that would be good for beginners (alternatively, which ones should we stay away from). I want this to be fun for my wife, I dont want her to get discouraged and turned off (pardon the pun)...

Thanks again...
Andy

[Dennis Ford]

Andy;
I started turning with a similar size lathe and used a washing machine motor (I think it was 1/3 hp). That would be plenty for pen turning but was somewhat wimpy when turning bowls. I would not put more than 1 hp on this lathe. Also try to get a 1800 rpm (or slower) motor. If money is tight and you are handy, tear apart an old washing machine or clothes dryer and use the motor. You will also need a step pulley for the motor, the local Tractor Supply here has some that might work.