The most relaxing way to do turning is to make pens of any description. The time flies by and it encourages people to start writing again instead of using electronic mail.
I know I'm about 4 years too late, but it was a great video. Probably the best I've seen yet. I bought the same exact kit and I can't wait to make one.
Thanks for the detailed description of the tools and components. This video made it a lot easier to understand. Getting small lathe is on my list. Based on your explanation this seems a good way to learn techniques.
I can’t thank you enough! After watching your video I ordered the kit - 3 months ago! I then watched your video six more times and finally turned my first slimline today. I started woodworking just over 2 years ago and this is the first thing I made which went right from start to finish - all thanks to your video. Again, thank you for all the details. All the best to you and your family for Christmas and the New year.
wow. I know for a fact that I will never ever do any sort of lathe turning but omg, it is so nice to watch others do this (by others I also mean more experienced and skilled people). I could watch this all day lol
I know there are a lot of pen turning videos out there, but I think you did such a good job Jay. Really clearly explained and some great pointers. Glad you made the video!
Rockler have thought of everything in that kit and the press! Love Olive Wood and the smell of it! Lovely work Jay as usual and I for one like being shown new or relevent gear!
I haven't used my lathe at all this year and the last thing I turned was a paper towel bar for the shop.... I need to turn some pens. Looks easy! Thanks Jay!
So nice to see someone not plasticize their pens with CA glue finish! Great job on this video and beautiful pens. My drill press sucks, so I found that drilling out the blanks on the lathe was easier and I get straighter holes. Also, the mandrel saver is a must have in my book.
CA Glue finish extends the life of the pen forever. It also brings out the grain in the wood. If you sell pens like I do, you don't want to sell a $40 pen or higher and then have the customer upset a year later because the finish has turned to crap. Most people are not going wax their pens on a regular basis. They expect a pen with no maintenance at those prices. I had a gentleman contact me from over 10 years ago that I made a rollerball (piano inlay) for a few weeks ago. Just wanted let me know that pen looks just as good as the day he got it. Try that with any other finish. I make heirlooms, not quickie cheap gifts.
Excellent tutorial! Up until last week the last time that I used a lathe was 32 years ago in high school. I took a pen turning class at Rockler and made 2 beautiful Manhattan style pens using crotch Walnut. Everything in your tutorial was pretty much exactly what the instructor said and did. We used Mylands Cellulose Sealer and Mylands High build friction polish instead of the products that you used. Looks like they both give great results. I have made 3 more pens since using the Slimline kits included in the Beginner's Pen Turning Kit.
First vid I've noticed since you adopted your baby girl. Hope all is going well and that you and your wife are getting some sleep :). Thanks for the tips, was thinking about a mini lathe for small turnings.
Great video. I am retired US Army Vietnam vet w/ 20 years and retired police with lots of spare time. A few years ago my brother Tom, got me started/addicted to making pens.My first pen was a slimline pen and it was kinda sorta OK, but when I sent a photo to Tom, he asked why I didn't finish it. Hmmmmnn wondered what that meant. I eventually ended up making hundreds of pens, from the slimline to some really beautiful fountain pens sets. My wife grabbed up the Fountain pens along with the roller ball sets of pens with letter opener all in a nice wood box. I gave most of the pens to my kids and grandkids to sell and let them keep the money. The only downside of my pen making, was all the dust I was making, even with the overhead dust collector by Jet. One daughter is a Paramedic and teaches classes. I gave her about a hundred pens with the medical logo inlay to hand out to the people that helped her in her classes. I spent a lot of money on making those pens, but was well worth it. Medical issues finally ended my pen making, so I gathered up all the wood on hand and sent it to my brother who still makes pens. He gives them to his golfing buddies or sells them when asked. It's a great hobby, if you can control the impulse to buy special and often not needed tools. I bought about 15 different hand tools to turn the pens, but found the EWT easy wood tools tools with the high speed tips the best. They say once the tip get dull simply turn the tip to another edge and when all sides are dull order new. (Not) I simply place the tip flat side down on a sharpening stone, a few strokes and it's good as new. I purchased wood I never heard of, until making pens. There are dozens of companies advertising pen making tools and equipment. I have bought from Rockler and found them great to work with and not just for pen making. I also ordered from PennState where I got my start making pens. Again, yours is a great video, just wish it was around, when I got started . Thanks for making and sharing your video. Keep on your twin, sometimes he looks like he is slacking off. .....Ken
I'm surprised Rockler didn't include a tube insertion tool in their kit. I recommend it so you don't get glue on your fingers and can use the barrel trimmer on both ends. BTW ... good job ... I teach pen-turning at our local woodturning studio.
I've made a couple thousand pens. This was a good beginner video. I would highly suggest for pen makers to work their way to using CA Glue for the finish. A little difficult in the beginning to learn, but once mastered brings on an almost forever life to the pen.
I've got a small cheap arbor press from Harbor Freight. Glued a scrap of HDPE to the end of the press ram and another to the press table. Best pen press I've ever used. So much faster than screwing clamps and clamp style presses. Also cheaper than an actual pen press.
Hi Jay, nice instructions and end products. Sometimes you need to adjust where on the blank you cut it to get the best from the grain. I've had some blanks that were really nice toward one end but boring the other so couldn't cut it exactly in half.
Indeed! It's not just pens either. Ice cream scoops, coffee scoops, pizza cutters, bottle openers. Same process and lots of gift or sale opportunities.
I've had a piece of oak from the huge oak tree at the end of The Shawshank Redemption that's been dying to be made into a pen for my dad who's a huge fan of the film. Maybe I'll actually give it a go.
I have watched two of these videos,is there a reason you don't use the lathe to drill pilot hole thru blank.Also I believe the "MT2" on the pilot designates the size and angle of taper.M for Morse, T for Taper, Morse Taper #2.
Wow, this is a good instruction video!! Even I, an amature Dutch guy, learned from this. But I'm not sure what the penmill does. Is it essential to have this? Or just cut the blank at size as the tube inside it? And do you also have a video link to a non slim pen? Thx!
Very Cool! What lathe do you have? your shop page doesnt mention it that I can see! Not counting the exotic hardwood blanks, what to you estimate the cost in hardware to build a slimline pen is? For economy, I assume you turn more than one in a sitting?
Nice video Jay, thanks for all the details. This is actually the 2nd time I've watched this, and I thought of a question. With other kits that aren't slimline, such as bolt-action pens or cigar pens, where they use 8mm tubes, or sometimes 10mm tubes instead of the slimline's 7mm tubes, do you need a separate mandrel? I wasn't sure if the inner diameter of the tubes also increased along with the outer diameters.
Great work, as usual, Mr. Jay! Just wondering....have you ever applied a stain to some wood for a pen? Or, do you always just use the base wood, followed by the paste and finish? Keep it up, brother!
Also, Jay, I just now shared the link to this video with my special, closed Facebook group -- a group made up of 150 of former students I taught Industrial Arts at Henderson Jr High on Hwy 82 in Starkville back in the 70s. The group name is "Mr. A's Henderson Indusrial Arts Students" and it's so rewarding to me to read/view all the stories and photos they have today about the projects they made in Industrial Arts back then. So, it was fun to share with them about a great woodworker who now lives in Starkville, their home town, no matter where they live now!
I personally have not tried staining but I have used dye. Pen finished fine. I don't see a problem using stain at all. Hint: If you try something and you don't like the finish or you get a catch while turning, just turn the wood down to the tubes again and start over.
Thanks, @@dwightl5863! Makes perfect sense. You've just reminded me of how one of my former student teachers (when I taught Jr High Industrial Arts back in the '70s) and I make our own stains and dyes as experiments. Oh, boy...crushing those walnut hulls was so much "fun" -- yeah, right! And, it seems that we even mixed some wild berries that made the wood just knock-down beautiful; however, that stuff also made our hands look like they were coated in purple/maroon blood. Ah, those days of youth when we thought we were invincible. Thanks again, Dwight!
Any chance I could send you a could blanks of wood and you could turn them into pens for me? Want to give it as a little gift to the first furniture customer I've had. I think a pen from the same wood as the project would be kinda neat. Thanks! (I'd obviously pay for shipping and time and materials too)
Hey there for that pen starter kit I noticed the pen blanks are actually longer than the brass bushing is that normal or are you supposed to cut the blank even shorter? Thanks, Joseph
Available at Penn State Industries: www.pennstateind.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=SEARCH&q=mandrel+saver . Be sure to order the correct one for your lathe: MT1 or MT2?
Tim Everett hi! I have one - and also have the bed extender. It’s got all the basics a new turner needs. Rockler will have pretty awesome sales on these so keep your eye open! When they DO go on sale wait to buy the turning tools. The next sale cycle will be the tools. It is a strong and sturdy machine out of the box. I really like mine. Learning how to adjust the speed to what you need is the only thing you really have to learn on this lathe.
For pen turning and smaller items just about any lathe will work. Always read as many reviews as you can. Look for features like handles on release parts like the tool rest and tailstock and avoid those that require a wrench to adjust everything.
hi Jay, I've been following you for two years, can I have your own channel stickers? I would be proud to attack it on the wall of the most famous makers I follow, congratulations for the channel
i Would not recomend pressing your pen in metal vice do the fact like the one he has can chew up the metal parts that you would be using to put in the blanks when putting the pen to gather
The most relaxing way to do turning is to make pens of any description. The time flies by and it encourages people to start writing again instead of using electronic mail.
I've watched a ton of these videos online and this is the most clear explanation of the process. Thanks Jay.
Thanks for the feedback.
If Jay has a video about a topic I'm searching, it's usually the best video I find. He's a great video maker and teacher!
This is the new standard for pen making videos. Great job!!
Great video, simple and to the point
I know I'm about 4 years too late, but it was a great video. Probably the best I've seen yet. I bought the same exact kit and I can't wait to make one.
Thanks for the detailed description of the tools and components. This video made it a lot easier to understand. Getting small lathe is on my list. Based on your explanation this seems a good way to learn techniques.
I have this exact kit. Now I feel way more confident that I can do this. Thanks for the great video
I can’t thank you enough! After watching your video I ordered the kit - 3 months ago! I then watched your video six more times and finally turned my first slimline today. I started woodworking just over 2 years ago and this is the first thing I made which went right from start to finish - all thanks to your video. Again, thank you for all the details.
All the best to you and your family for Christmas and the New year.
Thank you for actually showing what is needed. Bubinga is fun to say! 🤣👊🏻
wow. I know for a fact that I will never ever do any sort of lathe turning but omg, it is so nice to watch others do this (by others I also mean more experienced and skilled people). I could watch this all day lol
I know there are a lot of pen turning videos out there, but I think you did such a good job Jay. Really clearly explained and some great pointers. Glad you made the video!
Great video! I’m just getting started with turning.
Yup! Still on my to-do list! Thanks for the re-inspiration.
Very well inscribed process. Less intimidating than before...
Rockler have thought of everything in that kit and the press! Love Olive Wood and the smell of it! Lovely work Jay as usual and I for one like being shown new or relevent gear!
I haven't used my lathe at all this year and the last thing I turned was a paper towel bar for the shop.... I need to turn some pens. Looks easy! Thanks Jay!
Super video, I've watched several and this one really was great detail I needed !
Another high quality video with interesting content. Thanks. ☺
So nice to see someone not plasticize their pens with CA glue finish! Great job on this video and beautiful pens. My drill press sucks, so I found that drilling out the blanks on the lathe was easier and I get straighter holes. Also, the mandrel saver is a must have in my book.
CA Glue finish extends the life of the pen forever. It also brings out the grain in the wood. If you sell pens like I do, you don't want to sell a $40 pen or higher and then have the customer upset a year later because the finish has turned to crap. Most people are not going wax their pens on a regular basis. They expect a pen with no maintenance at those prices. I had a gentleman contact me from over 10 years ago that I made a rollerball (piano inlay) for a few weeks ago. Just wanted let me know that pen looks just as good as the day he got it. Try that with any other finish. I make heirlooms, not quickie cheap gifts.
@@jonlanier_ I agree 100% with you. Friction polishes are very easy and look nice but not durable. Good choice for a beginner and fool proof.
@jonlanier404 I get the ca finish is durable but again you might as well turn acrylics, instead if making wood look like plastic.
Jay, great video! I have been wanting to do this for a long time. Now I feel more comfortable with the idea!
Thank you for such a clear explanation without saying er...um....you know...ok all the time
Excellent tutorial! Up until last week the last time that I used a lathe was 32 years ago in high school. I took a pen turning class at Rockler and made 2 beautiful Manhattan style pens using crotch Walnut. Everything in your tutorial was pretty much exactly what the instructor said and did. We used Mylands Cellulose Sealer and Mylands High build friction polish instead of the products that you used. Looks like they both give great results. I have made 3 more pens since using the Slimline kits included in the Beginner's Pen Turning Kit.
MT = Morse Taper Make certain you get the correct taper for your particular lathe. Good video instructive. Harry UK
Awesome video. Really helpful. Can’t wait to start making my own!
Great video! Simple and needed info
First vid I've noticed since you adopted your baby girl. Hope all is going well and that you and your wife are getting some sleep :). Thanks for the tips, was thinking about a mini lathe for small turnings.
3 videos on my main channel and 10th article on my website since we adopted :) Thanks for the feedback.
Nice job on the video and the tutorial. I just picked up this kit today along with a Jet mini lathe. Looking forward to doing a few of these.
Thank you Jay Awesome video with great tips and instructions. Take Care.
Congrats on the 500k subs
Great video. I am retired US Army Vietnam vet w/ 20 years and retired police with lots of spare time. A few years ago my brother Tom, got me started/addicted to making pens.My first pen was a slimline pen and it was kinda sorta OK, but when I sent a photo to Tom, he asked why I didn't finish it. Hmmmmnn wondered what that meant. I eventually ended up making hundreds of pens, from the slimline to some really beautiful fountain pens sets. My wife grabbed up the Fountain pens along with the roller ball sets of pens with letter opener all in a nice wood box. I gave most of the pens to my kids and grandkids to sell and let them keep the money. The only downside of my pen making, was all the dust I was making, even with the overhead dust collector by Jet. One daughter is a Paramedic and teaches classes. I gave her about a hundred pens with the medical logo inlay to hand out to the people that helped her in her classes. I spent a lot of money on making those pens, but was well worth it. Medical issues finally ended my pen making, so I gathered up all the wood on hand and sent it to my brother who still makes pens. He gives them to his golfing buddies or sells them when asked. It's a great hobby, if you can control the impulse to buy special and often not needed tools. I bought about 15 different hand tools to turn the pens, but found the EWT easy wood tools tools with the high speed tips the best. They say once the tip get dull simply turn the tip to another edge and when all sides are dull order new. (Not) I simply place the tip flat side down on a sharpening stone, a few strokes and it's good as new. I purchased wood I never heard of, until making pens. There are dozens of companies advertising pen making tools and equipment. I have bought from Rockler and found them great to work with and not just for pen making. I also ordered from PennState where I got my start making pens. Again, yours is a great video, just wish it was around, when I got started . Thanks for making and sharing your video. Keep on your twin, sometimes he looks like he is slacking off. .....Ken
Just what I needed... ordered the kit today!
And signed up for your newsletter!
Great video, Jay! You explained everything SO well! I still need to do some pens on my lathe. Maybe I will now.
Thanks dude!
Great video Jay. I’m turning ice cream scoop handles for presents and plan to try pens next. As always your video is very well done and helpful.
I'm surprised Rockler didn't include a tube insertion tool in their kit. I recommend it so you don't get glue on your fingers and can use the barrel trimmer on both ends. BTW ... good job ... I teach pen-turning at our local woodturning studio.
Very informative Jay. Great job!!
That was awesome jay. Thanns for share with us..
I've made a couple thousand pens. This was a good beginner video. I would highly suggest for pen makers to work their way to using CA Glue for the finish. A little difficult in the beginning to learn, but once mastered brings on an almost forever life to the pen.
Great video! Thanks!!
Impressive work Jay.
Great Tutorial!! Have always wanted to do this
Awesome work Jay! 👍👊
Great video, Jay! Thanks!
I feel like we need a persistent bubinga counter on all Jays videos :D
Bradley Harris i second!
Very informative. Thanks for the video!
Congratulations on the 500 K subs . You deserve it man!
I've got a small cheap arbor press from Harbor Freight. Glued a scrap of HDPE to the end of the press ram and another to the press table. Best pen press I've ever used. So much faster than screwing clamps and clamp style presses. Also cheaper than an actual pen press.
Hi Jay, nice instructions and end products. Sometimes you need to adjust where on the blank you cut it to get the best from the grain. I've had some blanks that were really nice toward one end but boring the other so couldn't cut it exactly in half.
Dang it Jay, now I have to go buy a lathe!
That makes two of us!! Dang it!
We may be able to help out with that ;)
@@LagunaTools Well played Laguna... well played.
Nice tutorial. Congrats on 500K!
Thanks Jay. I saw a inexpensive lathe for sale locally. Being retired it would be good for me to have a hobby.
Indeed! It's not just pens either. Ice cream scoops, coffee scoops, pizza cutters, bottle openers. Same process and lots of gift or sale opportunities.
Great video as always.
Nice one, thanks for the quick refresher and as usual very informative 👍🏼
Great video, lots of info! Thanks!!
Sweet! lathes are definitely fun
Awesome job and very nice video to my brother I will see you later :)
Another great video
Loved the video!! Thank you
Amazing!!!!
Usual INTERESTING content thank's this was very INTERESTING. Oh forgot to say BUBINGA !!!! I think we should call you "Baron Bubinga"
Thanks for sharing... Motivating...
I've had a piece of oak from the huge oak tree at the end of The Shawshank Redemption that's been dying to be made into a pen for my dad who's a huge fan of the film. Maybe I'll actually give it a go.
pen turning kit, time to start dropping some hints to my wife.
I live 4 minutes from Blaine, Minnesota. I'd never heard of Seejay's Place. Then there's some dude wearing their shirt in Mississippi. ...small world
He screenprints shirts :)
MT = Morris Taper, there are a few sizes. 1-3 might be a 4.
Very helpful thanks
Looks like fun
MT 2 is Morris Taper, I never heard of a Mike Tom taper.
Btw great video
fun! the beginners kit makes it easy but do some research first turned my first pen tonight and my daughter (10yr) tried to claim it
I have watched two of these videos,is there a reason you don't use the lathe to drill pilot hole thru blank.Also I believe the "MT2" on the pilot designates the size and angle of taper.M for Morse, T for Taper, Morse Taper #2.
Never did any pens or lathe work, but how do you know what size to turn them down too?
Wow, this is a good instruction video!! Even I, an amature Dutch guy, learned from this. But I'm not sure what the penmill does. Is it essential to have this? Or just cut the blank at size as the tube inside it? And do you also have a video link to a non slim pen? Thx!
Very Cool! What lathe do you have? your shop page doesnt mention it that I can see! Not counting the exotic hardwood blanks, what to you estimate the cost in hardware to build a slimline pen is? For economy, I assume you turn more than one in a sitting?
Muy hermoso sus videos pero no dan información de dónde comprar el herrajes
Nice video Jay, thanks for all the details. This is actually the 2nd time I've watched this, and I thought of a question. With other kits that aren't slimline, such as bolt-action pens or cigar pens, where they use 8mm tubes, or sometimes 10mm tubes instead of the slimline's 7mm tubes, do you need a separate mandrel? I wasn't sure if the inner diameter of the tubes also increased along with the outer diameters.
Jay, are there pencil kits (or parts) available to make sets? Great explanation of the process.
Is the Stick Fast CA glue the same as Krazy glue or Gorilla glue?
Cool thanks for the tips all right Babinga, babingo
BUBINGA!!!
Challenge for you Mr. Bates...
How many videos can you subsequently do without saying "BUBINGA"?
I am looking for a budget drill press that will keep me from having flip the blank over to do the other side. Ideas?
Thanks, Jay. I gotta start turning pens! Now I just need a lathe... and space to keep one... [sigh] #toolenvy
Holy crap. The clear coat expires in my 40th birthday.
happy birthday!
You you mind telling us where you find AAA and clear coat not at lumber yard or at Home Depot, thanks
Thanks
Good how to
Great work, as usual, Mr. Jay! Just wondering....have you ever applied a stain to some wood for a pen? Or, do you always just use the base wood, followed by the paste and finish?
Keep it up, brother!
I've never stained a pen. All of my pens have been finished with this process.
Also, Jay, I just now shared the link to this video with my special, closed Facebook group -- a group made up of 150 of former students I taught Industrial Arts at Henderson Jr High on Hwy 82 in Starkville back in the 70s. The group name is "Mr. A's Henderson Indusrial Arts Students" and it's so rewarding to me to read/view all the stories and photos they have today about the projects they made in Industrial Arts back then. So, it was fun to share with them about a great woodworker who now lives in Starkville, their home town, no matter where they live now!
Awesome! Glad to hear that, Larry. Woodworking community at its finest.
I personally have not tried staining but I have used dye. Pen finished fine. I don't see a problem using stain at all. Hint: If you try something and you don't like the finish or you get a catch while turning, just turn the wood down to the tubes again and start over.
Thanks, @@dwightl5863! Makes perfect sense. You've just reminded me of how one of my former student teachers (when I taught Jr High Industrial Arts back in the '70s) and I make our own stains and dyes as experiments. Oh, boy...crushing those walnut hulls was so much "fun" -- yeah, right! And, it seems that we even mixed some wild berries that made the wood just knock-down beautiful; however, that stuff also made our hands look like they were coated in purple/maroon blood. Ah, those days of youth when we thought we were invincible. Thanks again, Dwight!
Any chance I could send you a could blanks of wood and you could turn them into pens for me? Want to give it as a little gift to the first furniture customer I've had. I think a pen from the same wood as the project would be kinda neat. Thanks! (I'd obviously pay for shipping and time and materials too)
Hey there for that pen starter kit I noticed the pen blanks are actually longer than the brass bushing is that normal or are you supposed to cut the blank even shorter?
Thanks,
Joseph
Well........where's Dad? insert smiley here!
Do you have a link for the mandrel saver? I didn’t see it listed in your tools used list. Thanks for de-mystifying the process.
Available at Penn State Industries: www.pennstateind.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=SEARCH&q=mandrel+saver . Be sure to order the correct one for your lathe: MT1 or MT2?
Hey Jay, what do you think of the rockler cross cut sled?
Is that a new leather tool belt design?
@Dragonfly Woodworking & Leather Check the spelling on your link!
Dragonfly Woodworking & Leather (link is misspelled so not directing people anywhere when we click it.)
Sidekick XL from www.dragonflywoodworking.com/
Hey Jay, enjoyed this video. What lathe would you recommend? was thinking about the excelsior from rockler.
Tim Everett hi! I have one - and also have the bed extender. It’s got all the basics a new turner needs. Rockler will have pretty awesome sales on these so keep your eye open! When they DO go on sale wait to buy the turning tools. The next sale cycle will be the tools. It is a strong and sturdy machine out of the box. I really like mine. Learning how to adjust the speed to what you need is the only thing you really have to learn on this lathe.
For pen turning and smaller items just about any lathe will work. Always read as many reviews as you can. Look for features like handles on release parts like the tool rest and tailstock and avoid those that require a wrench to adjust everything.
What? No lubricant laxative finish?
Hi. Can you make to order?
hi Jay, I've been following you for two years, can I have your own channel stickers? I would be proud to attack it on the wall of the most famous makers I follow, congratulations for the channel
i Would not recomend pressing your pen in metal vice do the fact like the one he has can chew up the metal parts that you would be using to put in the blanks when putting the pen to gather
What do ya know, bubinga 😂😂😂
It happens ;)
Lol I’m gonna have to find some. Never seen it in real life
U should had made your kids middle name bubinga. Bubinga Bates! Lol
Do you sell any pens ?
Once again......
That was to much” adds more