Turning a Wooden Pen from start to finish

This video goes through my process to turn several wooden pens - an Atrax style and a Baron style. I start with scuffing the brass tubes and go all the way through to assembling the pen. All of my supplies are from William Woodwrite in Guelph - www.penblanks.ca/ Check them out for a wealth of supplies for pens, wine stoppers, knives and more.
I don't go over the details of applying a CA finish since that is covered superbly by my friend Ramon Valdez in this video • Cyanoacrylate (Super G... . Check out Ramon's other videos here ‪@ramonartful‬ and he has a wealth of information on his Instagram account ramonartful...

[@norm5785]

Awesome pen blank turnings. Thank you for sharing. Everyone stay safe, warm, happy and healthy. From Henrico County Virginia

[@johnmusgrave3179]

Those finished pens at the end of your video are beautiful. Now I have to have a go!

[@davidbedrosian1567]

They are fun to turn and don't take a lot of time. Give it a go!!

[@samuelwiltzius]

Great video! I’ve had some local burl and a few pen kits for several years now and I think this Winter is the time to finally make them. As always, your approach is methodical and thought out. Thanks for the useful information!

[@davidbedrosian1567]

Thanks Samuel. Pen turning is lots of fun and uses very little wood. I think you will have a lot of fun.

[@ramonartful]

Really fantastic video David! Hugely informative !

[@davidbedrosian1567]

Thanks Ramon. I appreciate you checking out the video.

[@sideswiped6874]

you can buy shorter drill bits that won't wander as much as the longer bits. or you could by Endmills that have a thicker Shank.

[@davidbedrosian1567]

Yes, shorter bits may help with wandering, but some pen blanks are long and I need to be able to drill all the way through.

[@sideswiped6874]

@@davidbedrosian1567, I don't have a wood lathe, I have a 9x20 metal lathe. so I first use a short drill then a longer drill. I guess I should have said that above.

[@Tom_Samad]

Thanks for posting this video. Does a CA finish start to peel off a few years later? Also, can i use industrial super glue as a finish?

[@davidbedrosian1567]

I’ve never had an issue with the glue peeling. Industrial super glue, as long as it is cyanocrylite, should work fine. I’ve tried different brands and find I get the best and most consistent results with Glu Boost.

[@ValioMadre7]

Gracias.

[@avramw]

Very nice! Pickup a couple of tips, thanks! Can you briefly elaborate on how many coats of thin/medium you used and your sanding process before the buffing? Also, do you use anything on the last buffing wheel?

[@davidbedrosian1567]

Hi Ron - thanks for your feedback. The number of coats depends on the type of wood. I want to be sure that the grain is completely filled so I can get an even and high gloss finish. Generally, I would say I apply about 8-10 coats of the thin CA and 2 or 3 coats of medium.
For sanding after finishing, I probably start with P400 or maybe higher and I power sand to get an even dull finish. This leaves lots of scratches so I move on to higher grits without power sanding along the length of the pen tube. It doesn't take long to remove the scratches and move on to the next grit. I go up to at least P1000 and sometimes higher before buffing. I'm not sure if those really fine grits make much difference so I should experiment to see. It only takes an extra 30 seconds or so per grit.
The buffing is where I really get the high gloss. The last wheel has carnuba wax that comes with the Beall system.
Let me know if you have any other questions.

[@nitrousblast1]

I’m starting to turn pens in the next week or so and am wondering if I should use wet or dry wood? I have a ton of fresh cut wood because most everyone says to turn wet wood. I would appreciate your thoughts on this. Thanks

[@davidbedrosian1567]

Hi Brian - the short answer is that you should turn fully dry wood for pens. The reason you read about turning wet wood is because it's much easier to turn but this really only matters when you are turning bowls. Wood shrinks as it dries and it also distorts slightly in shape. You don't want any change in the size or shape of your pen after it's turned. Also, it's difficult to apply finish to wood unless it's dry. Good luck with your turning. I think you will have fun.

[@blocke2976]

Where did you get the wax sheets?

[@davidbedrosian1567]

I get them from penblanks.ca. They work really well and are inexpensive.

[@younglee1929]

great video! I have a problem with the heat rise while applying PA glue. it is so hot that the paper towel and rubber glove are stick on the pen blank. Tried with a very low speed, still having the problem. any suggestions? thanks

[@davidbedrosian1567]

Thanks for your comment. I'm just guessing, but the problem may be with the type of paper towel you are using. I've found some that react with the CA glue which causes it to get hot. Try applying the CA to the paper towel and don't apply it to the pen. See if the paper towel gets hot or if it smokes. If so, try a blue shop paper towel to see if that makes a difference.

[@jimwheeler6131]

Excellent! Most helpful for me getting started pen turning. I love the flap sander you have, sure beats doing it by hand. I have had a hard time finding a similar item - I checked William Woodwrite, but did not find it. Where did you find such a useful tool? thx, jim

[@davidbedrosian1567]

I'm glad you liked the video, Jim. Pens are fun to turn and fun to give as gifts. I got the flap sander from stockroom supply. I think they call them mop sanders. Good luck with your turning.

[@jimwheeler6131]

@@davidbedrosian1567 Great, will give a look-see. What grit did you use - 120 maybe? thx, jim

[@davidbedrosian1567]

@@jimwheeler6131 I think it was either 120 or 150

[@raimundosilvaney]

Gostaria de comprar kits pen alguém pode me passar o endereço para comprar?