Getting Started Turning Pens

By Emory Mclaughlin Copyright  2009 all rights reserved

Getting started in pen turning isn’t terribly hard. It does involve a lot of little steps that must be done in a certain order for everything to work out properly. Make sure and check out my Pen turner’s wish list for a list of tools and equipment. Also check out the page on CA Glue finishing. Pen making is a great hobby since it doesn’t take up a lot of space and a pen can be made fairly quickly.

Preparation

Begin by selecting the pen kit you will be using for your finished pen. Then select the piece of wood. Most kits use a piece of wood about ¾ inch square by 5 ½ inches long. In most cases the brass tubes that come in the pen kit are used to measure the wood to make the cuts.

The blanks are then drilled. Make sure to check the instructions so you drill the correct size hole.

Gluing in the tubes. Make sure to rough the tubes with a piece of sand paper. This allows for better glue adhesion. Put glue on the tubes and push them into the blanks. Use the glue or epoxy of your choice. I like to use Medium Gap Filling CA Glue. After the glue has set use a pen mill to square up the blanks in relation to the hole and also remove any glue from inside the tube.

Turning

A pen mandrel is used to hold the blanks while turning. The bushings are used for sizing the pen to its final dimensions. Most people use a roughing gouge to turn their pens. Light cuts are a good way to begin and also a great way to finish. On many pens the roughing gouge is the only tool needed. I prefer to use my skew chisel as I get a smoother surface, so I have less sanding to do.

Sanding

I like to prepare my sandpaper ahead of time into to precut strips. Then I just grab a stack and I have my paper in the various grits. I like to start with 120, 180, 220, 320, 400, 600 and finally 800. Make sure and wipe the blanks and bushings with your hand between grits. There is nothing worse then causing a scratch late in the sanding process. After sanding your pen blanks should look good and they should have a shine to them. The better they look now the better they will look when finish is applied.

Finishing

There are many ways to apply finish and many types of finishes you can use. My finish of choice is the CA Glue finish. Basically after sanding you apply 3 coats of CA Glue (Medium Gap Filling) then sand the glue smooth and then buff the finish shiny. This is a very durable finish.

Assembly

You are now ready to assemble the components of you pen. Again make sure and follow the instructions. I also like to lay out all the parts in the order they will be assembled. This just helps me visualize how the parts are going to look. Using a pen press to assemble the parts is the way to go. Try to match the grain of the upper and lower barrels as you assemble your pen.

Final words

You now have a pen you can be proud of. Make sure and tell people how the pen was made. Your hand made pen is something to enjoy. People now a days, don’t have a lot of hand made stuff. A hand made pen is something they can carry around. These also make great gifts.