I am brand spanking new to wood turning. I purchase 3 of the Woodpecker Ultra shear wood turning tools. Like I said i am brand new at this but I find the Ultra Shear very forgiving.
My wife had seen some miniature Christmas trees on Pinterest and asked me to try and make her some for her to decorate for the holidays.
The first two, one from 100 year old red oak and the other from maple, had rounded tops. Then the light bulb came on and I figured out how to use my chuck set so I could get them to a fine point.
I made several different designs and sizes. The tallest is 5 1/4” tall. I enjoyed making them so much I’m going to make some for all 3 of my sister in laws and give them to them early so they can have them for the holidays.
I have made all kinds of things but I’m new to turning. I never knew it could be so much dang fun.
Looks more like one of these to me, course that's probably me.
Turning is honestly one of my favorite things to do, it's also super dangerous. I'm missing a piece of my left hand from getting it caught once. It's great fun and an amazing way to do some really creative woodworking, just be careful. Wear a full face shield, safety glasses don't cut it.
You are right. Woodturning is fun. We got our lathe a year ago.
We made pens for the family for holiday gifts last year. Pen making is another woodturning "rabbit hole." Instant gratification and something useful, too.
Mostly yes, you need bushings for each "type" of pen kit. Bushings are usually the same size within the same "family" - there are different variations of the Slimline pens, but many of them use Slimline bushings (some do not!!). There are several pens in the Gatsby/Manhattan/Wallstreet II families from different vendors, but I believe they require the same bushings. If you buy a pen and a pencil kit with the same name, they will use the same bushings.
There are more advanced techniques, where you can measure the pen kit parts with a caliper and turn the pen blanks to match the individual pieces, but the bushings make it easier. Some people do both - using the bushings as guides, but measuring for that final perfect fit. I do that sometimes.
If you are interested in pen turning, check out https://www.penturners.org. They also sell a $0.99 "IAP" app for iPhone and Android. It is slightly dated, but has bushing and tube dimensions for many kits from many vendors, and a drill bit fraction/decimal/metric converter that is really cool. I like the feature that shows you the nearest fraction (and error) to a given decimal dimension.
Each step of the pen making process has been a refinement for me. I have learned a lot along the way. How to drill, glue tubes, square the pen blank, and finish pens have all evolved over time as I gained more experience.
Best wishes and good luck! Post photos of your pens.
Nice looking Christmas decorations. Your sweetie will be proud of you. Get some diamond plates and you can sharpen those carbide bits. What kind of lathe do you have? I have a Jet 12/21. It's small but I have a lot of fun with it.
I have the Grizzly G0462. Besides the price I liked the concept of the rotating head so I can do larger bowls outboard. Not sure if I’ll ever use the feature but being a novice it seemed like a good feature.
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