New lathe

[bch47]

Got a call today from Keim Lumber. My new Jet 1220 will be delivered Monday morning. I did pick up a 1/2 " skew, a couple more pen kits and blanks. Already had a gouge. Looking thru Penn State Industries web site. How do you guys drill your blanks, square the ends and put the pen together? I see tools listed for these jobs, just don't know how important or necessary they may be. Can these be done easily without the special tools?

[Beezlebub]

Get a drill chuck for the lathe and if you have a disk sander that will sq up the blanks. A vice will work to assemble with for awhile.

[TDHofstetter]

Even the tailstock on the lathe can be used as a pen press. In fact... nearly everything can be done using the lathe itself as a general-purpose machine; you can drill the blanks with the lathe (AND a GOOD-quality correct-sized drill bit), you can true up the ends, you can do the turning & finishing, and you can press the kit together. A little later on, you'll want to set up a barrel trimmer & a pen press as separate items so you don't have to keep swapping stuff around on the lathe. There'll be quite a few things you'll wind up buying to... "enhance your user experience".

[Doug B]

Brian, I have a write up/pictorial showing how I make a slimline pen here worldofwood.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=articles&action=display&thread=2344

Don't think you have to have all the gadgets right away...I have been making pens for over 3 years now and some gadgets work for me and some were busts.

There are some things that will make pen making much easier to do, but everyone has to find their own comfort level between buying every gadget out there and using what they already have available in the shop.

For example, I really prefer using barrel trimmers to square the blanks over using a disc sander, but there are plenty of very good turners who prefer the opposite.

[sdb777]

Having a Jet 1220VS myself, I can say without a doubt....your gonna love it!!


Scott (got a spot picked out for her yet) B