The Definitive Pen Turning Guide

[@darciedidden6686]

I've been a "pen maker" for ten years and this is by far the best video I have seen on the entire process! I will definitely suggest it to any new turner showing an interest in pen turning. VERY GOOD JOB!

[@norm5785]

Thank you for sharing your awesome video of pen turning with us. Everyone stay safe, warm, happy and healthy. From Henrico County Virginia

[@1paulrick]

Absolutely brilliant guide. So different to many I have watched which gave instruction of sorts but not options. Such clear options without the hey dude rubbish. Thank you !!!

[@chrishammersley7100]

As a new turner this is so far the best guide I have watched on youtube. Thank you for putting this together.

[@jordanweiner194]

Great video. Perfect amount of detail. He doesn’t clutter the video with unnecessary chatter but does cover all he steps with clarity. Much appreciated.

[@wb_finewoodworking]

A great demonstration on pen turning. You do an excellent job explaining what you are doing and why. I also appreciate the fact that you explained other options. Thanks.

[@terryturner9341]

An excellent and very full guide on how to make pens. Superb. Thank you for being so thorough

[@BuiltByChris]

I've only just started cultivating an interest in turning pens and your video is the most informative. I'll be purchasing a small lathe from Timbecon shortly and I'll be watching this video over and over again. Well presented. Thank you.

[@GaryZager]

For a beginner your video is helping me to understand the steps needed. Thank you!

[@bradp4377]

Thank you for doing such a good video. Most of the ones I have seen don't actually give you the step by step process or they don't explain the process of doing the pen. Greatly appreciated.

[@primitiveman1022]

Best instructional video I have watched so far. I learned a lot. I am new to pen making and this helped a lot. Thank you and keep up with the videos

[@LivefreeanddiyTv]

I just started turning pens and this was very helpful, explains a lot about why my CA finish hasn't been looking great. Thanks! 🤓👍🏼

[@LivefreeanddiyTv]

Looking, I don't see the followup w/ the Polyurethane finish. Still planning on doing one? 🤓

[@TheWoodKnight]

Probably not at this stage because I don't have any more of the right type of polyurethane (and I don't really want to buy it!) The technique was going to be a modified version of Les Elms wipe on finish which you can read about here: content.penturners.org/library/techniques/minwaxfinish.pdf

[@LivefreeanddiyTv]

Thanks for responding and sharing the PDF! Definitely going to look into this as I make more pens!

[@onepipwonder]

Very well done. Thanks for taking the time to make such a comprehensive video on the making of a pen.

[@brianfoster7064]

Great video! You can also temporarily plug one end of the tube, before "gluing" with a putty like Dap's "Bluestik" to keep the binding agent of choice of the barrel.

[@cameronjackson7216]

Just made my first pen following along, excellent instruction! Thanks!

[@MindMatterCreate]

Awesome video mate. Love seeing the Aussie channels !

[@sandromor2007]

You rock bro. The most complete guide with tips I found !!!! Thanks

[@damomack7970]

Thanks for taking the time to make the vid Paul really enjoyed the process, actually have my first bowl/vase gluing up in the shed waiting the hog out the centre and the parts you showed on finishing gave me additional ideas so thanks heaps.

[@woodninjaswoodturning3787]

Thank you Mr. Jenkins for your video. I found it to be very informative. Your pen turned out excellent. Thank you again for your tips

[@stevenjansen5777]

Brilliant video for novices . . . covers all the basics very well.

[@KweAK47]

Wow this helps a lot. I now understand why my ca finish wasn't working. Kept using paper towels and it was smoking and just not working. I think I can get it now. Thanks

[@nadfarg4824]

Thank you, very well done. This will help in doing these for gifts this Christmas.

[@bobhepple5752]

Just getting into Pen Turning I have been a metal turner for some years, love the video came across your videos by trolling through You Tube gathering info,, I have subscribed I'm looking at different finishes don't like the idea of CA for health reasons,, Ill check out your other videos...

[@Amunrad]

Best pen turning vid I've seen yet! Thanks!!

[@stevehall4548]

I vary one part of this process slightly. After I have shaped and sanded the pen, I will then take off the piece that holds the nib and sand off the cornered edge. That way I don't end up with a slight edge at the nib which sometimes happens, and you won't know until the nib is inserted. Then I put it back on the mandrel and begin the polishing process. By doing this process first I don't risk dulling any of the polishing near the nib. This was a great video and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[@josephwise485]

Very nice info. I have not turned a pen yet, this should be very helpful when I try. Thanks. I also subscribed.

[@MrHPT3]

The best pen making video I've seen. Thank you.

[@frankabissi6506]

Really nice video, He does ]great job at transferring the information. very knowledgable.

[@amdiz]

Thank you very much for this video. It is very informative and helpful. Well done!!!

[@ruthboria3635]

Loved you are smothered them my kids teachers, perfect video for beginners like me 💙💙💙

[@johnlepage1719]

Thank you for taking the time to make this video.

[@dc4460]

Great demonstration, lots of good information, thank you...

[@paintilludrop]

My library has a Foundry..free! I have made 5 pens, first time..ever! Hooked now. Moving on to seam ripper, now a rolling pen. I want to make more unusual pen blanks..

[@roberts546]

Very good guide, thanks for an insight before starting, i got to say i have never seen a garage that has coving fitted , very posh 😁👍

[@seanstanton74]

This is the best video I’ve seen out there for instruction on how to make a pen. Great job,It is much appreciated!

[@TheWoodKnight]

Glad it was helpful :)

[@Unionboggle]

Fantastic video on how to get started. thank you sir!

[@OneWoodAuwoodworking]

Thanks Paulthat was great i am going to stock up tonight from timberbits

[@MArk-yn4sp]

A detailed yet concise presentation! Thank you.

[@TERRADILUNA]

Great demonstration, I'm a Newbee in this...I guess I can start now with confidence...greatings from Luxembourg ;-)

[@Mr9uo]

Where is the abrasive belt bought?

[@davene4507]

Hi Paul, Melamine is a cellulose based laquer and I bought the trade grade hoping for better results, I will have to experiment a bit to try and work out why its turning out as a semi gloss finish, cheers Dave

[@arrlmember]

The video was very interesting, and informative. I wanted to watch the video because I have been turning pens for quite a while now, and wanted to see how others do it. First of all, I am glad that I never spent the money on a pen press, because I do fine with a bench vice with padded jaws and do not have an alignment problem. I put the end squaring tool in the headstock and hold the blank with vice grips. The biggest issue I saw in the video was all the time and trouble you spent on finishing. Apparently you have never finished a gunstock. I started using Birchwood Casey's Tru-Oil gunstock finish and have never found a reason to use anything else on the pens I make. Following the directions on the bottle, you just rub it in with your bear hand and it makes a VERY durable finish that is designed to stand up under any weather condition. Besides the various grits of sandpaper, you may want to obtain some 0000 steel wool. "Try it, you'll like it."

[@TheWoodKnight]

There are plenty of ways to finish a pen - from "cold" plasticy finishes with near infinite durability, to warmer, softer finishes. There are pros and cons to every finish, and reasons to go with one over the other given different circumstances. Most countries don't have quiet the same strong gun culture as the US, so getting supplies for finishing gun stocks is harder and more expensive than you might think. But you're right, I've never finished or even held a gun (other than paintball or spraygun).

[@bpa9488]

Brian P Thanks Paul for a comprehensive video on creating a wooden Pen. I have to agree with comments from others in the valuable information obtained. I learnt more from your video than many others I have watched. Great stuff from an Aussie wood turner.

[@glennclarke9787]

Great vlog. Thank you so much.

[@stevenmason1674]

Really, really good in depth tutorial. Excellent.

[@michaelsharps9039]

Great video, very informative, has certainly given me a great guide to the options for making pens..... thank you.

[@andrewjackson4422]

A real useful video with some excellent tips. Many thanks

[@chrisschobel3939]

Paul, that is an absolute legend of a video. Great concise information. The only thing I am worried about is that you have a metal wedding ring in a industrial setting. Please go silicone, I am buying a few and would send you one, no worries. Not looking for anything, just don't want your abilities to be curtailed. Answer if you want and we can figure something out, but thakn you for the video.

[@williammcnabb1354]

I've watched this video a couple times already and learned a lot both times. I've created a few pens now...and I realize that my biggest issue is in not cutting my blanks square enough. I'm pretty sure that the instructions that came with my pen hardware say to use CA glue to glue the centre collar to the outside of the pen. I see that you didn't do that. Is there a reason you did NOT glue that collar? Really great video too. I'm sure I'll watch again. Thank you :-))

[@TheWoodKnight]

None of the kits I've used have required more than friction to retain all the metal parts of the kit, so I haven't glued em on

[@williammcnabb1354]

Thanks Paul. With some of my pens I feel the need to almost to add cement to keep them together. I'll keep trying and learning :-))

[@TadTadd]

Give Tru-Oil a try. It is my favorite glossy finish for small wood projects. It's made for finishing gun stocks, so you can find it at a sporting goods store. It goes on very easily in thin coats and forms a hard finish. Some guitar guys use it for acoustic guitar finish.

[@uidsea]

Might just be dumb but what are the pen tubes? Are they just thing copper pipes and do I need a certain width?

[@dermotkelly4077]

Great video. How can you sell them? I don't have a clue

[@russbellinis5466]

I have noticed a number of videos on turning Slimline pens where the clip end of the pen is not turned to the bushing thickness full length. I have arthritis in my hands so prefer a fatter pen. The nib end can be as fat as wanted without any problem, but the first slim line I turned I left the clip end of the pen fat. After using the pen for 2-3 years, I found that the pocket clip had lost it's tension so that the pen would no longer be held in my pocket. I had to take the pen apart and turn the clip end down, and install a new clip. If you want the top to be fat, a "Comfort Pen" is a much better choice because the clip is designed to fit a thicker pen.

[@Kosh42EFG]

But you didn't show to poly finish... Do you apply and buff that off the lathe once dry i take it? And many coats?

[@valborchardt3596]

Thanks paul, that was a great video, helped a lot

[@ralphvanpelt9325]

Great video. Did I understand the finish process correctly? Did you cover the friction polish and the shellac with a CA finish? I've used both but not together.

[@galland3496]

That was a good guide, thank you.

[@hraun2berg]

Thank you for most edukating video, I am still watching pen turning videos before I try it myself :). Do you truly have a dayly migrain? The reason I ask is because I wake up every morning with a hevy headick and it easis often about midday, sometimes not at all, but my happy hours are when I can get to my lathe. best wishes from Siglufjörður Iceland. Júlíus

[@drobb4207]

Could be dehydration, drink more water before bed.

[@grahammiddo8014]

Paul. Very informative and helpful to me. A question. When applying the CA does this glue the bush to the wood / brass tubes? If so how do you get it apart. I have watched many tutorials using CA as a finish but have not seen the tutor take the turned finished pieces off the mandril, so I am guessing this may be a problem. Can you advise?

[@TheWoodKnight]

+Graham Middo it can, yes, and you'd need to part it off (I usually do that with a utility knife with the lathe off, spinning by hand). You'd then need to sand the ends of the tubes flat so they seat well. With practice, you get the hang of not putting too much CA on the bushings, but it still happens. The best way is to use non stick bushings/cones, which can be made out of HDPE. That's on my list of videos to do, but unfortunately that list never gets any shorter :(

[@davene4507]

Many thanks for the info Paul, I have tried super glue in the past but did not know about linseed oil as a hardener, will have to give that one a go, I have also tried brasso with limited success so again thanks, I will wait for it to dry in future, I am using a melamine sanding sealer and top coat for durability but as yet I am not happy with the finish, its supposed to be gloss but it seems to turn out a semi gloss, have you any thoughts on this product, cheers Dave

[@TheWoodKnight]

+Dave NE I've never even heard of a melamine sanding sealer, so I can't offer you any advice there. A quick google suggests its a two part acid based curing resin. Sounds very intimidating and not something I'd like to splash around! Using micromesh should be able to get most finishes from semi-gloss up to gloss, but melamine is pretty hard and they may not be able to cut it very well. I've not personally tried the BLO + CA trick, but I believe medium or thick is used. If I've got some time over the next couple of weeks I'll investigate it a bit further.

[@mountainviewturning5319]

Wow great looking pen

[@MattKnowsThat]

Thank You. Does the the end mill that flushes up the wood to the brass cut some of the brass off? Is there a danger that you'll take off too much brass and the pen won't go together right?

[@TheWoodKnight]

+Matt KnowsThat yes it takes some brass off, basically just stop as soon as you see brass chips. Tubes usually have a few mm of extra space to fit the refills in, often implementing springs to push the refill "out" through the nib, so you'll be fine

[@JimsRobot]

great video, many thanks for taking the time

[@lylekobberstad8571]

Great video, very informative. Thank you

[@Daniel-wn4yj]

Hi .. where do you buy your pen kits ?. I am from Argentina and here I have only saw 4 types of kits. Thanks

[@jackmaravola2496]

Very nice..What are your thoughts on using clear high gloss lacquer for a finish? is it durable?

[@TheWoodKnight]

Lacquer isn't readily available in Australia, and the best way to get a smooth finish with lacquer is to spray. For a single pen, thats probably a lot of waste, but you certainly could setup a bunch of pens hanging and spray them all at once.

[@jackmaravola2496]

Sounds great Paul, and I thank you so much for your insight and fast- rapid response.

[@geraldhatley8364]

Nice video, but I would suggest you should NEVER, NEVER, NEVER repeat NEVER use a cotton or any other type of rag on a lathe turning. Even though it is a midi lathe and not terribly powerful, the rag can still catch on the turning and pull your fingers or hand into the turning. Use a paper towel which will tear and not drag you into the turning. Using a rag is a VERY bad habit and practice. Especially when you are trying to help new turners understand how to turn on a lathe. .

[@jimjakosh2506]

I totally agree. paper towel is the best and disposable!

[@davo-h1t]

@@jimjakosh2506 what a load of crap. a nice tight wad of a soft rag never hurt anyone.

[@jimjakosh2506]

@@davo-h1t I use paper towel or a small piece of rag sometimes too...about the size of a quarter sheet of paper towel. This guy is talking about a good size rag that might wrap around the mandrel.

[@invaderzim1265]

Thank you for warning us. I'm new to this so.... 🙂👍🇺🇸

[@gbwildlifeuk8269]

Gerald Hatley - i disagree! You are correct if the tool rest remained in place or other parts of the lathe as in a metal turning lathe. When polishing you will note the tool rest was removed and there is nothing to trap fingers or anything else. There was clearly a large enough space to avoid entrapment. Should a rag become entangled its a simple enough procedure to simply let go, given the amount of space with nothing there to trap the fingers. Further it is VERY rare for entrapment on wood turning lathes, even with 1HP motors the pulley system simply doesnt give enough torque, unlike a slower turning metal lathe, which needs more torque to cut metal. Considering the turning tools are hand held, the practice of polishing holding shavings, sanding holding the abrasive, the application of polish etc, I really think your panic over a rag is unfounded.

[@larryjacobs5713]

You seem to be the opposite of Alice Cooper ! You are intelligent and really liked your video thank you

[@katyrogers8595]

Excellent info, thank you!

[@sweetlandsheatingcooling9039]

Great video, thanks!

[@bluebow68]

Thanks for taking the time to make a great video Paul!.Looking forward to seeing your acrylic vid...(Interesting you used ear defenders at the drill press..given you're an Alice Cooper fan..;-0)

[@TheWoodKnight]

I'm not actually an Alice Cooper fan, the wife is though. Much more of a Tom Waits fan. Hence she 'gifted' me a tshirt! Daily migraines mean I wear earmuffs when using any power tools, including 18v drills.

[@leroykennell3664]

glass house

[@hollybranch1199]

WHat kind of pen was the other one you showed or was it the way you made the pen?

[@shaunwhiteley3544]

Thanks, very helpful. Cheers

[@aljones4719]

Why are you using a bench hook with a PULL saw?

[@patricknevers4192]

Who is the manufacturer of that awesome looking pen vise?

[@TheWoodKnight]

Here you go www.pennstateind.com/store/DRILLCENTE.html

[@ricksuray]

A dedicated, 2 jaw chuck, works great.

[@photoartteacher903]

I have an expensive wood blank already glued to the brass barrel - and through a mishap I accidentally trimmed off about 1/8" too much - I would still like to use this - I have a standard 7mm slimline kit with the cross refill. Does anyone have experience with this predicament ? if I have a slightly shorter blank would that piece be better at the cap OR the point end ? my thought is if I only push the mechanism in part way to where the blank should have been it should work But I also think if there is extra space at the cap end maybe its better there

[@wills9108]

I have made many pens - and have purposely made a slightly shorter slimline pen for my wife, who has very small hands. use the shorter blank on the "point" end, you can press the twist mechanism in just as far as needed to still have the pen nib protrude the exact amount you need, just remember when putting in the twist mechanism to press in millimeter by millimeter, checking frequently until you reach the point needed, and that the mechanism will be in slightly less than usual, but it won't affect the pen operation - that is my suggestion, unless some more "expert" offers something different - good luck.

[@AXLHillier]

I can understand how CA is an attractive finish. However, why make wooden pens that feel like plastic?

[@TheWoodKnight]

The majority of wood furniture is finished with acrylic lacquer, polyurethane, or paint. Sometimes the appearance and knowledge of knowing it's "real" is desired

[@alanhill4338]

Someone on KZbin said using Shellawax on a pen with several coats is fine, but if someone using a hand sanitizer picks up the pen it will remove the gloss. After reading that I decided to stick with CA for now. I do intend to try Shellawax after I have made several more pens. PS. With CA the pen is completely waterproof. Most of my pens are acrylic the striking colours really appeal to more people than wood. But I do like a wood pen myself, although I cannot seem to sell many.

[@zippy3711]

If you don't have a 7mm drill you can also use a J letter drill.

[@photoartteacher903]

Great video, well explained and photographed BUT you never showed the poly finish - with soooo many videos on CA and Friction I didn't find much new information BUT there are essentially no videos on youtube showing the poly finish application -that would have been great to see. Also you never showed using the activator (would have been interesting to see your take on spraying the pen vs spraying a rag) you also never showed how to remove the bushing that are stuck to the pen after CA (the single hardest and most critical part of a CA finish approach). One of the best finishes for pens or anything is a french polished lacquer, which you didn't mention. I have a pen that was given to me 10 or 12 years ago it was a friction finish - it is now super dull almost looks like raw wood - I would never recommend that type of finish unless you have the ability to disassemble the pen every 5 years and reapply

[@TheWoodKnight]

At 26:42 I use activator. I spray it onto the pen. For getting CA off, use the point of a skew, or wax the bushings before hand. It was too cold at that time for me to do the poly finish successfully. French polish is shellac. Shellawax is a friction cured shellac based finish. Lacquer is beyond a hobbyist type finish in Australia, as you can really only get it in 4L (or larger) quantities, its not available in rattle cans or brushing lacquer.

[@olyduess]

I recently attempted my first pen, however I messed up and pushed the transmission in all the way into the blank, is there any way to remove it? I'm not opposed to having to make a brand new pen, i'm just curious.

[@TheWoodKnight]

+Justin Dowdy It depends on the pen kit. If it's a "7mm" pen (slim or streamline), you can (relatively!) easily knock the parts out using the appropriate disassembly punches, or steel bars the right size. PSI have a video on it using their kit kzbin.info/www/bejne/kILMqWWOit2LprM I have it, have used it, and it can be a bit hit and miss.

[@Dede0362]

bom dia amigo, onde adquirir este kit metálico para montar a caneta?

[@codybroadrick2427]

Digging the shirt 🤘

[@Blake.M04]

you have beautiful hands my dude

[@frankkirschner]

How do you tell what size a pen kit is? I've seen many ads that make no mention of size.

[@MrLaTEchno]

Alice Cooper ----ROCKS----.....oeps sorry . Your vids are also nice thnxs for the lesson of making a own home made pen. The effects on the pen are sometimes great to watch!!!

[@nevillegreg1]

DPTG - Can't find supplemental video on poly finishing.

[@TheWoodKnight]

Unfortunately I never had the time to do it due to it being too cold while filming the series (poly wasn't setting)

[@cameronw.2775]

Can someone please get to my question? It would really help me out! I was wondering if Pens can be completely custom in terms of the design or can you only choose designs on the wood that are already created and made to sell as a kit Thanks in advance

[@TheWoodKnight]

There are dozens of pen kits (the metal parts) to choose from. You can mix and match parts if you really want, or you could probably make your own parts if you've got access to a metal lathe, but there isn't a service that I'm aware of thats setup to make custom pen parts off the bat - you'd need to do a custom order through a machine shop. The "wood parts" can be straight wood, laminations, epoxy, inlays, acrylics, so there is a lot of variety there too.

[@cameronw.2775]

Paul Jenkins Thanks Paul for all that valuable information, really appreciate it

[@glencrandall8334]

A very informative video. Good presentation. However may I suggest you try keeping the motion of your hands down a bit. Your hands move so much I find it hard to see the bits and pieces you are demonstrating.

[@telstraoranamall7680]

Are you in Australia

[@timav71]

шикарная ручка. как переделаю токарный станок надо попробовать повторить

[@leongabrieltorresrodriguez2343]

Hola me puedes decir cómo puedo conseguir el herrajes para lápices como esos que tú ases xfavor

[@kiarajayani2765]

where can I get pen items, I mean metal parts, please help me to get those things

[@jojomoon2421]

How much time between the layers of ca glue?

[@TheWoodKnight]

+jojo moon it depends. Brand and viscosity effect it. I use medium CA, about 15-20s after spraying the activator - just enough time to put the rag in the bin and pickup a new one

[@Mr9uo]

Where is the abrasive belt bought?

[@petemac4428]

gr8 vid! thx!

[@carsonstephens2508]

What RPM were you turning at?

[@TheWoodKnight]

14:34 Max RPM that your lathe will do.

[@andrewswain443]

Good video except he used the press incorrectly. The tip goes into the white plug on his right side and not the silver part on his left. There is an indentation on the plastic white plug for the pen tip.

[@DJVoyagerXue]

It is 2022 now and that strip of blue paper towel is still permanently stuck to the floor with CA Glue 🤣

[@thebooca]

A buffer would easily cut out more than half your labor.

[@gregeastman6662]

back the cart up sir... i want to see how you got your C A glued bushings off you pen blanks .......

[@TheWoodKnight]

Lots of ways: Wax on the bushings and they'll pop off, or use HDPE and they won't stick, or use a sharp skew to slice them off

[@gregeastman6662]

@@TheWoodKnight was there any reason you didnt show the new turners that process ? i myself us the hdpe bushings

[@TheWoodKnight]

@@gregeastman6662 I don't have detailed logs of what my thought process was 6 years ago, sorry.