Turn Your First Pen: - Mandrel (Pen) Turning - Turning Basics #03 - Pen Turn - Part Two

[@soldier4christ172]

How does this video not have more comments!?? This man knows his stuff and is an incredible teacher. I appreciate the love and depth he places into sharing this craft. I am blessed to be starting on the same machine he is using here. Making it easy to follow along for the class. Thank you for all you do.

[@Its_Me_Wheelz]

This video is 2 years old, and I can't believe I have had to search so hard to find it. This is golden stuff here most want you to pay them to hear and its ant even this good.

[@darhym0]

I’m going to get some of these little tools and get my lathe going again. I like your style of teaching!

[@paintilludrop]

My library in Fl.has a free Foundry..I have learn to make slimline pens, now making a roller pen out of oak stair banister..upcycle. Love turning!! 67 year old women artist

[@davidjennings2733]

Great Content and thank you for sharing. I have come back from a hiatus of not doing much in the garage for well over a year, if not 2 years. I cleaned out the garage, re-organized and now it's a pleasure to work in there again. Turned a couple of pens last night for my granddaughters and a couple of rings. I use carbide tools for them and don't seem to have any problems. I have both the traditional tools for turning and also carbide. As you indicated, they both have their place in the world of turning. Using the round carbide cutter seems to work well in the acrylics. I have some stabilized wood blanks that will be turning into the slimline pens and will use my gouge for that. Still don't trust myself on the Skew as of yet, I tried years ago but I don't have the skill set yet to use it effectively. Anyway, thank you for the video, great stuff.

[@tome.8999]

Wish my teachers back in school were like you. You're a great teacher.

[@kittyvonrosco8116]

Recently purchased a lathe. Brand new to pen turning (wood turning in general!) and this is the most thorough series I've come across!

[@bobhepple5752]

Just starting out in Pen Making Love the video I usually find these mind numbing and puts me to sleep but your way of putting over the information kept me engaged just Love it...

[@nonfacebookuser5867]

I've berm searching making poems sms this is BY FAR the most comprehensive vid I have seen. Thank you Shawn

[@alanhill769]

I have just got my lathe and I ordered my acrylic blanks a while ago, Now I have ordered wet and dry emery pads and my slimline packs. I am beginning to get excited. Thanks for the video. This looks like a wonderful hobby.

[@MrProman55]

Thanks for the very comprehensive instructions. I have yet to make my first pen but after watching this,. all my questions have been answered

[@Mechanic1945]

Brill video. I find it hard to remain engaged listening to tutorials but was enthused throughout with yours. Grand job.

[@briankelly6645]

Shawn, you usual excellent combination of show and tell instruction. You not only demonstrate but you also explain why you are doing what you do.

[@lightburning9693]

You are truly a great teacher. Thanks so much for your time and effort.

[@garysevior8602]

mate what you show in your KZbin was great for a beginner. I am just leaning how to turn wood and the small tips was explained properly and easy to follow. well done

[@harveysburger]

Great video, I clicked on it thinking I wouldn't watch to the end, after all I just went through a dozen pen turning video.... But I was very wrong! Great delivery, great tips. I watched every second and will watch the full series Thanks! Liked and subscribed!

[@DarksouIjah]

Turned my first pen last night(I took a class). I didn't want to stop. It's so much fun. Already looking at pen kits to give as gifts.

[@mikepullen8028]

Never really appealed to make a pen, but after your video I must say very impressed going to have a go thanks for your time and effort

[@slurryoffagrape]

Hello from the UK.... Great video, and shines with experience, shown in the attention to detail and tips that usually only get learned from 'doing' it, and a lot of it at that. I learned a lot and enjoyed it too. Proper job, old son.

[@robharold4783]

WOW one of the best I've seen thank you

[@MelkeinMaalla]

Thanks for a great video! Your approach on per turning is different from other videos I have seen, as they seem to use kits in which you glue the metal tubes inside the blank early in the process and then put it on the lathe and trim to that length. It often seems like a mess. My mandrel has a tailstock blade to trim the wood into the level of the metal tube. The way you put the pen together without that glueing mess is more of what I would like to do. I have used the madrel to make wooden beads for jewelry, but will try a pen next. I also have a live center kit that has a mandrel saver head, it is a tube with the same inner diameter than the madrel. I allows using the pressure of the tailstock on the wood, while the mandrel slides inside the tube and there is no risk bending it. Highly recommend! Mine is from Record Power from the UK. Loved how you used the roughing gouge - I have started to appreciate my big roughing gouge using very high speeds. Its shape gives a straight shape so easily as the wings are so far apart and for that reason it naturally looks for a 90 degree angle on the working piece if you allow it to touch it on a slightly unconventional angle so that the wings touch the piece and not only the very bottom of the gouge U-shape. On that angle it works as something like a scraper and works great on some woods. I do not have a flat scraper (...yet, LOL) and my skew is sharpened with a mild curve on it as it prevents catching.

[@Wolfie-Crafts]

Great video, thanks. I hit the subscribe button and looking forward to more.

[@aliabazaid4293]

very important and useful information... Well done

[@caleblee8215]

Man thank u for just a in depth instructional video I was scared to death to do my first pen but this really helped me out. Thank you!!

[@lendernunez9094]

Man you are such an artist and you really enjoy what you do, keep it that way because it’s just perfectly performing everyday!

[@zachariahsmith4594]

This is the most informational video I have seen. 🙏

[@beardedwoodpecker]

Excellent tutorial!!!!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us Yiannis (Athens Greece)

[@SB-cl6hv]

Great teacher.

[@fielderknivesandpens3552]

Love your content. I’m new to pen turning but have made quite a few now. I learn more every time I watch your videos. Keep teaching for us guys who need to learn. Much appreciated.

[@Bowman2B]

Cheers mate . Was thinking about making pens ,now I will .

[@mortenolesen1772]

You are my hero and inspiration. You are partially to blame for the lathe delivered to my garage yesterday. I have been dying to try to turn bowls, boxes, mushroms and tops since seeing your vids. Now I want to turn a pen since watching the first 2 parts of mandrel turning. Cant wait for pen turning part 3 to go live. Luv luv luv

[@gloriosatierra]

You are a good teacher. 🤝🏼

[@lVl1GGL3]

I love this series as I have turned a few pens but have learned quite a few things from this series so far. Thanks for the great (in-depth) videos.

[@r.mercado9737]

Outstanding!

[@davidmc8764]

I like how you do things & you enjoy what your doing. I must say your a influence, I saw your pin press & the way it works & me being a tad lazy I now to have the same one. Thanks

[@tylerkrug7719]

I'd totaly watch more videos,but I don't typically have 30 mins to a hour to watch a video. Il have to catch up on some more videos someday. Thank you

[@adamlovestobuild97]

Excellent video

[@MikeDooley]

Great video, great teacher, I learned a ton

[@trahtrebor]

The rule of 3rds. Lol Great instruction. Thanks.

[@robertlumsden942]

this was excellent. thanks

[@mileshh515]

Watched the entire first video. Thanks again!

[@danboy6681]

Outstanding presentation…well done !

[@MrBgallo]

well done watched so many vids on pen turning but you explained everything so much better thank you , enjoyed the vid

[@plakor6133]

Very helpful. Thanks! Have not seen pen turning and assembly before.

[@bazookaproof2]

Thank you for making these videos, thinking about playing around with this so getting my homework in.

[@aarondsalberg]

Very thoughtful, well presented.

[@benjaminryan5015]

Dude, I made my first pen following your video! Thank you so much!!! Brilliant instructions and the step by step guide really helped me to get through it 😎👍🏻

[@tylerkrug7719]

Great video! You know your stuff

[@lesliem.lengyel7648]

I was hoping to see CA on the pen. the show was still interesting. I LEARN A LOT...

[@angelaburt3266]

Superb stuff. Thanks

[@JDeWittDIY]

You're an excellent teacher, thanks!

[@judiehammond]

So helpful. Well done!

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

Good stuff! Instead of a squirt bottle, use a small damp sponge. Squirting waterfrom a bottle causes rust/etc., on the lathe bed and tooling. A damp sponge allows you to place water only on the work. Another option is a small 1" sponge brush or paint brush.

[@MugsMalarky]

Haven't started yet but he makes me think I may actually be able to do it.

[@loucinci3922]

Fantastic lesson. Can't wait to see the new tools in action. Thanks for sharing.

[@whild017]

I learn so much from your videos thank you. Your very thorough and explain the differences between doing this versus that which helps alot to see it rather than just another video saying do this cause this wont work which doesn't help anything. Thank you keep up the awesome content

[@tonysmith3143]

Awesome job

[@Tim.Traveler]

I like your disks for sanding and the little velcro pad. Where can I find those?

[@aaaasddddddddddddfff]

Great video... where/when is part 3 coming you mentioned?

[@garetkonigsfeld2]

That is my favorite pen. Where I buy it its call the Toni Twist. Thanks for sharing 👍.

[@nitrousblast1]

Hello, great series of videos. I’m new to lathe work, I’ve been hand carving spoons and such and using wet wood. I have heard turning bowls and other things that I should use wet wood as it turns easier. For pens and bottle stoppers should I use wet or dry wood? Thanks

[@hangingoutwithronwalters4505]

Thanks for everything. Do you have any videos on mini lathes for smaller budgets?

[@kensurratt2729]

IMHO a (Turn Between Centers Mandrel ) gives a better result. After I learned Bowl Turning from your videos , I decided to try Pen turning, been at it a couple yrs now. Sold a few online, I found the TBCM was a better turn, it gave better control. The bar mandrel has a tendency to bow.

[@stevecorry2118]

I don't know if I have seven years of experience or one year seven times. This was a great video with things I didn't know. I use my drill press to square the ends of my blank and it doesn't work, so now I will try doing it with the hand drill. I didn't know to go from the high point down to the end. How does one know if the lathe will go in a reverse direction? Thank you.

[@carlosrodriguezjr80]

Thank you 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@deanlipska549]

Good video. Do you have a video of taking the pen apart? Sometimes, I make mistakes.

[@wortheffort]

You can't really. It's a compression fit so the brass is expanded. Won't fit as well the second time. Hence figure in a little waste when working out pricing when you batch out hundreds.

[@dannyhathcock7963]

I like the sanding pad that you used, is there a link for that product?

[@jshanab42]

When I saw the part of the video where you are lining up the grain and removing as little as possible I thought maybe it would be good instead to attempt to remove about the thickness of your center spacer. But it did end up that way with the facing operation. ( Just starting with wood, years turning metal :-) )

[@alanscrivner1881]

Great tutorial and advice - - as you always do. For those without a drill press, you might show how to drill out a blank on the lathe. For production work, the drill press is best, but for a one-off or for those just getting started without all the tools, one can do it on the lathe and definitely safer and more accurate than a hand drill.

[@wortheffort]

Remember me saying this was one long video cut up? That was covered in first part talking about jacobs chucks with Morris taper.

[@frankkirschner]

How do you tell what size a pen kit is? I bought several kits, and the ad didn't mention the size, and there are no instructions with them. Thanks. Great video. Very helpful.

[@wortheffort]

Go to manufactures website. Download info/instructions.

[@mystic9696]

If I don't have that type of friction polish for finishing, what are some other options? I have past wax, beeswax, shellac, walnut oil and other types of finishes.

[@oxymoron-om5xm]

i thought 55 mins was gonna be too long....how wrong was i..... excellent tutorial...thanks for inspiring

[@theretrogeek2281]

Hello can you tell me where I can buy a sanding pad like that to use different sandpaper in one pad as seen in 40:07 thanks.

[@BlessWoodworking]

Can you tell where you got the plastic box you keep your pen kits in?

[@acidfacejake3739]

Hey mate, I noticed around the 36:00 mark that your tool rest is pretty high in relation to your piece. I know the rule is that the cutting edge of your tool should be at the centerline of the piece as you ride the bevel, except for scrappers, depending on the grind. Is the height of yours specific to that tool that you were using?

[@wortheffort]

skews are higher

[@wortheffort]

Dude, camera angle.....

[@mt11235]

Re: costs, wood turners catalog has their own line of "Apprentice" pens that for the slimline are just over a couple bucks. Not sure how they compare, seem fine to me, but when making my first couple pens it was no worries since with blanks I was still less than $5 a try. Although looks like Berea has a starter kit with bushings, 15 kits and blanks, and the drill bit for $54. Hard to beat that price.

[@BrentDaughertyMe]

Really enjoying the series. My main interest in getting a lathe was making bowls and the occasional spindle for furniture and what not. That said, I appreciate the details on making pens and definitely plan on making a few now that I know what's involved. I didn't even think about that the internal hardware could be a pencil instead of a pen, so I'll definitely be making one of those for myself as I tend to use pencils in my woodworking more than pens. Did you say the other videos in the series are already available for patreon members? I really appreciate the videos, you're a good teacher and you deserve to be compensated for such quality content.

[@wortheffort]

Not yet but I have others. See my turning playlist or search .’turn your first”: bowl, box….

[@Charles-q4l5q]

I use the Zebra Z grip click pen parts as my pen kit to make turned pens on my lathe. No inner sleeves with this method. This pen writes better than a Slimline. Total cost to make a turned pen is less than $3.

[@Mark_L]

I learned that your pen press has an upgrade that mine does not. My press has a knob that tightness down to secure the distance the press is open to. I need to fuss with the knob when changing the opening and it doesn’t hold that well. So I need to figure how to fashion a modification. I should br able to use a hardwood to make pieces that will ride on a rod. We will see.

[@garypodger7548]

Hi Shawn, thank you for this series…BRILLIANT!! Would you have an affiliate link to the plastic ’parts’ boxes that you use? Cheers Gary (from Downunder)

[@jerjavec]

Very nice video, lots of great information! I know you briefly talked about the CA finish when you were putting the friction polish on, how do you feel about the long term viability of the two finishes? I personally prefer the friction polish finish (I like the feel of it better than the more plastic feel of the CA -- and I'd be lying if I said I didn't prefer the speed of the friction polish vs. the CA), but I'm concerned about how they will stand up compared to the CA finish. Have you ever had customer complaints? Thanks again for what you are doing here!

[@Shouw72]

You're an inspirational teacher. I'm a grade school teacher and have just got into this hobby. I've made a bunch of pens so far, but would like to set myself up similarly to you. I see I can buy the tubes as a separate part from the kits, but can I purchase all the parts like you have separately, or do you have to buy the whole kit? If so, what's the point of buying the tubes in bulk, if I can't buy the parts in bulk? Do you see my dilemma ? Can you point me in the right direction to build up some supplies? Many thanks for your great videos. Keep up the wonderful work. Best regards.

[@rkdv]

I like to add a subtle round to each end of the wood before assembly, this removes the sharp edge if the bushing and parts do not match diameter.

[@diggernash1]

The memories of armor plated fingers after build RC plane kits...before the foam wonders

[@Evel1847]

Ribbed for your pleasure!!! Hahaha that’s great

[@bigosnation]

When drilling the hole, is there a reason why the wood is clamped corner to corner instead of on the flat edge? Edit: I figured it out. It's to ensure the block and bit remain square to each other so the hole is straight.

[@ClaudeAdrienNoel]

Where can we find the pen parts, which company.

[@delirious772]

Where can I find the next video?

[@wortheffort]

Not done yet

[@Casey.Wilson]

Have you suspended or terminated the turning basic series?

[@wortheffort]

Mo

[@tomjudkins3799]

I dont see any after this video either. Thanks for posting these, I've found them very helpful!

[@tomdyson4318]

Have you considered time stamps on long videos like these?

[@wortheffort]

You mean like the Table of Content I put in the description of long videos?

[@tomdyson4318]

@@wortheffort yep! Just like that! 😅 sorry mate!

[@pauleyedwin6056]

Where is next part?

[@geek2nurse]

I can't find the pen turning part 3 video -- where are you hiding it???

[@wortheffort]

still working on it.

[@johnmeeks9618]

You should tell folks that placement of the clip can be used to cover issues in the wood you might have in the peace.

[@wortheffort]

I discussed clip coverage.

[@jarmstrong2843]

I’d like to know from those who turn pens regularly. In generalities, Is this a profitable endeavor? I realize this is an open ended question and wonder if I should pursue to supplement income during retirement.

[@wortheffort]

Wait for next video.

[@jarmstrong2843]

@@wortheffort K. Thank you, Shawn.

[@davidjennings2733]

I myself do not turn pens or anything for profit so to speak, I just enjoy the hobby for what it is and enjoy giving the pens away to friends and family. That gives me more joy than trying to sell them. Every place you go to, town sales or swap meets, wherever, you see someone selling pens. So do as you will but selling them is not my thing, just enjoy the hobby of turning and creating a beautiful pen.

[@littlebit8901]

Never throw a piece of wood away! you monster! lol

[@justinfletcher7630]

I feel like pens are the last thing people would want to spend money on

[@gfishin1332]

Why are you so against carbide turning tools. My friend Amos turns with carbide and sells lots of very beautiful pens. I am just starting to turn and the carbide allowed me to turn almost immediately...and I didn't need to spend a lot of money on a sharpening system or take the time to learn how to use it. I realize that if I get more involved with turning, I may want to switch.

[@wortheffort]

They have there place. Just not here. And if you watch the earlier parts of this series you’ll see, even when including a sharpening system for just the $25 gouge used in this video, it’s cheaper. It takes 10 seconds and almost no skill to sharpen the gouge used in this video. If you already recognize you’ll switch then you recognize starting out carbide means you’ll pay double. So why not learn….

[@jefferybilling9093]

Sorry hit thumbs down by mistake