Pen Turner's Workbook, 3rd Edition Revised and Expanded E-Book

Barry Gross

• Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Seitenzahl: 166

Beschreibung

Learn to make pens that are both practical and beautiful! This revised and expanded edition of the penmaking classic offers new projects, new photographs, new materials, and new techniques. No detail has been left out, from choosing a lathe to pen turning basics and even marketing your work. Includes a new section on casting your own acrylic pen bodies, so you can customize by embedding unique artwork and memorabilia.

Leseprobe

Cover Photography: Scott Kriner

Gallery Photography: Scott Kriner and Greg Heisey

Interior Photography: Barry and Lenora Gross, and Scott Kriner

© 2003, 2006, 2013 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc.

Pen Turner’s Workbook is an original work, first published in 2003, revised in 2006, and revised and expanded in 2013 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc. The revisions include new photographs, information about new materials, and new projects. No part of this book may be duplicated for resale or distribution under any circumstances. Any such copying is a violation of copyright law.

Print ISBN: 978-1-56523-763-6eISBN: 978-1-6076-5906-8

Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Gross, Barry.

Pen turner’s workbook / Barry Gross. -- 3rd edition, revised & expanded.

      pages cm

Includes index.

Summary: “Learn to make pens that are both practical - and beautiful! In this newly revised edition, author and expert pen turner, Barry Gross provides new pen kits and mechanisms with up-to-date techniques, along with the in-dept instruction and creative ideas for both the novice and the experiences turner looking for new ideas. From choosing a lathe to pen turning basics and even marketing your work—no detail has been left out! Also included is a section on casting your own acrylic pen bodies, so you can customize by embedding your own artwork and memorabilia. Instructions for turning pens made from Corian(r), InLace, antler and other materials included. “-- Provided by publisher.

ISBN 978-1-56523-763-6 (pbk.)

1. Turning (Lathe work) 2. Pens. I. Title.

TT201.G755 2012

684’.083--dc23

2012028205

To learn more about the other great books from Fox Chapel Publishing, or to find a retailer near you, call toll-free 800-457-9112 or visit us at www.FoxChapelPublishing.com.

Note to Authors: We are always looking for talented authors to write new books. Please send a brief letter describing your idea to Acquisition Editor, 1970 Broad Street, East Petersburg, PA 17520.

Acknowledgments

You hear horror stories of deadlines and editors that are demanding—maybe that is the way it is with other publishers, but the organization that Alan Giagnocavo has assembled is top shelf. From my editors John Kelsey, Paul Hambke, and Peg Couch, to Paul McGahren and his sales team, the “family” at Fox Chapel makes it a pleasure to write books for them. I want to thank them for putting up with my hectic schedule and working around my needs.

This is the third book I have written for Fox Chapel, and my friend Ed Ryan continues to be my mentor through this process. Ed is still unselfishly teaching students turning, and his “ABC’s of tool techniques” is still the gold standard for students learning to turn. I want to thank Ed for showing me this technique and allowing me to pass it on to all of you.

—Barry Gross

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my best friend in life, my partner, my wife, Lenora, who always keeps encouraging and inspiring me to reach higher while never looking back! Analogous to the tree above with deep roots she keeps me grounded and without her unwavering support, this fifth book would not be possible.

Contents

Introduction

PART 1Gallery of Pens

PART 2Pen Turning Basics

Chapter 1: Setting Up Shop

Chapter 2: Selecting Materials

Chapter 3: Pen Plating and Styles

Chapter 4: Pen Blank Preparation

Chapter 5: Pen Turning Tool Techniques

Chapter 6: Dyeing and Staining

PART 3Turning Wooden Pens

Project 1: Slimline Pen

Project 2: Wire-Burned-Band Slimline Pen

Project 3: Corian Center-Banded Slimline Pen

Project 4: Double-Dyed Buckeye Burl Comfort Pen

Project 5: Acrywood Electra Rollerball Pen

Project 6: Spalted Tiger Oak Gatsby Click Pen

Project 7: Lacewood Cigar Pen

PART 4Turning Pens from Other Materials

Project 1: Cigar Corian Pen

Project 2: Acrylic Scrap Sectional Gatsby Pen Turned Between Centers (TBC)

Project 3: Phoenix Cholla Cactus Pen

Project 4: Electra Acrywood Rollerball Pen

Project 5: Gelwriter Classic Click Deer Antler Pen

Project 6: Inlace Genesis Electra Rollerball Pen

PART 5Turning Advanced Pens

Project 1: Segmented Pen

Project 2: Closed-End Amboyna Burl Statesman Pen

Project 3: Single Cross Pen

Project 4: Laser Pen Kits

Project 5: Casting Clear Acrylic Pen Blanks

PART 6FAQs and Troubleshooting

PART 7Marketing

Introduction

Creating your own masterpiece pen!

Since 2003 when the first Pen Turner’s Workbook was published, tens of thousands of pen turners have used my books as a reference guide to learn to turn pens. Some of you have created them for fun, others to earn extra income. No matter what your reasoning, you have turned to the Pen Turner’s Workbook and I want to personally thank you.

My objective for this book—the completely revised and expanded third edition of the Pen Turner’s Workbook—as well as for all my books is to approach the subject from the mind of the individual asking the question, “How do they do that?” This book will guide you step by step through your journey to creating the fine writing instrument you want to make, whether you want to work with a mother nature inspired piece of wood, an alternative material, or an acrylic blank you cast yourself. This instructional book is the definitive state-of-the-art guide you will need on your quest to learn the skills necessary to make a better pen for yourself and your customer.

This guide will discuss the fundamental skills you need to turn pens as well as the techniques used to create segmented pens and laser cut pens. You’ll also learn about working with biologicals, such as antler and snakeskin. All along the way, I’ll give you many tips and tricks to make your life easier when creating your masterpieces.

I will assist and guide the individual who has not decided which lathe to purchase and which turning tools are best suited for your particular skill set, and what are some of the other various pieces of shop equipment such as safety equipment and dust collection used in making pens. Tool techniques will be demonstrated to help you build skill quickly and avoid the dreaded dig-in with a skew chisel.

Selecting wood for larger pen styles will be discussed as well as a debate on what is the best pen plating to use in conjunction with any particular pen blank. We will look into wood dyes for coloring your wooden pen blank and alternate ways of preparing the same wooden pen blank to obtain three very distinct outcomes. An expanded “what do I do now” or the “oops” section will show you how to correct some of the common mistakes that everyone makes—myself included.

The book opens with a gallery section with some other very talented pen makers’ favorite masterpieces they have created. And the book closes with a gallery section to provide you with some ideas on how to market and display your work to maximize your efforts.

As I have stated in the past, life is too short to carry an ugly pen, so please join me in the workshop, and let’s get busy creating that one-of-a-kind fine writing instrument you will be proud to use and display!

You’ll learn how to make terrific pens like these by following the instructions in this book.

PART 1

Gallery of Pens

There are many very talented and skillful artisans who create wonderful, handmade, one-of-a-kind fine writing instruments. The pens that you will see in this gallery show the work of some of these “master pen makers.” The artists include Brian Gisi, Richard Kleinhenz, Anthony Turchetta, Mark Gisi, Seamus Rooney, Glenn McCullough, and myself—all of whom are members of the prestigious Pen Makers Guild. However, the gallery is just a sampling of work. There are many more very talented pen makers who are part of this organization, and everyone in the guild shares their experience and knowledge so that each member’s skill level can progress.

As your ability improves with each pen, the challenge will be to seek out other pen makers who could offer a different approach to pen making and to see if that method could be adapted to your individual style. The Internet is a great tool to research and discover other skilled craftsman. Observe them and absorb the information they offer on pen making because that will increase your ability to manufacture one-of-a-kind pens. I hope you enjoy these fine writing instruments!

This amazing array of pens is featured on the gallery pages.

BARRY GROSS

Elegant Beauty and Tycoon pens feature real snakeskin cast into the acrylic resin.

Tycoon Stars & Stripes, El Presidente green-dyed buckeye burl, closed-end Statesman amboyna burl with cigar label.

These pens feature Gatsby-style pen kits with Kallenshaan Woods laser-cut kits.

These pens are made using my new techniques for casting acrylic resin (see page). From left, Captain Morgan spiced rum label pen, watch pieces pen, and clear-cast Sierra Vista fishing fly lures.

The top pen is made from a shotgun shell with pheasant feathers and antler. The pen on the right is made from walrus oosik with a Gatsby pen kit.

These closed-end pens feature clear-cast cigar bands, with a custom cigar box to match the cigar bands.

RICHARD KLEINHENZ

Richard Kleinhenz is a member of the Pen Maker’s Guild and has been creating beautiful pens as a hobby since the mid-1990s. He uses both a wood lathe and a metal lathe to make his pens from a variety of materials.

The top pen is made from a hard, rubber material called Cumberland. The closed-end shape is turned on a pin chuck. The center band and finial trim is also made from Cumberland. The bottom pen is an 18-karat Swiss rose gold regency pen made of katalox.

SEAMUS ROONEY

Seamus Rooney is a member of the Pen Maker’s Guild who uses a scroll saw to cut his coins and casts them in clear resin to create these wonderful pens. Seamus has been casting pens for over six years and has developed his own special style.

Seamus Rooney’s Titanic pen (top) is an Emperor Rollerball. He replaced the cap with a liquid-filled compass and layered the barrel with three coins in clear-cast acrylic. Australian pen (middle) is an Atrax fountain pen with a coin pierced and clear casted. At bottom, the pen barrel is a 30-06 Upshaw bullet with a pierced Texas quarter and clear cast in polyresin.

GLENN MCCULLOUGH

Glenn McCullough is an independent pen maker who incorporates exotic woods, antler, and resins into his pens. The accents he uses are precious metals such as rhodium, platinum, titanium, and sterling silver. Glenn is a member of the Pen Maker’s Guild.

McCullough’s Junior Retro rhodium rollerball is made from Trustone, Corian, acrylic, and guitar pick guard material.

Glenn McCullough presents a gentleman’s rhodium fountain pen in curly koa and alternative casein.

McCullough’s Platinum El Presidente curly ash and black acrylic pen incorporates guitar pick guard material and sterling silver wire accents.

ANTHONY TURCHETTA

Anthony Turchetta has been making pens for over ten years and creates a number of fascinating pieces using many acrylic type materials. Anthony is also a member of the Pen Makers Guild as well as other pen making groups.

 Amber Ripple, a closed-end fountain pen, is made from Italian Lucite with a 14-karat solid gold nib.

This statesman fountain pen is made from orange and black swirl ebonite with a 14-karat solid gold nib. The rope pattern was cut on a legacy mill and then hand sanded.

BRIAN AND MARK GISI

Brian and Mark Gisi are a father-and-son team who are both members of the Pen Makers Guild. They started with a pen turning class at a local woodworking store over ten years ago and they have advanced pen making to another level. Brian calls this latest series his “exoskeleton” series and Mark still uses very complicated segmented pieces to create is works of art.

Carbon Torpedo pen by Brian Gisi features integrated hand-carved aluminum support structures with titanium rod accents. Brian has incorporated carbon fiber tubes and support beams with an intricate fin system of plate titanium.

Brian Gisi’s Black Widow pen features hand-cut titanium plates fitted over a carbon fiber tube with hand-turned acrylic and aluminum frame components assembled with more than 50 brass screws.

Mark Gisi combines rosewood cylinders and titanium bars with amboyna and buckeye burls in random angle patterns, accented with orange and black Gisi Designs with a custom carbon fiber clip.

Mark Gisi accents green-dyed buckeye and acrylics with color grain in vee and straight line patterns. The fine lines are made from green and white Gisi Designs accenting material with a custom carbon fiber clip.

PART 2

Pen Turning Basics

Creating and turning pens is an exciting hobby that will afford you hours of enjoyment and relaxation. The thrill of creating something useful and beautiful with your own hands from the variety of materials available to pen turners, will keep you engaged for quite a long time. Stunning pens can be turned using everything from manmade materials to wood and acrylics you cast yourself. This section will show you the particulars of mini-lathes and turning tools, materials for pens, and basic turning techniques from the perspective and the goal of turning great pens.

The skew chisel cuts a smooth and clean surface on the pen blank.

CHAPTER 1

Setting Up Shop

The heart of your workshop will be your lathe. If you have yet to purchase one or if you are looking to purchase a new one, I have included some guidelines to aid you in your decision-making process. We’ll also take a look at some of the other tools that are useful when making pens.

Choosing a lathe

Purchasing a lathe is a personal choice, and one that cannot be made solely on the recommendations of others! When considering the purchase of a lathe, take time to ask yourself the following questions.

What Type of Turning Will You Want to Accomplish?

Lathes come in a variety of sizes and styles, and it is important to identify the type of turning you would like to do before you make a purchase. Investing in the wrong type of lathe can limit the number and variety of pieces that you can create. And, if you are a beginner, the wrong type of lathe purchase can make your first turning experience less than wonderful!

For this book, I used a variable-speed mini-lathe. As the name suggests, mini-lathes are smaller than regular full-size lathes (see Figure 1.2) and are particularly well suited to smaller projects such as pens, pencils, bottle stoppers, ornaments, boxes, smaller bowls, and vessels (see Figure 1.1).

Will You Concentrate your Energies Strictly on Pens?

Turning is a great hobby and, even if you only turn pens, there will be more than enough pens to keep you very busy. Pens come in all shapes and sizes and can be made from a variety of materials including, but not limited to, all sorts of domestic and exotic hardwoods, stabilized woods, antler, plastics, acrylics, and solid surface materials such as Corian.

In this book, you will learn how to turn many different pen styles. You will also learn to turn a sampling of some of the most common materials used in turning pens. Using your imagination to combine different styles and materials will keep you busy with a never-ending array of projects for your new hobby.

Are You Interested in Turning Smaller Bowls or Vessels Now or Possibly in the Future?

As mentioned before, the mini-lathe is a great tool for a variety of additional small projects, including miniature bowls, lidded boxes, assorted spindle projects, and much more. If you are even remotely interested in expanding your hobby to include more than pens, you’ll want to take that interest into consideration when choosing a lathe.

Figure 1.1. Mini-lathes, like this Jet mini-lathe, are smaller than regular-size lathes and are well suited to smaller projects.

How Much Money Are You Willing to Commit to your Purchase?

Lathes vary greatly in price depending on the manufacturer and the accessories included. General pricing can run anywhere from around one hundred to hundreds of dollars. Again, think long and hard about how you want to use your lathe. Buying a more expensive lathe now may make better use of your money than buying an inexpensive lathe and then a second more expensive lathe shortly thereafter.

How Much Room Do You Have to Devote to your Lathe?

Mini-lathes are just that: miniature lathes. They measure approximately three feet across and about one foot wide. They are perfectly suited to smaller workshop areas, such as those in a garage or a corner of a basement. My mini-lathe fits comfortably in my one-car garage, and it shares that space with a dust collector, a band saw, a contractor’s table saw, a scroll saw, a wide variety of shop tools, and uncounted blocks and boards of wood that will soon turn into beautiful lathe projects.

Are You Interested in a Floor-Mounted Lathe or a Benchtop Lathe?

Your choice of a floor-mounted lathe or a benchtop lathe is determined by the amount of workspace you have (see Figures 1.1 and 1.2). Choose a benchtop lathe if space is limited. If you choose a benchtop lathe, make sure that the bench is positioned correctly so that you aren’t turning on a lathe that’s too low or too high. Make sure that your lathe is bolted to your bench top to avoid vibration.A floor-mounted lathe should have a sturdy mount, preferably one specifically designed for the lathe.

Do You Want a Belt-Driven Lathe or One with a Variable Speed Control?

Switching belts can take time out of your schedule, and, if you are someone who has a limited amount of time to turn, you may opt for the variable speed control (see Figure 1.3). Since the first edition of ThePen Turner’s Workbook was written, I have switched over to a variable-speed mini-lathe for both the convenience of not having to change belts and the ease of use when applying my finishes.

Figure 1.2. A floor-mounted lathe, like this 14" Jet lathe, will work well for a variety of projects if you have the necessary space for it in your workshop.

Figure 1.3. A lathe that requires switching belts to change speeds can be very inefficient if time is limited. Lathes with variable-speed controls (inset) change speeds with the simple turn of a knob.

TIPS FOR CHOOSING A MINI-LATHE

1. Visit various woodworking outlets and inspect the lathes for the features that are important to you.

2. Check the Internet for reviews of the lathe you are interested in purchasing.

3. Personally test as many of these lathes as you can. Do not just let the salesperson demonstrate the lathe to you. In most cases, the salesperson will be very proficient on his or her piece of equipment.

4. Turn the lathe on and listen to it. Change speeds on the lathe either by changing the belt (now you will see how difficult it is to change the speed) or by using the dial on the lathe with a variable speed control.

5. Place your hand on the headstock and note how much vibration the lathe is generating. Conduct the point-to-point test (see Figure 1.4). Insert a drive spur with a point into the headstock and insert a live center with a point into the tailstock and bring the two together. Now turn the lathe on and check for accuracy. If the points do not line up precisely point to point even while running, walk away and do not look back, even if the salesperson is offering a “great” deal. If the lathe doesn’t run straight, nothing you turn will be straight. Remember the old axiom: it is always best to afford the best you can because quality usually is reflective of the price.

6. Finally, check that the lathe you intend to purchase is manufactured by a reputable company, and find out exactly what the warranty includes.

Figure 1.4. Check the accuracy of the lathe by doing a point-to-point test with the headstock and the tailstock.

Ancillary equipment