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Lathe for making pens

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SuzukiGS750EZ

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I'm hoping I'm in the right section... I'd like to purchase my first lathe. I haven't used a lathe yet but want to start making pens. A wood lathe won't work as I need to hold a mandrel to work on. I don't know much about them... pricing... etc.
 
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BigMike782

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A wood lathe works fine if you buy a mandrel that fits the spindle taper.
No. 2 Morse taper is very common. I have made a dozen or so pens on my wood lathe.
 
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SuzukiGS750EZ

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cvairwerks said:
Are you going to be turning metal or wood? Metal lathes do not like having wood turned on them due to the machine design. It can be done, but the post work cleaning gets to be quite intensive, as the wood particles invade everything.
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Wood turning. Its been recommended to me by other people who make pens to get a mini lathe that turns metal.
 
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bugnut

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I have made both wood and acrylic pens using my older SBL. It's not great as the lathe is slow compared to what a small pen turning lathe runs in rpms. It works and produces good pens. I would be looking for more rpms. I would suggest upwards of 2000. Enjoy the pen making!
 
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HoosierBuddy

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Conventional wisdom is do not cut wood on a metal working machine, but I do it all the time. I've cut several pens on my SBL Heavy 10 in everything from titanium to zebra wood. Mine is set up with a 3 phase motor and VFD so I can overdrive the motor to up to 2 times rated speed, but I don't do that. I just run it on the highest pulley and maybe tweak the phase from 60 HZ to say 75 HZ. It's fast enough to work.

I also frequently use my old Millrite milling machine to mill wood when needed and even to make dovetails. 99% of what I used to do on my router table, I now do on my mill. It's just easier for me.

PHil
 
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kelpaso1

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For small mini lathes there are Sherline and Taig lathes. I had a Taig and was able to make many cool small things.
 
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Aaron_W

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Sherlines are really nice (and very small). Popular with pen, model and clock makers. They offer a ton of accessories.

Sherline


Taig is their nearest competitor. Both are made in USA. Personally I find Taig much less user friendly, from a clunky website to confusing packages. Seems like more of a DIY machine. They do have a lot of fans though.

Taig


I have a Sherline lathe and mill, happy with both and I have found the company to provide excellent service.


You also have the various Chinese 7" and 8" mini lathes to choose from.
 
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manwithtools

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SuzukiGS750EZ said:
What do you all think about the jet 1015vs?
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Perfect for making pens, my wife has made 100's of pens and bottle stoppers on one like that. It can do other small projects too. A bigger lathe can come later if you are so inclined.

I hope you don't think you will make a business out of making the pens. Folks are just not willing to pay what it costs to make a unique pen from exotic wood. If you are doing it for fun, it's a great hobby.
 
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SuzukiGS750EZ

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manwithtools said:
Perfect for making P\pens, my wife has made 100's of pens and bottle stoppers on one like that. It can do other small projects too. A bigger lathe can come later if you are so inclined.

I hope you don't think you will make a business out of making the pens. Folks are just not willing to pay what it costs to make a unique pen from exotic wood. If you are doing it for fun, it's a great hobby.
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A little of both, don't kill my dreams. I mostly want to do it for gifts, friends, e.t.c but if I can sell a few even if for a couple bucks, I'd be happy.
 
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manwithtools

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SuzukiGS750EZ said:
A little of both, don't kill my dreams. I mostly want to do it for gifts, friends, e.t.c but if I can sell a few even if for a couple bucks, I'd be happy.
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No cream killing here, only some reality. Hand made pens as gifts are some of the most appreciated items you can give. I wish we would have had our laser engraver when she was turning the pens - that's something that can sell - personalized hand made pens. Still won't make a fortune, but good luck :thumbup:
 
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manwithtools

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Looks okay - I'm not a big fan of PennState stuff - they have tried to become their own brand and don't really offer anything extra if you look under the hood. I'd choose the Jet mini lathe for pens specifically and then buy a serious lathe if you are inclined to take on bigger stuff. It's a hobby that you can ease into. Lathes are only part of the cost, tools and accessories add up fast.
 
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SuzukiGS750EZ

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manwithtools said:
Looks okay - I'm not a big fan of PennState stuff - they have tried to become their own brand and don't really offer anything extra if you look under the hood. I'd choose the Jet mini lathe for pens specifically and then buy a serious lathe if you are inclined to take on bigger stuff. It's a hobby that you can ease into. Lathes are only part of the cost, tools and accessories add up fast.
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Is .5hp jet to 1hp penn that big a difference?
 
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Aaron_W

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If you decide to go with a small wood lathe like that Jet instead of a small metal lathe take a look at Craigslist, I see small wood lathes cheap quite often.
 
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terry603

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i chose a year ago the nova comet 2 lathe. everything seems to be a compromise, size of bowl you can turn, veritable, or multi speed. length of bed
i chose this because of the 12" bowl capacity,plus veritable speed, not the cheapest, not the most.
 
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