What supplies for bigger pens?

[Stytooner]

Okay fellas. I have successfully got my FIL hooked on pen turning. Now we have both had our hands in turning slimlines. These are very easy. We would like to progress into cigar and Euro/designer type pens now. I rarely get a chance to turn one, but he is retired and turns all the time now. He just enjoys it and basically gives them away at Church and stuff.
What type things do we need to turn these pens?
I know we need bushings for each. Don't we need a different mandrel as well? Thanks guys. Just looking to get this sorted out the easy way.

[Habe]

Lee
Look at the woodcraft site. They have an info page that tells what drill bits, bushings, etc. you need for each pen kit. You can also print out the assembly instructions for the different kits so you know before you buy if it is a kit you want to do.

[mudder]

Listen carefully Grasshopper and I will try to lay some knowledge on you:

Woodcraft is very nice and I buy a lot from my local store but there are cheaper alternatives.

By far the best is my friend Bill Baumbeck:

http://www.arizonasilhouette.com/

Bill sells blanks that will knock your socks off!

Next up and tied for second best is another friend, Sheila Crosby:

http://pocwoodworking.com/

Nearly everything you can get from PSI you can get CHEAPER from Sheila and she ships faster!

Tied with Sheila for second with good cigar kits at a very affordable price is Ryan and the boyz at Woodturningz:

http://www.woodturningz.com/CigarPenKits.aspx

They sell more that is listed on their website but you'll have to call and ask them for it. They also handle PSI stuff.

Each of the above listed companies are truly top notch. I have ordered several times from each and never been disappointed. They are all good folks who will go out of their way to help you, they have fair prices, exemplary customer service, and fast shipping.

And last but not least you still have the old stand-by’s

Penn State Industries (PSI):

http://www.pennstateind.com/

Craft Suppiles USA:

http://woodturnerscatalog.com/

And Berea Hardwoods:

http://www.bereahardwoods.com/

And of course Woodcraft online:

http://www.woodcraft.com/

These are all fine companies and I have purchased from each and have had great service But they are not as inexpensive as the first three I listed.


Here now ends this lesson.

[Stytooner]

Thanks Guys.
I have ordered some stuff through Pennstate and usually get pen kits from Woodturningz.
They are good, cheap and fast.
To clarify the question I have, can I turn 8mm pens on a 7mm mandrel?
I know I will need bushings, but how do the tubes work if this is possible. I figure that I will need 10mm mandrel and bushings for those, but I read somewhere about using the &mm mandrel for the 8mm penkits. I have looked at many sites and haven't found an acceptable difinitive answer.
Thanks again. Scott, those are some good links.

[Maax]

Lee, What Mudder said, also with each different pen kit, you'll probably need a different drill bit. The different mandrel usually is needed for kits from Bereahardwoods so that might not be a issue for you. Other than that your good to go.

[Scottydont]

Yeah what Mudder said! Lee you amy or may not have already checked out www.pentuners.org there is a tremendous amout of help avail. there. They are about as friendly and helpful as the BT3Central folks.

[Ken Massingale]

Yeah, what mudder, Maxx and Scott said.
ken

[Tom Miller]

Lee,

The short answer is that you still use your 7mm mandrel, and the tube ends fit onto a two-step bushing that is pen-project-dependent. The first step of the bushing is what takes up the slack between the 7mm mandrel and your 10mm pen tube, and the second step is your guide for turning.

Regards,
Tom

[mater]

I use the bushings Tom talked about on a 7mm mandrel to do cigar pens on 10mm tubes.

[Jim Boyd]

I won't say nothing cause it's all been said

[Stytooner]

Thanks Guys.
Just what I wanted to know. I don't have to have a mandrel for every ocaision as long as I have the right bushings. That makes the prospect of turning things other than slimlines a little less costly than I had imagined.

[gerti]

Berea is the only company I know of that uses a thicker Mandrel for the bigger kits. They use A (7mm) and B (bigger) in their bushing designations to indicate which mandrel is used.

So for all others: same mandrel, but specific bushings and drills for each kit.

Gerd