Two Zens Today

[Whaler]

I turned these this morning.
Black T/N with Amboyna Burl and a Gold with Masur Birch. They are finished with 6 coats of blo/ca.

[dbhost]

Makes me want to run home and spin up a few of my own. Then I remember, I am still at the point where I am lucky to get stuff ROUND on the lathe, let alone anything like that... Anyway, no mandrels here...

Sure is pretty stuff you spin though... I really like that birch. But then again what's not to like about a blonde with good figure?

[gad5264]

Dick, I really like your combination choices.

How do you like the Zen kits? I have turned about 10 of them and really like them but have heard others say they don't care for them.

[Uncle Cracker]

Lookin' good, Dick...

[Richard in Smithville]

Man, those are sweet!

[Whaler]

Dick, I really like your combination choices.

How do you like the Zen kits? I have turned about 10 of them and really like them but have heard others say they don't care for them.

They have turned into my favorite kit to do and I carry one as my everyday pen. Love the way you can show off a beautiful piece of wood or acrylic on one.

[RAFlorida]

Those are some good looking pens!

Turn a few more and enjoy the comfort of using a REAL pen.

[MikeMcM1956]

Makes me want to run home and spin up a few of my own. Then I remember, I am still at the point where I am lucky to get stuff ROUND on the lathe, let alone anything like that... Anyway, no mandrels here...

Sure is pretty stuff you spin though... I really like that birch. But then again what's not to like about a blonde with good figure?

db,

You're actually better off making pens without a mandrel. You just need a 60 degree dead center for the headstock and 60 degree live center for the tailstock. Then you use custom bushings that insert inside the pen tubes and mate up with the dead and live centers. Much more accurate than mandrels....

Dick,

Those are really nice looking Zens, I've done a few Zens in acrylic but need to grab some nice wood and 'give 'em a spin'....


Mike

[final_t]

I was going to say pretty much the same as MikeMcM1956. But I do admit to starting with a mandrel to get it roughed down to round. Then use a HF digital caliper to match exactly the size for the pen parts (which otherwise vary way too much from the bushings).
The hardest part was to find a dead center, oddly enough. I got mine from shars.com, along with a live center that gives me a decent amount of clearance. FWIW, the part numbers are 202-3402 and 202-3407.

Whaler: I'll see your burl and raise you soapstone. Man, talk about a MESSY thing to turn.