Reddit reviews PSI Woodworking PKMS2SET Pen Mandrel Saver Package, 2 Morse Taper (2MT)
We found 2 Reddit comments about PSI Woodworking PKMS2SET Pen Mandrel Saver Package, 2 Morse Taper (2MT). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Includes 7mm drill bit, (5) 7mm bushings, #2MT mandrel saver tailstock center, & #2MT basic mandrel.Perfect system to avoid bent mandrel shafts and ruining the point on your live center.System adapts to the length of your project.No need for the knurled nut that sometimes gets lost, misplaced, or stripped.Great for turners of all Skill levels.
Pen turning is an excellent hobby! For making pens, some things you'll need might include:
Note: Of course there are a million ways to do everything. I don't promote any of the links, they're just examples to show what the tools look like.
I don't have great information for you about your question, but I've got a 3.5 year old, and a 5 month old. I just got my lathe and can confirm that pens are -amazing- as a project that you can do relatively quickly and are fun to make. I've really gotten the bug. I'm also dipping my toes into small bowls, wands (Christmas presents for the niece and nephews), and chopsticks (for my wife's hair).
Generally the things you'd need would be:
Mandrel - I got this one because it had a mandrel saver. I kind of regret it a bit though as now I'm not sure how I'll turn some of the Berea kits that require a thicker mandrel. Anyone else figure out a way around this? Anyway, the one I linked also includes a 7mm bit and five 7 mm bushings.
Bushings - You need bushings sized appropriately for the kit you're making. If you make a bunch of the same style of pen kit, you'll only need one set. I picked out 2 styles of kits to get started and a few variations of pens within those styles.
Drill bits - I'm not experienced enough to know if it's worth buying them from the pen kit manufacturers or not. I did, but for my next order, I'm just going to use some that I have already.
Barrel trimmer - This is what you use to trim your pen blank down square to the brass barrel from your pen kit. You can buy them or make small jigs for something like a disc sander. The drill/chuck mount ones typically have a reamer as well that clears out any excess glue that got into your tubes.
Consumables - This is stuff like CA glue or epoxy to glue in your tubes, sand paper, more CA or some other kind of finish, and more. Lots of people seem to use lots of things.
There's stuff I left out because it seemed like you may already have some tools. A drill press or pen jaws + a jacob's chuck for your lathe is nice for drilling out your blanks, a table/band saw for making your own wood blanks if you so desire, and more. It can seem like a lot, and it kind of is, but there's a million ways to do everything if you've already got some tools.
Anyway, that's all I've got. I'm definitely still new to this myself. Maybe start with things like wands/chopsticks to see how much you enjoy things before you buy stuff for pens. Seriously though, pens are super fun. I love them... too much.