Setting up a pen-turning workshop for my son — need advice!
My son recently made a pen in his high school shop class and absolutely loved the process. With summer approaching, I've been toying with the idea of setting him up with his own pen-turning station rather than the typical summer job route.
Here’s where I could use your expertise:
Lathe Choices: I'm looking at a couple of options from Harbor Freight—there’s a $300 model and a $550 variable speed one. How crucial is variable speed for a beginner? Would the basic model suffice for starting out, or is the upgrade worth it in the long run?
Chisels: I don’t want to cut corners on quality, especially for cutting tools. Any recommendations for brands or specific tools that are good for beginners but can also handle more advanced projects as he improves?
Essentials List: Besides the lathe, what are some must-have tools for pen turning? I already have the basics covered with a table saw, miter saw, dust collection system, and drill press.
Learning Resources: Any favorite videos, books, or other resources that could help both of us learn more about pen turning would be greatly appreciated.
I want to encourage him to sell them, but I'm also completely fine if they end up as Christmas gifts for the family. I’m excited to encourage my son’s new interest and would really appreciate your input on how to create a great setup for him. Thanks in advance for your help and suggestions!
I'm sure there are other people who can provide better feedback on the woodworking part of it, but I just wanted to say that I think you're an awesome parent for supporting your son's passion and providing an alternate path to some spending money over the summer.
Thanks! Just trying to afford him the opportunity to get some lifelong skills.
Absolutely, this entrepreneurial experience sounds way more valuable than most any summer job! When I was into turning I used a makers space - a subscription to one of those could be an alternative option to buying if there’s one nearby. You have to commute to it but you can get access to a lot of high grade equipment that way.
Regarding the lathe, I think the cheaper one is fine for starting out for a few reasons:
Regarding chisels, carbide is nice because you don't need to sharpen them but imo that's a skill he probably needs to have in general if he gets into more woodworking later on. Also you can't get things like bowl gouges in carbide and you can get a lot of tear out with carbide tools depending on the wood and grain direction because all carbide tools have a flat cutting face. Admittedly, my perspective is from very limited bowl lathing, I've never done pens.
The only accessories that immediately come to mind are a face shield (even small pen parts can hurt if they fly off the lathe and smack you in the head) and a good stool if the lathe will be used in a sitting position. Also rockler makes a pen turning starter kit that has all the little parts you need to make 3 pens, including wood blanks. Could be a good idea to get started.
Edit: this is a nice write up, this guy uses just 2 gouges, worth the read imo
Wow, that is a convenient kit! I watched the video, and it seems like having speed control is a big thing. I am sure swapping the belts over all the time is going to get old quickly. Thanks for all the info.
At some point in time a attended a 4 year fine woodworking/furniture making college. When I decided to switch careers, I had spent about 10 years in shops. I have never made any pens, but I can see that being a lot of fun to do! I'm unfortunately at a place where I can't watch any videos, so I may make some wrong assumptions about the process or your knowledge, I'm sorry if I do.
I always love hearing about kids wanting to make things. I was always intrigued by tools and crafts but we didn't have much to work with at home, so it's really nice to hear a parent trying to make that happen for their kid. I'm going to touch a subject that has always been very important in my career: safety. Please don't feel discouraged if it comes across as a grumpy old man being grumpy, I just want to make sure you're not underestimating the safety aspect.
Power tools are no joke, even ones you may think are harmless. I've seen quite a few accidents, mostly with routers and table saws, but also with lathes. There are a lot of wrong ways to use lathes, table saws and even drill presses. In the best scenario you'll crap your pants and walk away unharmed, in less fortunate scenarios you'll lose a finger or an eye. See safety as a skill that's worth developing, just like learning to use tools. I've got all these checklists in my head I run through before turning on any machine. Memorizing those and adhering to them kept me safe and in one piece. There were some near misses, and each reminded me to never be too comfortable using power tools. Being cautious and thinking twice is way better than messing up once.
This doesn't mean my kids can't come into the shop (I still have a small woodworking shop at home), but I'm always there to supervise. A lot of kids 12-18 will gladly tell you they know exactly what they are doing, I know because I was just like that. The truth is they overestimate their own abilities and underestimate the complexity of the thing they are attempting to do. That's part of growing up. That does mean somebody needs to be there to look over their shoulder to step in when it's needed.
Some tools are off limits. The table saw, for instance, is very much off limits. There are just way to many things to think about while setting up and while cutting, that I don't feel comfortable leaving that up to my kids just yet.
Another thing is clothing. I have strict rules for my own clothing (no hoodies with pull cords for instance) and the same I'm trying to teach my kids. Getting pulled into a machine by your hair or clothing is a very bad time.
There's a lot more, but I think this rambling already gives you the idea I'm trying to get across. I hope he's going to enjoy it! If you feel like sharing pictures later on, I'm always interested in seeing project progress.
Not super knowledgeable as I don’t personally do woodwork, but I believe carbide chisels are generally regarded as good.
I don’t know if Peter Brown on YouTube has any specific pen-turning videos, but he does have quite a few videos where he uses a lathe so he might be worth looking into. Though his videos are more ”project” videos than “tutorial” videos if that makes sense.
Awesome, thanks for the info. I will have to look him up. Even project videos can give ideas on brands the pros are using.
Thank you for taking the time to type all that. Safety of a huge concern. It's honestly why I don't have a lathe in the shop already. When I got a table saw I ended up spending a few hundred extra for a SawStop. It came down to how much are my fingers worth. If he ends up wanting to do this I was planning on bringing him to some classes at the local woodshop or somewhere like Woodcraft. I am 100% sure I have bad habits so I might take the safety classes with him.
@Caliper, think the above comment was meant for you!
Sounds like you’re already on top of it! Taking some shop classes together is a great idea.
Here is someone who added a bike brake to a small lathe. If you put the switch that activates it on a bar in front of the lathe, it becomes easy to hit with your body if you get into trouble. Not quite a saw stop, but might be worth the trouble.