Buddy Matlosz wrote:

"errfrsdaf" wrote in message
...
I don't mean to offend anyone by this post but I'm not sure
I understand the driving force behind pen making. The reason
I am posting is that I was given an old lathe a month or so
ago and I've about got it ready to run again. I was wanted
to make a simple gift for the person who gave me the lathe.
I was ordering some centers and noticed a pen making kit.
I ordered the kit but I question the value of the gift.
(only as a craftsman looking at my own work not the monetary
value) To me it seems that anyone who gets this kit is
going to end up with the same pen (assuming an equal skill
level). There are only so many ways you can shape it and
make it feel good in the hand. You basically finish them
all the same way. The blanks are what you get. The only
variable I see it the wood or plastic you choose for the
blank, then after that, a machine could have done it. So
why do you guys make pens? Am I missing something?
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

I've turned a few dozen pens and came to the same basic conclusions you
did. I found it no challenge at all, almost all the turning just
involved roughing from square to round. You can play around a little
with the shape, but as you point out, it's limited. I've done very
little production work, but I imagine those that make money from it are
among the few for whom pen turning holds an interest. Most others, I
would think, would become as bored as you and I after the first few.

Buddy


Some of the pens that looked the neatest to me were those that
were made of intricate glue-ups. It add some dimension to the
project to create some of these glue-ups.
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **