Do you have a model number on the lathe from harbor freight?

"Anonymous" wrote in message
newsan.2004.12.24.16.25.50.400193@notarealserver .com...
On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 21:39:27 -0600, Gregg wrote:

Hello all

I want to get into Pen making and I dont have tons of money to buy the
best equipment, so what is a good inexpensive lathe to start with for
pens? How is the JET pen lathe JPL358?

Grab the Harbor Freight lathe for about $180 (on sale). It is sturdily
built and, unless you stubbornly refuse the temptation to turn anything
larger than a pen or bottle stopper, will allow you to turn up to 12"
diameter. It's an ugly green but looking at my pens it's hard to tell
that I made them on an ugly lathe with cheap tools.

While you are there, grab their $40 lathe tool set and start off with a
good basic set of turning tools. I've since added a Sorby oval skew and a
couple home-made scrapers but that was after the lathe had already paid
for itself in pen sales.

If you do not have tools to cut and drill pen blanks there are suppliers
who will sell these to you until you do have the (time / tools ). The key
is to get started. If you have the time, you can both cut and drill the
blanks by hand, too using tools commonly found in even the simplest of
home shops for under $50 total. Again ... the pen can't count and doesn't
know you used cheap tools.

Bill

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