Turning a Pen with a Carbide Turning Tool (How-to Beginners Guide)

How to turn a pen from start to finish using a carbide insert turning tool.

We'll show you how to turn a wooden pen on your lathe using a carbide turning tool. Carbide tools make turning much easier and don’t require any sharpening. The process of turning pens can seem difficult, so we'll teach you the step-by-step process we teach here at Craft Supplies USA. This video is intended for woodturners of all skill levels, so enjoy and please share!

-PRODUCTS USED -

- LINKS AND RESOURCES -

Phone: [phone]
Address: 1287 E. 1120 S. Provo, UT 84606

Join our Email list for promotions, new products and more:

Download Allan Batty's Woodturning Notes (Free):

Visit our Woodturning Blog for how-to's and more:

View our Digital Catalog:

Subscribe to Craft Supplies USA:

- SOCIAL MEDIA -

#woodturning

[pegwinn]

I do not like videos where there is a lot of hardsell and chitchat at the beginning. I really like how you got straight to the point and included your business interests into the video without it sounding like a commercial. That alone is enough to get me to subscribe. Well Done Sir. Thanks.

[aprildegele]

Abranet is good for everything wood. I've had the same set of 2x6 for YEARS and it's not worn out yet. You can wash them. To clean them of dust, just whack them on the bench. No need to match holes for a random orbital. My favorite sand paper ever. It's original use was for drywall. No clog, bendable, foldable. The best ever.

[Believe_the_Bible]

I only wet sand when turning an acrylic blank. And don't cross sand, because if you use the right progression of sanding grits (50% more than the previous grit) it will remove all previous sand scratches. Nice word, great videoing.

[paintilludrop]

At my library, we have a Foundry inside behind glass walls, open for all to see but sound proof! Free!! Local woodmasters volunteer time.
I am 67, never used a power tool. I have made two pens, almost took much wood off on one. I am so proud and want to make alot! Also made a bluebird house, flat birdfeeder.
Everything in this video we used! Fancy new equipment. Pasco Fl
3/24..update. made over 40 pens and more turning, now a volunteer to teach pens for a charity for Veterans. Reviewing your videos!!

[seansiks]

this video really helped out my students a lot. Keep up the good work !

[amkii]

Day 1 beginner here on lathes and pen making... this video is INCREDIBLY helpful. Thank you so much!!

[johnlewis]

Terrific video, the whole operation was clearly defined, this is one to keep.

[ihrsism]

Very good demonstration video thank you😊

[Mr_Chuckles]

Excellent series of videos, thank you

[vishumore]

It's very useful for beginners like me, specially the units for RPM

[rl]

When you mark the outside of the blank either side of the centreline, after you drill and inset the tubes, its best to also use a marker pen inside the tube so that when you turn the blank down, you don't have to remember which end is which. And if you do it in the same place as your external line, it will allow you to line up the grain exactly so when the pen is closed the grain pattern flows like it should.

[fivelittlescholarsca]

Thank you for the professional, easy to follow production of this tutorial. I am in the throws of setting up a wood turning station at one end of my workshop as my 12 & 9 year olds want to learn this craft. Your tutorial will be very easy for them to follow as well as for me to write some instruction as part of their homeschool. I'm glad I decided to purchase the carbide tools too as I think they will be easier for the kids to learn with.

[alexiacullo]

EXCELLENT VIDEO 👏👍❤️ ALWAYS learn something each time I view

[randypace]

A Most excellent Video… Thank you VERY much.

[윤치정-gn]

Hello^^ Thank you for the great material.
But the wood lathe machine is too expensive, so I'm wondering if there is a more affordable wood lathe machine that an ordinary person can buy.

[GiseleGrenier]

Thank you for doing this...I turned my first pen using a friends tools and love it

[darrellcollard]

Loved the video, however, you are using a very expensive Powermatic lathe. My ancient Carba Tec from PSI would not do as good a job!! You just convinced me to upgrade!!! Also, I've made a lot of pens, but never seen anyone do a super glue finish. Very impressive! Thank you for sharing.

[tjp]

Dove into this in the past couple of days and your videos were extremely helpful, thanks so much! One thing I learned is that the ‘newbie’ slim line kits are much more difficult than the more beefy, fancier kits because you have to turn the wood so thin, it’s easy to get chips and cracks in your blank. This happened with the first two slim line kits I got as practice kits. I then did 3 more complex kits with meatier profiles and they were much easier to turn and came out great! Also, whatever kind of generic latex glove I wore during my CA finish seemed to have a weird exothermic chemical reaction, melted and slightly burned my finger when I was finishing the first kit. I went to painters tape after that.

[erwinwizzy]

Hi there, first of all my compliments for your video! The best one I've seen about pen turning. Straight to the point, very practical and detailed.
I have a question if you don't mind answering.
Is there a valid alternative to using CA glue for finishing?
Some people are allergic or sensitive to CA.
For example, when I make wooden rings I use thin layer epoxy resin applied with a small brush. But then it takes 24h to dry before you can handle the object and what's more you need to have the object moving all the time to keep the resin stay even on the surface.
I was thinking of UV activated epoxy.
Any other valuable ideas?

[Dudesunperfect]

Thankyou, I'm new to turning pens and have been using a roughing chisel, I'm going to invest in one of these Thankyou,