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Hello from Kent

Paul

Fellow
Joined
Oct 22, 2013
Posts
1,053
Location
Kent
Hello

I've been lurking for a week or so, so thought I ought to introduce myself.

Based in Kent, just started turning in the last few weeks but have done a couple of courses at styles & bates. I have settled on pens as a great introduction.

Grew up, coppicing, sawing and burning wood for the family central heating, so it's great to "turn" the wood into something useful.

Completed only 4 pens yew, redwood and olive wood ... Slimline too and the mind boggles at the variety available.

Any suggestions on an affordable kit for variety to slimline would be very appreciated (I'll wait to do a majestic)
 

Jim

Grand Master
Joined
Oct 19, 2011
Posts
15,617
Welcome to the forums Paul, turning is much better than burning that is for sure ... :ciggrin: Regarding other kits, there is the "Streamline Kit" and "Euro Kit" but i am sure it wont be long before you are into kits similar to the Majestic ... :whistling:
 

dotslad

Graduate Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2013
Posts
423
Location
Harrow Middlesex
Hi Paul and a warm welcome to the forum please post a few pictures of the pens you have made I am sure we would all like to see them
As an alternative to the Slimline try Jr.gents or Sierra both good kits and reasonably priced.
Why not try converting your Slimlines to streamlines or longwoods
regards Ian :whistling:
 

edlea

Lobbygobbler
Registered
Joined
Aug 1, 2013
Posts
4,693
Location
Blackpool
First Name
Ed
Hi Paul ..welcome . You will learn much here as there are some great minds around to plunder.

Ed.
 

Doug

Loquacious
Executive Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2013
Posts
6,647
Location
In the wood shop
First Name
Take a guess
Hi & welcome Paul :waver:

I`ve always fancied a visit to Stiles & Bates, bit of a long haul but hopefully one day.
 

yorkshireman

Wood Rat
Executive Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2013
Posts
5,199
Location
wrexham
First Name
Keith
Are you sure you made the right decision Paul? I don't mean turning I mean joining here!!
 

Paul

Fellow
Joined
Oct 22, 2013
Posts
1,053
Location
Kent
It's a lovely location, down in places a single track road on the white cliffs over Dover, on a working farm. It's a short hop from the ferry so you would just have to combine with a trip to France...
 

paulm

grave manibus faciendum
Registered
Joined
Oct 7, 2013
Posts
12,046
Location
Sandford
First Name
Paul
Welcome Paul, I've not long joined here myself and I already feel quite at home, the people on this website have a good sense of humour and give praise where praise is due. I always bought my kits off ebay (do a search for pen kits). You can buy almost anything there but since joining this site and listening to others, I have also bought kits from timberbits but you need to wait for a bit for them to arrive because they're in Australia. Slimline pens are always good and can be made in a variety of ways as demonstrated by several people on this site.
 

Buckeye

ペンメーカー
Executive Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2013
Posts
9,697
Location
UK
First Name
Peter
Hi Paul, welcome to the group, I am also new here so still feeling my way around:pray:

Peter
 

Grump

Grand Master
Joined
Aug 17, 2013
Posts
10,504
Location
Stevenage
First Name
Brian
Welcome Paul, Bobby Bluntchisel is in your neck o the woods too.
Enjoy the forums and don't be a stranger.
 

Woody

Registered
Joined
Jul 12, 2013
Posts
12,812
Location
at home
First Name
no
Hi Paul and welcome a word of warning watch out for the plonkers they are after more members one little mistake and your nabbed they even have a chairman on here ow and a secretary both as nutty as fruitcakes
 

Paul

Fellow
Joined
Oct 22, 2013
Posts
1,053
Location
Kent
Thank you for the warm welcome all and comments noted Woody about the "warped" members.

:thinks:
 

edlea

Lobbygobbler
Registered
Joined
Aug 1, 2013
Posts
4,693
Location
Blackpool
First Name
Ed
Thank you for the warm welcome all and comments noted Woody about the "warped" members.

:thinks:

'Warped'??.... a bit stir crazy maybe and the other one slightly bent ..but not fully warped as yet( So he says).:funny::funny::funny:
 

Neil

Fellow
Joined
May 21, 2013
Posts
3,132
Location
Hitchin, Hertfordshire
First Name
Neil
Hello

I've been lurking for a week or so, so thought I ought to introduce myself.

Based in Kent, just started turning in the last few weeks but have done a couple of courses at styles & bates. I have settled on pens as a great introduction.

Grew up, coppicing, sawing and burning wood for the family central heating, so it's great to "turn" the wood into something useful.

Completed only 4 pens yew, redwood and olive wood ... Slimline too and the mind boggles at the variety available.

Any suggestions on an affordable kit for variety to slimline would be very appreciated (I'll wait to do a majestic)

Paul, welcome. My advice would be to try a pen like a cigar, its a relatively cheap kit, get some spare tubes and you can make a few in different woods and then assemble the best looking one. Why do I recommend the cigar, as I said its a cheapish kit, both tubes are the same at 10mm so you dont have to go buying odd sizes to start with (although when you do make sure you buy the imperial sizes and not the nearest to metric sizes). The cigar needs a bit of shaping at both ends so its not a case of a straight ish cut. The fittings top, bottom and the middle are designed to have texture to hide the imperfect match between wood and metalwork so you can produce a damn good pen with little experience. Cant agree with Ian, I woud avoid the Jr Gents to start with as the cap requires a good dimensional match to make it a good pen.
 

Jimjam66

Chief Battonager
Registered
Joined
Jan 27, 2013
Posts
3,775
Location
Basingstoke, Hampshire
Welcome Paul. I'm with Neil - the cigar pen can be made into something rather lovely without too much experience. Also, as a general rule if someone warns you away from the 'warped' members that person can be assumed to be in the forefront of the warping. So it is with Woody ...

Reminds me of an a line from the Goon show: Neddy first of all tells Bludnok "You think I'm no fool - but I am!" Then he asides to the audience "Little does he know, I'm as sane as the next man." To which Eccles announces "Little does he know - I'm the next man!"
 
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