Saying hi, not quite pen turning

[NIGBEE]

Hi all, not a pen turner but am using a lot of the YouTube pen turning video to learn haw to make small decorative tool handles, trying to make them as nice as possible. Thought this would be the best place to come for advice and inspiration.

These are some of what I have managed to make with a cheap Chinese mini lathe which is better than no lathe but not brilliant.

Will put some pictures on when I have worked out how

I will look around and then ask some questions when more familiar with the site

Thanks

 

[Penpal]

Size only matters if you let it all principles in turning apply, all timbers can be used and finished differently. There are library entries that can assist you, awaiting samples of your work in the fullness of time.

 

[Hallelujahal]

Hello and welcome

 

[Gadget-UK]

Hi welcome to the forum.
Very much looking forward to see what you have created, have a few “handle-less” tools and was thinking along the same lines as yourself

 

[flexi]

Welcome to the forum, a couple of posts will unlock your account so you can post pictures.... Looking forward to see what you have been up to

 

[pittswood]

Hi and welcome to the forum Nigel.
Kelvin

 

[ValleyBoy]

Welcome!

 

[NIGBEE]

Ah was wondering why I couldn't post pictures (or at least work out how)

Segmented blanks seem to be of most interest to me and have had an experiment. Also interested in wire inserts but been absolute failures so far, think my diameter is too small for the wire guage.

Handle sizes end up being about 12mm diameter by about 127mm long so quite small (very precision tools, also hand made)

I will look around the forum some more

 

[Phil Dart]

Hello Nigel - welcome to the Forum

 

[NIGBEE]

Ah! Seems I can now post pictures. These are my successful or near successful ones, the turning is nothing ground breaking and I am still working on shapes to be functional as well as nice looking (the tools work on a rotational basis)

Biggest problem I have had is getting the tool mounting hole central and parallel but have come up with a solution to that by making a drill bit holder from the tail stock of my mini lathe. The handle with the aluminium inlay is a failure because the mount hole is so eccentric as to make the tool useless.

I am also making the tool tip by hand from what's known as an ejector pin, lots of hand fileing (put it purely for context)

Not sure how the segmented handle will hold up as its essentially now three bits of wood glued together, pens have the barrel through the centre to aid structure, do they ever fail?

Thanks for the interest

 

[alan morrison]

Welcome Nigel.
Good job on the handles.

 

[Bill Mooney]

Welcome to the family.

 

[howsitwork?]

welcome Nigel

A suggestion, drill the holes before you put the timber between centres to turn then the hole will always be concentric at its entrance to the handle. If you drill wildly off parallel the. all bets are off but the ENTRANCE will still be central.

 

[NIGBEE]

Thanks, I have rigged up a drill bit holder from my mini lathe live center tail stock thing that I can now drill holes with, still done ona had to eye coordination basis but it eliminates a lot of planes of error