introduction to pen turning - but a different way 

Fantastic! This is the most useful pen turning video i've seen. Thank you.

As a machinist this makes perfect sense. Whenever people tell me that I have to use this special something I always find another way. You did a brilliant job of that. Thank you

I've been a wood turner for many years and I have never been interested in pen turning, but my son who is a woodturning beginner expressed an interest in trying pen turning and I agreed to work with him on it when he comes to visit in the Fall. I therefore much appreciated your no-nonsense low cost approach and also that the pen you suggested was actually quite nice. This will be a perfect starting point for my son. Thank you for the helpful tips and a great presentation!

Thank you for your refreshing honesty

Been a Hobyist/modeller all my life I have a machinist lathe lying around and have just decided to make a pen kit found your video ,looking at the processes and found it very informative, just starting out in the world of pen kits don't know how long it will keep my interest but you've made the first steps easier, don't have all the kit so using what I have Thank you

Your demonstrations were much needed... Thanks for sharing... Very very helpful...

The honesty got me too. I ordered halfway through the video. Ballpoint and fountain pen. My first pen turning experience was this weekend with the slimline kit. I did not use a mandrel because one could not be fitted on my cheap parkside lathe. It did however turn out a basic pen. I was looking for something that would be impressive. I think I have a better chance now. Thanks

Great demo. Thank you for sharing.

FANTASTIC presentation... you're quite an inspiration to those of us that 👍 admire thinking outside the box.

Thank you for a so informative and entertaining video! I'm making my pens out of clay but found your info on assembly and disassembly VERY helpful as I am a newbie to the craft. I look forward to watching more of your videos and visiting your website.

Many thanks for taking the time and effort putting this guide together. As a person about to unpack my first lathe, you gave me some good ideas and practical advice on the type of kit to purchase that won’t break the bank and be practical in other applications. Keep up the great work 👍

the plastic bag trick to dismantle is genius I have spent hours on the floor looking

How refreshing: honesty! Thank you, I can’t wait to send you my order. Liked & subscribed.

Thank you, Very Much. An abundance of how to unscrew the mistakes I might make without condemning the whole project. I'll be referring back to this video quite often. Thanks again, juvat

As Michael (below) I too am a machinist, and when someone tells me I "must have " x y or z I will find another method. brilliant video and approach. thank you kindly, I have bought a Rollster kit from you with very pleasing results . I also bought two more Rollsters and the fountain pen versions which I will start on as gifts to give out at my wedding. to the best man etc etc. Thanks again.

What a really helpful video, I, like many, am just a beginner and was being put off the idea of having a go at pen turning due to the apparent high set up costs for something that I may only do now and again. I really like the approach that Prokraft take and have now watched several of their videos which explain things clearly and show that you don't need loads of equipment to produce very good results. I would also add that having now bought some of their kits am very impressed by the quality of their products.

Excellent! A most refreshing approach to the craft. Look forward to future videos.

How good is this! Just had my introductory lesson on lathe turning and I made a slimline pen using everything that you just discounted. Thank You 🙏

J'ai essayé cette méthode pour mon premier stylo tourné. Sans mandrin, avec un tour à bois premier prix. J'ai mis du temps, surtout pour percer le carrelet (perceuse sur support). J'ai arrondi le carrelet à la disqueuse pour diminuer les frottements. Surprise : ça marche finalement très bien, soit avec les "bushings", soit avec des bagues en bois. Je suis le premier surpris. Très bonne vidéo. Très bon modèle Rollester. In other words : this method works surprisingly well, even with complete beginners if you take your time.

Thank you for sharing. My opinion; you would be a good technical school professor. Good explanations, good video and very nice pen. I do not have a wood turning lathe, however, I have metal turning lathe and I use it for both metal and wood and my pens happened to be the same type of your pen. Keep up the good work, and have a nice day.

great stuff john very well presented

Getting ready to turn my first pen. You have saved me a good a amount of money. More importantly, where I live, most items can not be shipped. (island in Alaska). Thanks again.

lol.. I WAS THINKING BORING TOO FOR THE SLIMLINE. lOVE YOUR PROSPECTIVE.

Thanks for giving the site for the arbour blanks Jon. Mine now ordered. Well I do have a few pen kits from you to do.... :) :) :)

What video , at 74 just bought a lathe a Record power 250. Well going to try pens once I have some skills. THANKS

This video and your approach to spending money has made me by some kits off yourself - great stuff - keep it up

Excellent, I to have the useless Sorby carbide. Loved your delivery.

Thank you for your advice. I am interested in getting started in turning and am only interested in pens for personal use. I like fountain pens and would like to make one. I think your set up will work fine. Thanks again.

thankyou very informative and a great help

Excellent presentation

Hi Jon☺ what a great video this is , no fluff , good instruction, spot on crisp, up close camera work, I'm just getting into this hobby, and this has saved me a lot of time and money, many thanks, I will be looking at your Web site, stay safe mate, best wishe's to you and your's, Stuart.uk.

You are quite right thank you Ken

Great video.

Good job, thanks enjoyed the video, how to

A wonderful Demo, dismantling a pen was also very interesting. If I may make two comments, firstly in relation to the spraying of the acccelerator into the tube to speed up hardening of the glue, this has no advantage as it cannot make contact with the glue, the glue being between the outside of the brass tube and the wood! The other is to use use scrap pieces of teak as a pen press, turning down to a suitable morse tapers and making two holes for the pen in each( a slightly larger hole for the clip end!

Thank you! I don't own a drill press, I use a jacob chuck to drill my blanks on my lathe. I have turned a few streamline pens before changing over to streamline kits. I managed to disassemble half of my first ever streamline pen, now I know how to remove the pen clip end even though I don't have pen jaws, I will use my pin jaws. I do have a barrel trimmer but recently saw another video and now mount a sanding disk on my lathe and can sand the end of my blanks by using a mandrel, leaving a gap between the mandrel and sanding disk I manually slide the blank over towards the sanding disk. I have 5 or 6 streamline kits left to make and may venture into other styles of kits. Just a bummer that I have to buy a new drill bit and new bushings for new kits. I will turn my own dead centre asap too. Cheers!

Very nice that you used the lathe for everything. Now why don't you make some alignment pieces that the pen parts fit into that keep them in line while assembling? I think that would help.

I can’t say much but am like you doing it my why with out trying to spend, for stuff that is commence great video 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🍺

Thanks Jon, just opened an account and bought some gear. 👍👍

Nicely explained, I would suggest that for pressing the pen together you could use wood stops at each end of the lathe.

That was very enjoyable and useful. I was thinking of buying a pen assembly press, I'm not now thanks...

Fantastic ..... common sense is alive & well. I have wanted to dabble with pens for a while, but as you say everyone wants me to shell out £100 before I make my first one. Thank you for this.

Very Nice

great demo, ordered a couple to try out as i'm new to wood turning, what would these sell at? don't want to undersell them.. thanks

This is a great idea, so versatile. Thank you for sharing. I would love to order one. BUT can you ship to the US yet?

Hi I bought a couple of these off you, but Im finding it impossible to find a 9.5 drill bit as you say is needed.. any suggestions please? cheers

Great video introduction for someone who has never used a lathe. I've done watchmaking and discovered that there a lot of single use tools that aren't necessary if I use the basic tools wisely.

Great video! Can you advise on the wood cutting tool introduced at 18:05? Can you recommend one for turning this size wood?

Great pen Jon. I'll try one for my Model T Ford WheelSpoke pens. Do they come in black and gold?

Interesting.

Good vid. Who do you sell them to and how do you advertise? Thank you so much

Nicely done! I love your practicality, and I share your dislike of slimline pen kits.

You dont needca belt sander either. To bring the blank flush with the brass insert you face it off on the lathe!

I bought some plastic off eBay for about £2 and turned things like your arbour blanks. The plastic does not damage the pen kit parts.

Hello from down below the pond in South Africa. Thanks for sharing this most informative video. Much appreciated as we are wanting to start out Pen Turning. Regretfully, Arc Euro Trade don't stock MT 1 Blank-End Arbors. Is there anywhere else we could source these TIA ATB TC aRM

Thanks Jon, nice one. Am i missing something I can't see the links.. Cheers Paul

I like those kits I'm in Australia where can i get them

Hi there am a buyer of your PREMIUM CHROME LETTER OPENER - PROKRAFT PKR LET2 am now away to buy some pens from you as am fed up of the slimline ones as well used to be good sellers but there not now

Be nice to have you do a toolbox pencil kit , Also where can i get a Jacobson chuck for my older than I am Nu-Tool lathe ?

wish I saw this video a long time ago! already bought a pen mill, pen press, and a pen drilling jig. and you showed none of those are needed.

this is an extreme amount of effort and at least a thousand dollars worth of extra chucks to avoid buying a $25 mandrel

Actually, once the drill has started drilling, 1 inch maybe, then you are able to push the drill in by hand.

I just recently got into pen turning, and I have to say the mandrel and bushings are one of the least nonsense pieces of equipment you can buy, all the other stuff adds only a bit of convenience. Then again i already had a band saw, sander, and drill press

How can you decide if you like turning pens when the experience of doing it W/O equipment would be miserable?

Minimalist, the best with the least...thank you...

Do ship to the US

Hi great video but arceuotrade .co.uk cannot be found Regards Ken

£65 for one kit landed in Oz... Was really keen until the pricing and postage became apparent.

its hard to beleave that you dont markup the pen with the jaws,just a plastic bag is not enought to keep the jaws from biting in to the wood leaving marks

9.5 mm is so close to ⅜" as not to matter (less than a thou less). Use a ⅜" drill, fellas, and forget the 9.5 mm (which will most likely cost a heck of a lot more).

You talk entirely too much. Just get on with it....