Monthly Archives: March 2015

New 4″ Robust Tool Rest

March 24, 2015newsgrossbar

Two New Products…

“A” bushings for some popular pen kits, and a new slightly longer 4″ tool rest from Robust!

We just received new “A” bushings for the following popular pen kits: Cambridge Series, Churchill, El Grande and the Perfect Fit series pens. The issue in the past has been some pen turners did not want to purchase a separate “B” size mandrel. Now, with the release of the “A” bushings for those kits you can use your current mandrel. Click here for new bushings

You asked for it, and now it is here!

New 4″ Robust Tool Rest – Click here to see new tool rest

Robust tools has made another one of their “special” shorter tool rest for the pen making world and we are the first to have it! While attending The Woodworking Shows, many of you had asked it we could make a version slightly longer than the 3″ tool rest. We asked Robust Tools and they made it for us!

Thanks for a Great Season at The Woodworking Shows!

March 24, 2015Uncategorizedgrossbar

Over the past 12 weeks Lenora and I have enjoyed meeting thousands of pen makers, and were happy to see what other pen makers have created. We want to personally thank each one of you who attended the seminars, because without you attending the shows, we would not be there!

The Tampa Woodworking Show was the last show on the Woodworking Shows schedule for this winter, and it ended with a bang! The show was very well attended and each one of the seminars was crowded with enthustaic pen makers eager to learn and share their experiences. After each seminar, questions were asked and answered until the next seminar started. I thank each one of you for sharing your questions with me. All good things come to an end, but we will be back in the fall traveling to other parts of the country educating, and being educated by, you enthusiastic pen makers – thank you!

One more show to go “Woodworker’s Showcase” in Saratoga Springs NY this weekend and it is being presented by the Northeastern Woodworkers Association. This will be the 24th year for this show and I will be demonstrating at this show on Saturday & Sunday. It is held at the Saratoga Springs City Center in Saratoga Springs, NY. Come on out and see the latest in woodworking by a number of venders.

Heading to Tampa

March 19, 2015New Products, newsgrossbar

We received some good news as we were packing for the last of The Woodworking Shows in Tampa — The Strike is OVER!!!!

The west coast dock worker strike is finally over. For over 6 months the dock workers on the west coast, where our products are unloaded from Taiwan, were on a work slow down. This caused major delays in off-loading products, and cost the railroads millions of dollars in unloaded rail containers that were heading back east empty.

Now that the strike is over, it is good news for us pen makers. We will start to get our products in from Taiwan that were on back order, such as the Elegant Beauty Sierra pens (BHW250 & BHW251) and the Sierra Vista green & black computer chip pens – both back in stock now!

If you have been waiting for the high end cherry pen box, they are being off loaded from Taiwan now, and will be available next Wednesday.

Turbin Stylus / Click Pen in Chrome

Just in today…

A new stylus click pen the “Turbin” which is economically priced, but uses a Parker style refill. Take notes on paper, and then use the stylus on your smart phone or tablet!

If You’re in the Tampa area this weekend, stop on in to The Woodworking Show and say “Hi!”

Happy Turning!

Mandrel Saver Dilemma?

March 5, 2015education, ExportExportgrossbar

Use a block similar to this to aid in removing a mandrel saver.

On some lathes, like my Oneway lathe and other larger lathes, my mandrel saver will not eject when I turn my tail stock quill all the way. The mandrel saver length it too short. To remedy this, I made a block of wood that would go over the tail stock quill and “eject” the mandrel saver when I turned the quill all the way. This sure beats using a screwdriver to drive the mandrel saver out!

Quick Reminder – closed end mandrels are coming back in stock on a daily basis – see which ones are new? click here to see…

Dust Collector Nightmare!

March 3, 2015education, ExportExportgrossbar

I know this has never happened to anyone but me!

Safety screen keeps items from being “sucked’ into the dust collector.

Ever turn something, and for whatever reason it came loose and got “sucked up” into the dust collector? This happened to me on more than one occasion, until I made myself a little wooden screen to prevent the pieces from being sucked into the dust collector.

Now, if a piece comes loose and the dust collector is sucking like it should, my piece simply gets sucked to the back of the dust collector and the wooden screen stops it from becoming sliced and diced by my dust collector! Life is Good!

Pepper grinders are a buyer’s favorite for me at my shows, and they are easy to make! click here to see the pepper grinders…