# Organizing for pen turning



## Pineknot_86 (Feb 19, 2016)

I beat everyone in our woodturning club with this. Got a gift certificate. I like to turn pens and sometimes have more than one style kit. I put the kit, blank, drill bit unless it is used for more than one kit, bushings (stored same as drill bits) in the plastic containers we buy with deli luncheon meats. If you have all the same brand, they stack easily, too. I mark the lid with a piece of masking tape with contents. I use lots of masking tape! Hope this helps.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

I have been turning a lot of pens lately. Your approach would not work well for me because there is too much overlap between pen kits, drills, bushings, etc. The same drill applies to many kits, the same bushings overlap between pen kits, some pen kits have different diameter tubes, etc. 

I keep the drills together in a tall "cup" along with the pen mandrels and the deburring tool. I keep the bushings together in a small "file box" in their original envelopes. I take them out as I place the pen blank(s) on the pen mandrel. I put them back in their envelopes as soon as I start the sanding step; it is important to avoid mixing up bushings. I keep identical pen kits together in small ziploc bags. "Related" small bags (the same drill size, bushings, and "style") are grouped in medium ziploc bags. I keep all the pen kits together in a large ziploc bag.

When I start a pen, I re-purpose a fold-top baggie and put the pen blank and pen kit together, along with a paper slip. I may "kit up" a number of pens at the same time, each with its own baggie with wood, pen kit, and paper slip. 

As the pen progresses through drilling, gluing, turning, finishing, and assembly, I update the paper slip. When the pen is finished, the baggie has a pen and a completed slip. I transfer the information from the slip into a spreadsheet (whether good or failed) along with additional information - the recipient, date given, additional notes, etc. 

The pen goes into a pen display tube along with a gift label, facing out. I find that the inexpensive display tubes make a low cost "elegant" gift container. Spouse sometimes ties a thin ribbon bow around the tube for decoration, or to attach a certificate (Bethlehem Olive, Bog Oak, etc.) . 

https://www.rockler.com/pen-display-tubes

Attached please find a copy of the paper slips, spreadsheet, and gift labels that I use. Feel free to use them, modify them, give them to others, anything you want.

P.S. I forgot to mention pen blanks. Pen blanks are labeled immediately, so I don't forget the wood species. The pen blanks fill a small square school locker of their own. They are organized enough that I can find what I want.


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## Pineknot_86 (Feb 19, 2016)

I don't go into that much detail when turning pens about keeping a record of the progress. I don't do that many pens so my system works for me. If I was a production turner as a couple of fellows in our club, I might look at your system. One fellow turns about 300 pens a year. If I recall, he devotes a day in the shop to turning pens and other things.
The plastic containers come in handy for other things.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

I am not into production pen turning. My pens are still hand-selected for each recipient. (Today I will turn a cat twist pen for a cat-loving friend who will have surgery on Tuesday, for example.) I usually prepare pens in small batches, because it is more efficient than doing them one-by-one. I have found that the forms help keep me organized, that's all.


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## Pineknot_86 (Feb 19, 2016)

I turn one pen at a time. Got some I need to turn next week. Thanks for the detailed description of your method.


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