Where to buy pen kits

[iclark]

gad5264 said:

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I have had good success with Lau Lau Woodworks from Hawaii. Just finished an order for 12 Zen kits that my customer absolutely loved.

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What is a Zen kit?

I cannot find it on their website.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

iclark said:

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[blockquote]gad5264 said:

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I have had good success with Lau Lau Woodworks from Hawaii. Just finished an order for 12 Zen kits that my customer absolutely loved.

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What is a Zen kit?

I cannot find it on their website.

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[/blockquote]


Here is a Zen I made. The cap is magnetic and not threaded. It posts also on the back end. very nice kit and I l like it because it can show off some of my blanks better without the center band.

[gad5264]

JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

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[blockquote]iclark said:

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[blockquote]gad5264 said:

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I have had good success with Lau Lau Woodworks from Hawaii. Just finished an order for 12 Zen kits that my customer absolutely loved.

---

What is a Zen kit?

I cannot find it on their website.

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[/blockquote]


Here is a Zen I made. The cap is magnetic and not threaded. It posts also on the back end. very nice kit and I l like it because it can show off some of my blanks better without the center band.

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[/blockquote]

Thanks John T. you beat me to it.

[badwhiskey]

What I like about Craft Supply USA is they make it easy to get the matching drill bit and bushing. Some of the other sites are a confusing jumble for the first time pen turner. Also, Craft Supply has this nice rating for the durability of finishes: Pen Plating Wear Rating

[chips ahoy]

badwhiskey said:

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What I like about Craft Supply USA is they make it easy to get the matching drill bit and bushing. Some of the other sites are a confusing jumble for the first time pen turner. Also, Craft Supply has this nice rating for the durability of finishes: Pen Plating Wear Rating

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Just be careful as they are carrying some Penn State. The Craft supply kits are top notch, the Penn State are garbage. Don't know why they lowered their standards.

Mel

[badwhiskey]

That's a shame.

[n7bsn]

Kansas City Fireslayer said:

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Well, I'm sure I can find a retailer but who do you guys recommend for a combination of quality kits and the best prices? Any recommendations would be appreciated. Going to try my hand at some pens as a first timer. I have a mandrel that came with the mini lathe I purchased but haven't yet used. I think that was 2 years ago....

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You do need to be slightly careful as there are two different sized mandrel systems in common use, bushings for one can't be used on the other.
All of the ones I've bought from CS-USA, PennState, Brea, and Rockler use the same size
One kit I get from Hutt uses the other size, but it's too popular to stop making.

BTW, there are only bout four manufacturers of pen kits, and not every "seller" is a direct importer of kits

[n7bsn]

chips ahoy said:

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Just be careful as they are carrying some Penn State. The Craft supply kits are top notch, the Penn State are garbage. Don't know why they lowered their standards.

Mel

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While PennState has some low quality kits, I take it you haven't seen some of their new kits that sell in the $30.
There is nothing wrong with these kits

[chips ahoy]

n7bsn said:

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[blockquote]chips ahoy said:

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Just be careful as they are carrying some Penn State. The Craft supply kits are top notch, the Penn State are garbage. Don't know why they lowered their standards.

Mel

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While PennState has some low quality kits, I take it you haven't seen some of their new kits that sell in the $30.
There is nothing wrong with these kits

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[/blockquote]

I have seen some of the Penn State newer kits on Craft Supply site and they are mostly butt ugly.

Mel

[gear jammer]

Packard woodworks has been good for me. The kits are like everyone else's but their sevice has been top notch to me.