Pen Turner's Bible

With more than 25 pen projects using the latest hardware kits on the market, this book takes the reader from simple ballpoint pen designs on a wood lathe to complex fountain pen designs on a metal lathe. From material selection to final finish and each important step between, pen artist Richard Kleinhenz shares his unmatched expertise in penmaking.

This is a unique skill-building book that teaches readers how to build and master their own woodworking tools while creating beautiful and useful pens. It begins with a simple yet elegant ballpoint pen, leading to more complex projects and progressing from basic pen-turning kits to developing free designs.

The book covers spiraling jigs past and present, and demonstrates their use on five pens with detailed instructions. A spiral jig allows you to make the popular rope design, spiral grooved, straight fluted or faceted pens. The metal lathe can do just about everything a wood lathe can, and it can also support a wood lathe with tooling made on it plus allow thread cutting and other operations not easily done on a wood lathe. Kleinhenz also presents his own original designs for unique tools and jigs that the reader can make at home that are as good or better than commercial tools.

Throughout the book, the author always provides a broader perspective to stimulate creativity so that readers are encouraged to take the techniques beyond the specific instructions, use their imaginations and make the art their own.

Softcover, 152 pages, 2012.