From Beginner To Professional In 90 Minutes
Mark Dreyer

All skill levels are welcome – Everyone starts with making a traditional wooden pen. But it does not need to end there. The key to the process is challenging yourself to do something new and branch out. We will take wood to a new level.

Part 1:
Topics include the entire process from blank selection or creation, drilling, gluing, turning, finishing, and assembly. We will look at numerous finishing techniques and the challenges of each – from simple buffing to CA and many in between. Working with all the basic tools and jigs used in the process.

Part 2:
Now taking the wood pen to the next steps – coloring, bleaching and segmenting wood. We will discuss the different techniques to make your work standout above the rest.

Part 3:
Turning alternative materials. Acrylic Blanks, Acrylester Blanks, Deer Antler, Coffee Beans, Mother Of Pearl, Aluminum, Polymer Clay, Snake Skins, Half Wood / Half Plastic.

There are numerous steps to creating the perfect pen. Your tools and techniques are just as important as that perfect kit or piece of wood .

All Abount Casting
John Underhill

If you’ve ever wanted to make a cool color swirled blanks, have a custom logo or photograph pen, or maybe a hybrid wood, pinecone or something new mixed with resin, then this is for you. No two casters do everything the same. Even with using the same material, results can vary based on how you do what you do from mixing, pouring, to cutting. My goal is to give you the understanding to try and the inspiration to find what works for you.

This is designed for everyone from beginner to experienced, this is everything you need to know about casting to get you creating your own one of kind blanks.

Topics Covered:

Setting up your own casting area – practical and safety
Understanding resin types and selecting the best for your project
Selecting the best mold for the job – vertical vs block – commercial vs recycled
Essential tools and utensils needed
Usable materials - where to find them- preparation prior to pouring
Resin handling – storing, mixing, and pouring
What works for me, my supplies, resources, and inspirations

Lightsaber Pen
Ray Wright

The Best Finish for Your Pens: Subjective Observations (Fake News) vs. Objective Data (Real Science)
Steve Wohlgemuth

If you ask 100 pen turners how to finish a pen you will get 250 answers. It’s time to apply real science to answer the question. Using proven scientific methodology along with macro photography, I will hopefully be able to prove what really gives us that magical finish we are all striving for.

Kitless Next Steps
Robert Nelson

The Face Of Your Craft Business; How To Get It Online
Steven Margison

We will look at the basic steps to getting a business presence online with a website name, email address, website page, credit card merchant account, and Point of Sale and inventory control. Orientation will be for "everyman", not just computer gurus.

Photographing Your Art
Julane Johnson

Sales And Marketing
Ed Brown

Many penturners “retire” after about 2 years. Why? They have already given pens to all their family, friends and passers-by!! Not much point in making them, if there is no where to go with the finished products!!

Ed sold pens at Art&Craft shows from 1995 to 2010. Thousands of pens! Now, he is sharing some of his methods in person-to-person selling. How to get people into your booth, how to start a conversation that will lead into discussing pens. Pricing strategy for pens, focusing on “gift” market.

In addition, the presentation will talk about selling on the internet on your own website or Etsy or any other “store framework”. We cover, briefly, staging your products and taking pictures, as well as creating persuasive text. So, if you want to get beyond, “Wanna buy a pen?”, spend an hour or so with Ed. Bring your questions!!

Bending Jig For Embedding Objects
Dick Sing

Scalloped Blanks
Chris Labedz

Sharpening Your High Speed Steel
Rich Coers

Color Casting
Fred Wissen

Lathe Maintenance
TBD

Woman In Turning
Marie Anderson & Linda Ferber

Blank Harvesting
Rich Coers