With over 500 woods to work with, the wood preparation stage can really be thrilling.  I find myself taking my time picking the right piece of wood for someone's Special Gift.  I look for color and grain in a pick of wood that will give a customer that WOW experience they deserve. 

Once I have decided on an eyepopping piece of wood, I then take it to the band saw and crosscut saw and cut the wood to proper proportions. 

Next comes the drilling process.  Depending on the type of pen purchased, a hole of necessary size is drilled through the length of the cut wood.  A brass tube is now glued into the hole we just drilled.  Several different kinds of glue are used, depending on the wood and its ability to hold the glue.

The last preparation step, before turning, is called the Pen-Mill stage.  The object of this stage is to assure that the wood and the brass tube are exactly the same length.  It is this same exact length that keeps the wood from cracking when pressure is applied on the mandrel during turning.