So you just purchased a wood lathe but do not know what kind of project you should start out with. As soon as right amount of skill is obtained, beautiful pieces of woodwork can be created with a wood lathe. However, before you get too over your head, it is best to start out with a basic woodturning project. My recommendation would be beginning by carving your very own pen.

Pen turning is a common hobby or past time. These homemade pens can make excellent gifts for any event. Pen turning is a fun yet practical project that can help you get a taste of capabilities of your wood lathe. The following are some tips in preparing your wood for lathe that will help you make your first wood lathe experience successful.

1. Pick an interesting wood blank. One of great things about pen turning is you can use any sort of wood you want, including scrap pieces from other projects. Pick out a piece of wood with interesting figuring. Be aware that some wood changes appearance with light and air exposure and will begin to look dull with time, such as Paduak or Purple Heart wood. If you are not comfortable using a scrap piece of wood there are numerous wood blanks that can be purchased in all sorts of exotic woods.

2. Examine your wood. It is very important that you examine wood you are using for your pen project. Make sure that your wood is dry and without faults or cracks. Damp and cracked wood will make for a lousy pen, if you can even make one out of that type of wood at all.

3. It is better to be oversized than undersized. If you have to choose between an oversized wood blank and an undersized blank, always choose oversized one. This will give you some leeway just in case you make a mistake.

Now that I am a busy working woman, I use ADM (Automatic Drip method). Though more efficient than old trusty percolator, there is something missing, something that only can be found in those percolated cups of yore.

There is a certain richness that only a percolator can provide. Let's briefly explore method that each uses to illustrate this point.

According to website Fantes.com, "the Percolator is one of most familiar methods of brewing coffee. It works by filtering boiling water through coffee grounds over and over. Many people still enjoy this old favorite, especially when it is used with very mild coffees."

There are three types of percolators, Stovetop, Electric and Cordless Electric. There is a drawback to using a stove top percolator. If not carefully attended to, there is tendency toward bitterness from "prolonged overboiling."

ADM's work by simply dripping a stream of water over filtered grounds so that coffee "leaches" through and into pot below. The drawback here is that you can use too little or two much of either coffee or water making either enought bite to put hair on your chest or not enough of a bite to sprout peach fuzz.