Pen Making Questions

tom_k/mo · Post by **tom_k/mo** » Sat Oct 23, 2010 9:29 pm

Mike, here's what I do to drill my blanks, and I think it works great.

[ATTACH]10701[/ATTACH]

wa2crk · Post by **wa2crk** » Sat Oct 23, 2010 9:45 pm

This is how I do it. I built this jig for pen blanks but it works for other small pieces

Pen drilling fixture
[ATTACH]10702[/ATTACH]

Bill V

greenhornet · Post by **greenhornet** » Sat Oct 23, 2010 10:23 pm

I've been doing pens for just a few months myself. Why not try using your disc sander and sand the pens down to the brass. That has worked for me very well. Also, I agree with other posts that say to twist the brass tubes as you are putting them into the blank. I let mine sit for an hour before I start messing with them after gluing.

mgdesigns · Post by **mgdesigns** » Sat Oct 23, 2010 10:41 pm

The last batch I did I clamp the blank to the table saw table with an Irwin clamp and eyeball the center point of the brad point drill bit to the cross-hair on the end of the blank. The I check square and parallel to the drill bit and side of the blank and set depth to 1/8" past blank length, and drill on thru in 4 stages. Works well, and quickly. I did 20 blanks in 10 minutes or so.

mgdesigns · Post by **mgdesigns** » Sat Oct 23, 2010 10:42 pm

tom_k/mo wrote:Mike, here's what I do to drill my blanks, and I think it works great.

[ATTACH]10701[/ATTACH]

That is an awesome, pretty chuck you have there. Is that a Barracuda TiN coated?

tom_k/mo · Post by **tom_k/mo** » Sun Oct 24, 2010 9:47 am

mgdesigns wrote:That is an awesome, pretty chuck you have there. Is that a Barracuda TiN coated?

Yes it is.

navycop · Post by **navycop** » Sun Oct 24, 2010 1:47 pm

mgdesigns wrote: Then I check square and parallel to the drill bit and side of the blank and set depth to 1/8" past blank length, and drill on thru in 4 stages. Works well, and quickly. I did 20 blanks in 10 minutes or so.

Another newbie question: When you say "blank". Do you drill each half seperatly or drill the whole thing?

wa2crk · Post by **wa2crk** » Sun Oct 24, 2010 2:21 pm

I drill my blanks separately. The fixture that I use (see post #6) orients the blanks correctly provided that you mark one side of the whole blank with a marker. The I drill the hole with the marked side facing me and everything lines up OK on the mandrel. By the way also mark the original blank with an arrow to indicate "up".
Bill V

wa2crk · Post by **wa2crk** » Sun Oct 24, 2010 2:31 pm

Tom k/mo;
I like your chuck idea. Have you seen the PennState drilling jaws for the chuck?
The jaws are two in a set and they have a notch in the grip of the jaws which grab the blank on two of the opposing corners. This will center the blank for drilling. If I put an order into Penn State soon I will get a set for my chuck. Item #CJAWPEN on page 52 of the spring 2010 issue 103D.
Bill V

tom_k/mo · Post by **tom_k/mo** » Sun Oct 24, 2010 4:48 pm

Bill, I've seen that chuck that PSI offers. It's pretty slick, and if I didn't have the Barracuda I might have gotten one, but the Barracuda does just fine. FWIW, I've tried mounting the Barracuda on both ends, and have better luck mounting it on the tailstock and mounting the chuck on the quill. IF by some chance your blank isn't chucked exactly square in the chuck and it wobbled when turning (from the quill end) it would make the hole oversize. If it's not exactly centered in the chuck and the chuck is mounted on the tailstock you just get a hole that's slightly off-center, but VERY slightly...

Mike, on the pens that are 2-piece pens you almost have to cut the blanks and drill afterwards, the total length is usually longer than the working length of the bit.

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