First Three Pens

[pauly99]

About a month ago I picked up a lathe and then the number of must have's (and some extras) to just be able to start turning pens. Rob from New Orleans sent me a box with more blanks that I would know what to do with... but I will find a way. Along the way, I shot a MT2 out of a chuck drill while spinning on the lathe and through my wife's windshield. Ouch. After a terrible bout with the flu and work that constantly got in the way, I've turned my first 3 pens. It has definitely been a learning process but I feel like I am making progress... and having fun at it too.

While making the 1st pen (purpleheart), I was afraid of taking off too much wood. On the 2nd pen (mahogany), I overcompensated and then on the 3rd pen (poplar), I was just having fun.

 

[SerenityWoodWorks]

Now you got the fever...Keep them coming. Make sure you keep these and look back at them every 6 months and you will always smile and be proud!

 

[swanny70]

I don't remember who said it, but buying a digital caliper at HF was the best investment I made. I measure the components of the pen kit and then match the blank to the measurements.

 

[pauly99]

Thanks. I'm glad to be making the mistakes because I'm learning. I did pick up a digital caliper before I made the 3rd pen and I put it to use (I dunno good use but I put it to use). And from reading I've learned to not so much turn to the bushings but rather the kit that I'm working with. After the 2nd pen... the digital caliper was a must!

 

[bobjackson]

Great start. You are on your way.

 

[crokett]

Nice start on the pens.

Caliper is an excellent suggestion. I use my grandfather's that is not digital, but I still use it because it was his. I turned a slim line yesterday and it was actually a little more difficult than the others I've done. I wanted everything absolutely straight and I was turning it down much thinner so didn't want to make mistakes.

 

[18111]

Making straight line with hand tool is much harder than curved one.

 

[pauly99]

Yeah. I inherited some of my dad's tools that he made (including a couple of calipers) and part of me wants to use them while the other part wants to leave them alone and admire them.

It did seem much easier to do that 3rd pen which is curved, rather than the first 2 which are relatively straight.

 

[azamiryou]

Nice start.

When drilling on the lathe, keep one hand on the drill chuck. Either stop the lathe before withdrawing the drill, or keep a little pressure towards the morse taper as you withdraw it. The withdrawing action effectively "tugs" on the the chuck, and can pull it loose from the taper - with, as you found, dangerous results.

 

[pauly99]

Matthew, thanks. I gave up on the HF drill chuck and purchased a precision drill chuck from recommendations here. Still, while turning the last poplar blank, the wood must have grabbed the bit and started to spin the chuck and pull the quill out of the tailstock even as I was holding on to the chuck. What am I doing wrong?

 

[azamiryou]

Sounds like the chuck wasn't seated in the tailstock taper correctly.

• Make sure the tapers match, e.g. if your tailstock is MT2 the chuck has to be MT2.
• Make sure both are clean.
• When installing the chuck, don't just set it in place - slam it in there. Ideally, you shouldn't be able to pull it out by hand.
• If needed, you can tap the chuck in with a plastic mallet, or with a hammer using a piece of wood to pad the blows, or use the tailstock hand wheel to press it against the headstock or your blank to make sure it's seated.
• When retracting the quill (withdrawing the drill from your work), be careful not to withdraw it so far that the ram in the tailstock ejects the chuck. At what point it ejects depends on the length of the taper, but it may be before the quill is fully retracted.
• As mentioned above, use your hand to push the chuck towards the taper as you retract, to counteract the natural "tug" as you withdraw it from the blank.
• Every step of the way, keep your hand on the chuck and go slow enough that if you feel it start to loosen you can stop everything before it can get completely free and fly across the room.

 

[pauly99]

Matthew, Ok. I have a MT2 in the Harbor Freight midi lathe and a MT2 with the chuck. I definitely made sure to get all the grease off of the quill/lathe and MT2 on the chuck.

I guess my concern is how far should the quill be out when I "slam" or just ever so urgently invite the MT2 into the quill/tailstock? Obviously (and I am clueless here), I don't lock down the quill (only the tailstock) when I am drilling into blanks... correct? And yes, when I withdraw the quill after drilling 1/4 inch or so, I always make sure to not get it to the point where I would release the chuck.

 

[azamiryou]

I guess my concern is how far should the quill be out when I "slam" or just ever so urgently invite the MT2 into the quill/tailstock?

It shouldn't matter, as long as it's out far enough that you aren't hitting the ram at the back. If it sticks, it's far enough. If it bounces or doesn't seem to seat properly, you might be hitting the ram.

 

[pauly99]

Thanks Matthew. I'm in a learning mode here and I really really appreciate all the advice.