5/8" vs 3/4"

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jbg230

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Jun 13, 2016
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As a newbie, I thought that 3/4" pen blanks were the "standard" size. But I noticed today looking at a vendor's site that they offer the same blank in both 5/8" and 3/4" and naturally sell the 5/8 blank for a little less money.
I'm not sure of the stats, but I would think that most pen kit barrels (or at least a significant percentage) are small enough for a 5/8" blank.
So I'm wondering if the extra thickness of the 3/4" blank is really just for stability when drilling or if I can save a few bucks by ordering 5/8" blanks.
I guess I'm asking, where should the cut off be in terms of barrel size when using a 5/8" blank?
Thanks for your help.
Jake
 
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RobS

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3/4 if for 10mm brass tube blanks like the cubans

5/8 works well for slimline and other 7mm tube kits.
 

magpens

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Stability during drilling is the main reason for going with 3/4", I believe.

You can get by with 5/8" in many cases, but your drilling skills and equipment are then more critical as ed4copies said above.

I very carefully round my blanks between centers (accurately measured and marked on the ends). . And then I drill my blanks on the lathe with the blank in the headstock chuck ... the blank has been previously cut to just a shade over the required length.

Without you saying so, I suspect you are getting the blanks from PSI. . Problem I found is that their blanks are often undersized from the stated size. . If you get undersized 5/8" blanks, you don't have much tolerance.

If you are really careful, you can get by with 1/2" blanks for slimlines.
 
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jbg230

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Jun 13, 2016
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Actually, I ordered some blanks today from Cook Woods. They had some wood I had never heard of before (which is not saying much though, but interesting stuff just the same). Their prices seemed decent and their customer service and shipping time was impeccable. And to top it off, their location in Oregon makes me jealous. If their blanks are as nice as their pictures, they've got me sold.
I'm still in the experimenting stage and continue to find it fun to check out the uniqueness of each vendor. There are people who like to visit all the baseball stadiums in the country or climb the highest mountain in each state. If I had the time, I'd visit all the lumber mills that make turning blanks!
There should be a t-shirt for that!
Maybe an idea for a new reality show.
Wow, I guess I've caught the bug.

Thanks to all for the responses. Learning every day.
 

PenPal

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Waste of time using 5/8 blanks even though I can drill them there are heaps of blanks that can be improved by using another centre to gain the best grain etc.

False economy IMHO to use 5/8 blanks.

I have successfully drilled umpteen 1/2 inch Corian in my drill press, used to drill nonstop hundreds at a time. I do prefer timber.

Peter.

Pic shows some of thousands cut on the bandsaw and dried in my Roof Space.
 

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mecompco

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Fairfield, Maine
As long as you're comfortable with your drilling capability, why not go smaller? I love the 5/8ths blanks. I'd buy 1/2 inch for the occasional slim/comfort pen I do if they were available.

Regards,
Michael
 

mredburn

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Blanks used to be 5/8 ths as a std, now its 3/4. A lot of the older material was 5/8, That will make all but the biggest pens. When doing slimlines I would cut 1 inch material in quarters and as small as 7/16 sq to make slimlines. your only apx 8.4mm (11/32 apx.) if you do bushing to bushing. Especially on really expensive wood.
You have to have a decent drilling setup and a really really sharp bit. I would not hesitate to buy 5/8 blanks and even 9 1/6. JR gent series need a 5/8 blank for a little wiggle room over 9/16 but lots of pens dont come close to needing that much material.
Larger stock of course gives you the advantage of using it for other projects as well as pens. Something you will have to consider when buying pen blanks.
 

WriteON

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I tend to use 5/8 when 3/4 is called for if that is what I have in stock. Has worked ok so far as I'm drilling by lathe. If the pen is thick to begin with or questionable I start with 3/4. You will get feel for this in a short time.
 
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thewishman

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Reynoldsburg, Ohio, USA.
You would be surprised at how many styles of pens you can make with 1/2" stock. Click on the library link at the top of this page, go to references, and then Pen Kit Bushing and tubes link (it is in red). Choose whichever vendor you buy your supplies from, and you can see the dimensions of each part of each kit they offer. Wayne (woyne) has created such a valuable guide, it's something I use at least 10 times a week.
 

leehljp

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3/4, 5/8, 1/2. All doable. Experience and skill as Ed mentioned is the factor. I have been around wood since I can remember. Cutting, drilling, hammering, carving and whittling since I could hold a tool or knife.

Some of the experienced people can make it look easy; I can too. But the skill just does not come just because one wants to. It comes with experience. I tend to overbuild things when I don't have to, but I do it anyway. I tend to be overcautious when cutting, drilling and turning too, and it pays off. Experience.

Be cautious my friend. Don't get ahead of yourself. AND You might want to try a few 5/8 just to see if you can. If you can, don't think you can do that on that burl just because you did on a straight piece of maple.

Still, it is fun to try. That is where experience comes from.
 

MyDadsPens

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Nov 10, 2019
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Corning, New York
I almost never buy 5/8 because as a drill press guy that like big pens its too difficult to guarantee a straight enough drilling - However, I also try to be as frugal as possible - so if there are 5/8 blanks under a $1 in woods I haven't used I will buy a few to experiment with. My favorite experiment pens are Trimlines (saturns) - they are cheap but if the wood is good they are still a nice pen. But if I really like the wood and want to use it on a cigar or larger pen I do the following with 5/8 blanks.
Drill them as straight as possible (clamp my vise instead of just holding it type stuff - even the big cigar still have very little wood thickness so skinny blanks usually still work ----But if worried about tear out or uneven sanding leading to problems you can just glue a sacrificial 1/8 piece of scrap (pine) - just make sure it's all off for finished pen
this might seem like a lot of trouble to save a few pennies BUT the biggest savings for me is when I am able to pick up a cutting board to use for blanks - I have picked up olive wood and teak cutting boards at yard sales for $1 and can get 10+ pen blanks BUT many cutting boards are 5/8 thick - so when needed you can make them work
 
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