9mm pen mill

[abaum]

All,

Does anyone know where I can get a pen mill for the Retro Pen Kit sold by Woodcraft? http://www.woodcraft.com/Family/2020921/Retro-Pen-Kits-.aspx

I am currently using a 7mm mill for square up the blanks and a slightly undersized drill bit to clean out any glue that gets in the tubes. Not an elegant solution and I find myself sometimes thinning out the tubes to a point in which components don't stay put.

adam

 

[KenV]

Adam -- Many of us turn adapters/sleeves/auxiliary fitting pieces that use a standard 7mm tube glued into low value wood/corian/plastic/acrylic etc and turned so that the outside is a snug fit inside the tube of the selected pen. I have a bag full of these.

Hint -- the whole length does not need to be a close fit -- but it helps if it is a good fit at 2-4 places along the length of the sleeve. top, bottom and one or two places between.

one pen mill and a 7 mm shaft then fit all pen tube combinations.

Then there is plan B -- use a set of transfer punches and pick the best fit install it in the tailstock in a drill chuck and use a small sanding disk on the headstock side -- and sand the blank square. Leave a bit of space between the sanding disk and the punch and just slide the blank into the sandpaper. just a bit does it as you do not want to shorten some tubes (think lower cigar as a case in point).

 

[abaum]

Ken,

I'm feeling a bit thick this week and can't seem to visualize what you are describing. Could you post a pic of one of your "adapters/sleeves/auxiliary fitting pieces"?

adam

 

[KenV]

Will dig out the digital camera when I get home from work tonight ---

In the mean time -- think of a slimline blank turned full length to the diameter of the inside of a larger pen tube. (I sometimes use the bushings for the larger diameter pen at the ends and rough turn towards the size of the bushing that goes into the tube. Sand with care to have a close fit at the ends and the middle. Finish with wax (think low friction)

Good topic for photos -- Tonight.