Blank trimming

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RPM

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I was planning to make the CSUSA Gentleman and the Arizona Siloutte Baron pen per requests from coworkers that want to buy them. However, due to the size of the tubes, I would need to buy new shafts for my blank trimmer at a cost of nearly $40 just for the Gentleman's pen (I'm not even sure of the tube size of the Baron). That is alot of $$ for a trimmer shaft. How difficult is it to trim manually? I have a table saw and a disk sander for it.

It seems to me that I could make a jig using a squared block of wood with a rod of with the same i.d. of the tube inserted in it. Then clamp the block on the miter square and allow the blank to "float" on the rod up to the sanding disk. This would ensure contact that is square to the tube. Does this seem reasonable or am I over engineering a simple task?
Richard
 
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Gary

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Your concept is fine...that's similar to what I do on my disc sander. But on a table saw? Man, I don't know...that table saw arbor is traveling at warp speed and that's a mighty small blank you're going to be sticking up against the disc. It sure better be well supported! I don't think I would feel comfortable doing it.
 

Fred in NC

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Block of wood with 1/4" or 5/16" hole drilled squarely in the center. The hole needs to be a bit smaller that the pen's tube.
Turn a shaft to fit into the tube, and then reduce the diameter in one end (about 1" long) to fit the hole in the block of wood. Punch a hole in some sandpaper, and put the shaft thru the sandpaper onto the block. The sandpaper can be lightly glued on the wood.

Presto! Cheap barrel trimmer!
 

Gary

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Originally posted by Fred in NC
<br />Block of wood with 1/4" or 5/16" hole drilled squarely in the center. The hole needs to be a bit smaller that the pen's tube.
Turn a shaft to fit into the tube, and then reduce the diameter in one end (about 1" long) to fit the hole in the block of wood. Punch a hole in some sandpaper, and put the shaft thru the sandpaper onto the block. The sandpaper can be lightly glued on the wood.

Presto! Cheap barrel trimmer!

Fred, neat idea! Now, how does one drive this invention...chuck it in the lathe?
 

Fred in NC

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No, hold the barrel in one hand... and the contraption in the other. Rotate either hand back and forth.

What did you expect, a CNC barrel trimmer ?
 

DCBluesman

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Quick! Somebody call Bruce! [:D]
Originally posted by Fred in NC
<br />No, hold the barrel in one hand... and the contraption in the other. Rotate either hand back and forth.

What did you expect, a CNC barrel trimmer ?
 

Gary

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Originally posted by Fred in NC
<br />No, hold the barrel in one hand... and the contraption in the other. Rotate either hand back and forth.

What did you expect, a CNC barrel trimmer ?

LOL...no, but it sounds like work!
 

RPM

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I like this idea. I think I might upgrade from hand power to cordless drill (variable speed) with blank held in vice. Yes I'm impatient.

BTW, for those that where a little put off by my table saw sanding disk, it is actually made for a table saw and I have been using it in furniture making for over 20 years. It turns at about 3,750 rpm and is really quite safe when given the proper respect. Safety is one thing I don't take for granted.

Richard
 

Gary

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Originally posted by RPM
<br />BTW, for those that where a little put off by my table saw sanding disk, it is actually made for a table saw and I have been using it in furniture making for over 20 years. It turns at about 3,750 rpm and is really quite safe when given the proper respect. Safety is one thing I don't take for granted.

Richard

Richard, I wasn't put off by it...I was just trying to imagine that table saw and the little pen blank. I'm sure you do operate in a safe mode.
 

daledut

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For my gentleman's pens I took a couple of spare Slimline tubes and glued them in some maple. Turn them down to just slip inside the GMan tubes.

Then use tham as spacers and use a regular pen mill with the 7mm shaft to rim the ends. Of course you need the 3/4" mill head not the 1/2" for the GMan.

Another method that I use on my SL Pro glue ups. Mount the blank with tube, on the lathe. Turn it to just round and cylindrical. That makes the outside parralell to the tube. Then use a miter gauge, or clamp a straight edge 90 degrees to your disc sander and use it as a guide for sanding the end of the blank.

BTW I have used my table saw with a sanding disc. It works, just keep your knuckles clear.[:0]
 

Fred in NC

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". Mount the blank with tube, on the lathe. Turn it to just round and cylindrical. That makes the outside parralele to the tube. Then use a miter gauge, or clamp a straight edge 90 degrees to your disc sander. . . "

Great idea, Dale!
 

opfoto

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Whoa.... Big disk....Small Blank, recipe for accident just waiting to happen. Too scary for me to even think about trying.
 

C_Ludwigsen

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Another method that I use on my SL Pro glue ups. Mount the blank with tube, on the lathe. Turn it to just round and cylindrical. That makes the outside parralell to the tube. Then use a miter gauge, or clamp a straight edge 90 degrees to your disc sander and use it as a guide for sanding the end of the blank.

Thanks Dale!!! That is exactly the type of idea I was needing to make these G'man pens for my brother. This makes perfect sense.

Tip of the day if you ask me (cheap, easy, and accurate).
 

RPM

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You need to keep in mind that a sanding disk in a table saw with minimum clearance insert, the disk is elevated and the force of the revolution is down which tends to hold the item being sanded to the table. As stated above, the primary concern is keeping your knuckles away which is not a problem if you are using reasonable precautions. Holding the blank as suggested above in the miter gauge constitutes reasonable precautions.
Richard
 

daledut

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Okay a couple of cautions for using the turn round and sand method.

When mounting the blanks on a mandrel, you will need to use the bushings, but use minimal pressure from the mandrel nut. Assume that the ends are not yet square to the tube, since that is why you are doing this. If you crank down tight on the nut and the ends are not sqaure you can force the mandrel and the blank to warp slightly. This makes it impossible to get a true cylinder.

Use only enough pressure to turn the balnk and overcome the resistance of the turning tool. Use a sharp gouge and shallow cuts until it is round and cylindrical.

When you get to the sander, use very light pressure and keep the blank against your straight edge. Also I find that rotating the blank constantly gives a better chance of squareness. Remember with a disc sander, the outer edge is traveling faster that the inner edge. In other words there is more sandpaper passing the outer edge of your blank in a given period of time than the inner edge. If you just push your blank into the disc and hold it there you may not get a square end, so keep it rotataing.

Alternately, you can use a belt sander the same way if it has a table. With a belt sander you don't have the difference in velocity.

All this may seem nit-picky but it all affects the final product.
 

woodscavenger

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I see the engineers at work here again. I have seen the jig for sanders that has a rod that your tube/blank slides on which is square to the sander. You merely have to slide the blank into the sander. You could obviously create a jig that uses different sizes of threaded rods or bolts that could be size matched to the larger tubes.
 

jwoodwright

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I use my 7mm Pen Mill on Cigar Pens...[8D]

Oh! I use a Corian Adaptor over the Shaft to match the 10mm barrel...[:I]

You could make the disk sander jig with a 1/4 " bolt and use Corian Adaptors with 7mm barrels... Do everything from Slinline to gents...

All with the help of A Corian adapt-a-kit...[:D]
 
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