Gentlemens Pen Question

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DonWood

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Dec 27, 2005
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Chambersburg, PA, USA.
Hi Everyone:

Is anyone but me having this problem? CSUSA instructions say to use a 37/64" drill for the upper barrel for the Gentlemen's Pen. I find that this is too small a hole and I have to do a lot of sanding to get the tube to fit in.

Is anyone using a different size drill and if so, which one?

Thanks so much for the info.

Don Wood
 
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fernhills

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Jan 22, 2007
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Hellertown, PA, USA.
Yes the Gentleman and the Majestic. I have to use a file, and when you do that it tends to oval the hole at the end, you have to use a longer top blank so you can cut it away. I bought the drill bit where i bought the kits and i don`t want to buy another expensive bit just to compensate. These kits are not cheap, you should not have to go through all that trouble. I have about 5 or 6 to do yet and i dread it because i know what i have to go through.
 

lwalden

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Nov 3, 2005
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Trophy Club, Texas, USA.
I'm using the 37/64" bit. I'm using a Norseman bit, from Ariz. Silhouette. I drill first using a delta drill press and a paul huffman vise. In most cases, the tube may be a little snug , but seem to be OK close to both ends, and just snug in the middle. If it seems really snug, after it has cooled I'll drill it a second time, this time with the bit in a portable (cordless) hand drill. Always seems to take care of the problem, without wallowing out the hole noticably.
 

Texatdurango

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Apr 23, 2007
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Show Low, Arizona
Another method....

I take one of the Harbor Freight transfer punches, apply a few drops of CA and wrap a piece of sandpaper around the punch. I put the punch in a drill motor and slowly rotate the blank around while running the drill really slow. I also use this to clean out any glue inside the tube and one punch works on lots of different pen blanks and tubes. Works well for me.
 

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JerryS

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Jul 12, 2008
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Phila Pa
Another method....

I take one of the Harbor Freight transfer punches, apply a few drops of CA and wrap a piece of sandpaper around the punch. I put the punch in a drill motor and slowly rotate the blank around while running the drill really slow. I also use this to clean out any glue inside the tube and one punch works on lots of different pen blanks and tubes. Works well for me.


Another great idea to store in the ole memory bank ;) for the day I start making these pens . :good:
 

mick

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Mar 13, 2005
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Decatur AL, USA
Another method....

I take one of the Harbor Freight transfer punches, apply a few drops of CA and wrap a piece of sandpaper around the punch. I put the punch in a drill motor and slowly rotate the blank around while running the drill really slow. I also use this to clean out any glue inside the tube and one punch works on lots of different pen blanks and tubes. Works well for me.

Dang George weak....er great minds think alike! I use one of the transfer punchs and after wrapping some 400 grit around it chuck in in my Beall and lightly run the blank on and off it checking often until the tube slides in easily. I stumbled onto this when Ken changed the way his Flag pen kits are made and I needed a way to sand the insides of the blank after gluing the stripes in. Just don't get too agressive and rotate the blank as you slide it back and forth.
 

simomatra

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Apr 22, 2007
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Aberglasslyn,NSW, Australia.
Another method....

I take one of the Harbor Freight transfer punches, apply a few drops of CA and wrap a piece of sandpaper around the punch. I put the punch in a drill motor and slowly rotate the blank around while running the drill really slow. I also use this to clean out any glue inside the tube and one punch works on lots of different pen blanks and tubes. Works well for me.

I have been using the same method with success just float the paper though
 

DonWood

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Dec 27, 2005
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178
Location
Chambersburg, PA, USA.
Gentlemen's Pen Question

Thanks so much everyone for the suggestions. I did wrap some sandpaper around a dowel (just like using the transfer punch) when I had the problem, but was hoping that maybe there was an appropriate size drill, evidently there is not or someone here would surely know about.

Thanks again, appreciate the input. It is great to have a question and have lots of folks to go to for an answer.
 

evanslmtd

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Dec 4, 2008
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Location
Granbury Texas
Don
You might want to use either one of the following bits (both a tad over-sized) when you drill out the next set of blanks.
37/64" (0.5781)
15mm (0.5906) (+0.0125)
19/32" (0.5938) (+0.0157)
 
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