Help in squaring blanks

[Woodchipper]

I made several pens with the Whiteside Pen Mill set from Woodcraft. So far, so good. It was a chore and caused severe nerve impulses in the lower lumbar region. Using a VS drill and holding the blank was not my idea of fun. I tried to use the pen mill in the drill press. The first pen came out great. The second pen was a different story. The heat generated made the CA come loose. I can salvage the tube and blank with a bit of injunooity.....I hope. While waiting for everything to cool, I changed the speed of the DP from 1140 down to 620 RPM. I would like to use the lathe with the pen jaw but my blanks aren't the most accurate as to the dimensions of the sides- not a perfect 3/4x3/4.
I did make a disk sander for the lathe out of a faceplate and some scrap plywood. I added a "fence" and square it to the disk with a Groz precision square.
Any suggestions are most welcome. Thanks to all for your replies, both for this thread and pasts threads I have posted.

 

[McKenzie Penworks]

Clamp the wood to a desk/table, then use pen mill. Doesn't have to be overly complicated to get the job done! I just use whatever clamp I happen to have closest to me to clamp the blank down and use my hand drill to cut it flush. When I'm done turning it I have a little sanding jig I bought from a member here to make sure everything is cleaned up. (CA leaves a few boogers on the end from time to time after all)

 

[Woodchipper]

Thanks.

 

[McKenzie Penworks]

Just be sure to leave a little hanging off the edge of the table or you'll mill into your table instead.

 

[mecompco]

Pitch the wretched pen mill and square your blanks on the lathe w/a sanding disk. Many advantages to doing it this way. You'll never rip apart even the most brittle of blanks and you can be very precise. Nothing to ever worry about sharpening, either. Just MHO.

Regards,
Michael

 

[zig613]

Here is a link to an old post with some good information about different ways to square blanks http://www.penturners.org/forum/f14/best-tool-squaring-pen-blank-124669/. And, here is a link to what I use http://www.penturners.org/forum/f14/trimming-blanks-75546/index2.html.

Wade

 

[McKenzie Penworks]

I know pen mills aren't universally loved but the 6 cutter one I have is pretty darn smooth cutting. About the only wood I have to finish truing with sanding is mango with that thing.

 

[joshua_luther77]

I've used both the white side mill and a disc sander on the lathe. I much prefer the disc sander as it eliminates chip out and trimming it too much. Both have happened to me. Even if your disc sander table isn't perfectly square to the disc sander, you can just keep rotating the blank as you sand the end flush with the tube.

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[JimB]

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How much wood are you trying to remove with the pen mill? I cut my blanks as close to final length as I can with a saw. Then I use a pen mill for the last bit of it. I hold the blanks in a gloved hand and use a drill. No problems. Use a light tough.

If I need to do a little 'clean up' I use what is pictured.

 

[KB8JXO]

I use a pen mill on the lathe

I use a blank chuck to drill the pens, and then change the drill bit for the pen mill on the tail stock drill chuck. Slow, steady and straight. If you listen close, you can hear a change in sound when the mill gets close to the tube.

I tried to square up using a drill, but the drill kept chewing up the end shaft on the mill.

 

[Woodchipper]

I cut my blanks as close to final length as I can with a saw.

I'm learning that the standard 3/4x3/4x5 isn't always needed. A Slimline pen has a lot of extra wood that is not needed. Look at my shop floor! Ankle deep in chips and shavings. I will look to cut a blank a bit smaller and, as JimB said, cut the length to just a smidgen over the tube length to cut trimming to a minimum. I'll also look at the lathe setup I have and give it a try.
I built one pen yesterday afternoon. Instead of trimming a bunch of blanks at once, I just did the one. It allowed the trimmer in the DP to cool off and then move on to another pen. I did cut the blanks and glue the tubes in one operation. Trimming is another story.
Thanks.

 

[JimB]

If you haven't been trimming your blanks with. Saw and have been removing all that wood with the pen mill there is a good chance your pen mill needs sharpening. There is an article in the library on how to do it. It is very easy. i sharpen mine every 5 pens or so depending on the wood being milled. If the pen mill starts to get dull it will get grabby and chip out the wood. It is basically a scraper working on endgrain so it dulls quickly.

 

[More4dan]

I turn my blank round between centers before drilling. I then put the round blank in my lathe chuck to drill. The hole is now parallel to the outside of the blank. I can sand to the tube with a fence square to the sander. Easy peasy. It also gives me a better view of the patterns in the blank to pick the end for my pen.

Danny


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[Woodchipper]

I set up my lathe sanding gizmo. I sanded the ends of the blanks to what I thought was square. On a hunch, I put one of the blanks in the DP and pen mill. Surprisingly, the ends weren't square. I checked the sanding table and the "fence" with a Groz square. I went back and put all my blanks in the DP and took off a teeny, tiny bit of wood. Sanding was faster but some of the wood got real hot and I had to quit and sand another wood. I used the rubber block to clean the sanding disk.
I sharpen the mill every few blanks, too, with a DMT diamond file. Think I'll stick with the DP for now. Thanks to all.

 

[dogcatcher]

I turn my blank round between centers before drilling. I then put the round blank in my lathe chuck to drill. The hole is now parallel to the outside of the blank. I can sand to the tube with a fence square to the sander. Easy peasy. It also gives me a better view of the patterns in the blank to pick the end for my pen.

Danny


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I do about the same, I turn the blanks to 5/8 or 3/4 diameter, then drill using my collet chuck. I drill half way, flip it and drill through. No blow outs. At the same time I can make sure I have square ends, by hitting the blank with a pen mill or sanding mill.

 

[Woodchipper]

By turning round first, what type of chuck do you use? I have a three jaw chuck or a spur drive with a live center for the tailstock. Interested in learning.

 

[More4dan]

By turning round first, what type of chuck do you use? I have a three jaw chuck or a spur drive with a live center for the tailstock. Interested in learning.

I use a 3 jaw chuck to hold a straight dead center for turning between centers. I use the same 3 jaw chuck to hold the blank for drilling.

I use a 3 inch 3 jaw metal lathe chuck that I've bored to a 3/4" pass through diameter. My lathe is just a 7" x 10" mini metal lathe. By chucking my rounded blank all the way into the chuck, I have more room to drill.

Danny


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[Woodchipper]

Thanks. Saw the weather report for the Texas gulf coast. Lots of damage in some places. Saw a campground with campers and motor homes on their sides. Trust you are OK.

 

[More4dan]

Thanks. Saw the weather report for the Texas gulf coast. Lots of damage in some places. Saw a campground with campers and motor homes on their sides. Trust you are OK.

So far so good. Just waiting to see how high the rivers rise. Thanks. Some others to the Southwest of us are a different story. Hopefully it passes soon so we can get in and help with the clean up and rebuilding.





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