How do you turn your pens?

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Herb G

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It sounds like a simple question, but it really isn't.
Do you turn each pen one at a time, or do you make up a batch of 10, then turn them all at once?
Do you prepare each blank one at a time, or do you prep a bunch of them all at once?
How do you finish them? Again, one at a time, or a bunch all at once?

If you prep a batch to turn, how do you keep them in order, and make sure you use the right bushings for the pen you're turning?
Do you have a storage solution for after you glue up the tubes in the blanks? (Like a rack with nails or something to hold them? Or pegboard maybe?)
When you turn, do you turn a bunch of the same pens, or do you mix it up with different kits?

I am asking because I might be coming into my first order of 25 Slim Line pens, and they will need to be made quickly.
I am pretty slow when it comes to making a pen, and I'd like to speed it up by any means I can.
I don't want to cut corners though.

Thanks for any help.
:)
 
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Rolandranch

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For your first 4 questions...All of the above. I do one at a time, five at a time, or 30 at a time. It just depends on what you are doing. If you are making 25 of the same pen, I would definitely cut, drill, trim, etc. them all together. It saves time to do all the pens at once in stages instead of doing one pen at a time. I use pencil markings on my blanks to keep track of what's what and grain direction. As for bushings, I have a set of small drawers with each drawer labeled with the bushing names. After I glue the tubes in the blanks, I just set them horizontal on my messy "glue board" (if you set them vertical to dry, the tube could easily slide down the blank). Hope this helps.
 

Chasper

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I always make pens in quantities, usually 50-100 of a style as a production run, occasionally more. I do them in stages; prep them all, turn them all, finish them all, assemble them all.

I use a paint pen to mark them all with a number before cutting the blanks. I draw a line for the center cut, then draw an arrow pointing both directions across the line, that tells me where the center of the blank is so I can match them up for turning and assembly. If it is a two part pen where the top is different from the bottom section I mark them as L for bottom and S for top. The markings only help until you start turning. After turning I put them on trays.

Usually I'm doing 3 of one color, 5 of the next, 12 of the next, 2 of the next, etc. I believe you are thinking about doing 25 of the same color or wood species. That requires extra effort to make sure you keep them in order and keep the centers together on the trays.

Bushings are never a problem for me because I only make one style of pen at a time, but I do have at least four sets of between center bushing for most of the pen styles I turn. That way I can turn four pen sections, remove bushings and put them into four more pen sections, repeat, repeat, repeat. Taking bushings off one section and putting them on the next over and over would take longer.

For slims I would turn them all with between centers bushings. Then sand them all on a mandrel, three sections at a time. That means loading them on the lathe twice, but I can turn more aggressively and faster with between center bushings. Alternating between turning and sanding one section at a time on the between center bushings slows me down.

25 slims? That would take around 5 hours, not including time for the paint to dry since I mostly make resin pens that require painting inside the drilled hole before gluing in the tube. Wood would take few hours longer because of the finishing time.
 

MTViper

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I try to turn batches of the same pens if I can. If I'm making pens with 2 blanks, I mark the cut line, size of the drill bit, and grain match either on the blank itself or on a paper label (if the blank is dark wood). If I'm turning several from the same type blank, I also number each section so I can keep grain matched pieces together. I cut them and drill them all at the same time then glue in the tubes. I place them on a piece of wax paper to dry. After squaring the blanks, I transfer the grain match mark to the inside of each tube so I can match them after turning off my original mark. If I'm doing multiple pens with different tube sizes, I also mark the drill bit size on the blank so I drill it correctly. I will usually set up 5-15 at a time.
 

ed4copies

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I agree completely with "Chasper". However, if you are doing it for the first time, CHECK THE FIRST pen at each stage--especially make certain you are using the correct drill bit, then make certain you used the correct bushings in the correct positions (although the slimline are all one size, so this may not apply to your project) With the slim, both tubes are the same length--no way to err, there.

Make a jig to guide the depth of your transmission, so you can press them together without checking the refill extension.

Good luck--25 is not enough to get REAL bored!!!

FWIW,
Ed
 

Chasper

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I agree completely with "Chasper". However, if you are doing it for the first time, CHECK THE FIRST pen at each stage--especially make certain you are using the correct drill bit, then make certain you used the correct bushings in the correct positions (although the slimline are all one size, so this may not apply to your project) With the slim, both tubes are the same length--no way to err, there.

Make a jig to guide the depth of your transmission, so you can press them together without checking the refill extension.

Good luck--25 is not enough to get REAL bored!!!

FWIW,
Ed

And check the size of you bushings every 20-30 pens. They can wear down and you will be making overturned pens before you finish. I've done that.
 

MTViper

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Cut, drilled, and glued 11 pen blanks this afternoon - 3 different kits, 3 different lengths, 3 different drill bits. Two were Thin Red Line blanks and the other 9 were Thin Blue Line blanks. Cut everything on my 7.25" miter saw. Kept each different group together - longer ones to my left shorter ones to my right, TRL ones on the bench. Took all of them to the lathe at the same time, stacked each group with its blanks. Drilled 2 10mm first then 5 3/8" next then the 4 8mm blanks last. Glued them up by size. I'll turn them the same way I glued them, first the 2 Firefighter pens (10mm) first, then the 4 Bolt Action Tec (8 mm), and finally the 5 Bolt Action pens (3.8"). When I finish each batch, the bushings go back into the bag and into the ammo can where I store them. Keeps me from getting confused.
 

Woodchipper

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Interesting and informative. We had two demonstrators at our wood turning club meeting last month. Two pen turners with opposite approaches to the craft. One fellow does about 300 pens a year so he keeps things like the lathe going at full speed.
I don't know if I will get to the point of making several pens at one time. However, I used to build fishing rods and I used the plastic containers from deli meats to keep things organized. I would put a piece of masking tape on the lid to mark the build. Everything I would need would be in one place. Hope this helps.
 

Pens By Scott

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I swear I had ADD... Usually i cut and glue up 5-8 pens of the same kit, then turn and finish them... even on larger orders... on the few 100+ orders of the same pens, I think i actually got to setting up 10 at at time... Yup... likely not as efficient, but works for me.
 

jttheclockman

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I do them one at a time because each is special. I do not do large orders and never will. I do not want them. I will leave that to those that have to make 100. I would give the hobby up in a blink if I had to do 20 of the same pen with simple wood blanks or acylic blanks. Too boring for me. I will make a special pen and sell for $200+ and I am ahead of the game. Works for me. :biggrin::biggrin:
 

avramw

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Bushings are never a problem for me because I only make one style of pen at a time, but I do have at least four sets of between center bushing for most of the pen styles I turn. That way I can turn four pen sections, remove bushings and put them into four more pen sections, repeat, repeat, repeat. Taking bushings off one section and putting them on the next over and over would take longer.

Hi there, I'm kinda new to this. Are you somehow putting more than one blank on a lathe at the same time when you're turning between centers or are you doing them one at a time? If so, how?

Thanks!
 

Chasper

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Bushings are never a problem for me because I only make one style of pen at a time, but I do have at least four sets of between center bushing for most of the pen styles I turn. That way I can turn four pen sections, remove bushings and put them into four more pen sections, repeat, repeat, repeat. Taking bushings off one section and putting them on the next over and over would take longer.

Hi there, I'm kinda new to this. Are you somehow putting more than one blank on a lathe at the same time when you're turning between centers or are you doing them one at a time? If so, how?

Thanks!

When I'm turning between centers I turn 1/2 of a two part 7mm pen at a time, only one on the lathe at a time. When I finish turning a section I don't immediately sand it. I turn them all, then sand and micro mesh them all. For sanding I put three slim type pen sections on the mandrel at once and sand all three at once. They are all resin so there is no finish to apply. After sanding all of them all I buff them all, four sections at once on a buffing dowel.

I realize that it is counter intuitive to turn one section at a time, then load another section and turn it, as opposed to turning two sections at once on a mandrel. But it truly is faster, much faster to turn between centers one section at a time. I don't even turn the lathe off or pull the tool rest back to remove one section and load the next on.
 

randyrls

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If it is a two part pen where the top is different from the bottom section I mark them as L for bottom and S for top. The markings only help until you start turning. After turning I put them on trays.
Before I start turning, I use a Sharpie to mark the inside of the brass tubes at the center of both blanks...

I make a max of 8 at a time and have a box with 8 compartments and it has latches!
 

dogcatcher

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I usually turn in a mass production mode, at least 12 at a time, usually more. I have racks that keep the parts separated for each kit. I cut the blanks, drill and glue the tubes one pen at a time. The blanks with the tubes are placed in order on the rack. After I have that done, I start to turn, turn and sand through the grits and back to the rack. After they are turned I start the finish process, after each is finished, it goes back on the rack. I only have to change out bushings when I change from one kit to another.

Everything is organized by the type of kit, so that all of one pen kit is together. I don't always assemble them, most times I just keep the finished barrels and wait until I see what I need to complete. Sometimes one finish will sell better than others, this way if gun metal is selling I just have to assemble more of the gun metal finish pens. The barrels are ready to go.
 

leehljp

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Bushings are never a problem for me because I only make one style of pen at a time, but I do have at least four sets of between center bushing for most of the pen styles I turn. That way I can turn four pen sections, remove bushings and put them into four more pen sections, repeat, repeat, repeat. Taking bushings off one section and putting them on the next over and over would take longer.

Hi there, I'm kinda new to this. Are you somehow putting more than one blank on a lathe at the same time when you're turning between centers or are you doing them one at a time? If so, how?

Thanks!

Avramw, welcome! I saw it was your first post. However, it is obvious that you have been reading quite a bit to understand TBC.

This is not just for you but for others too. WE all have our preference, mandrels, mandrel savers and TBC and they all work. Unless one is proficient with all forms then misconception about the unfamiliar ones often arise.

I noticed when I became used to using TBC that the speed at which I could take a blank on and off for checking or changing blanks was much much quicker than I could when on a mandrel. Then I began to think about the process of the mandrel usage that we all took for granted.

Mandrel:
1. pick up mandrel, place a spacer, a bushing, blank, bushing, spacer bushing, blank, bushing, spacer, brass nut, correct tension on the tail stock, turn. (mandrels are more sensitive to inaccurate tension settings than TBC and there is a ton of old post problems that came down to mandrels bent, mandrels flexing or incorrect tail stock live center in the cup of the mandrel.

TBC
2. Place busing on one end of blank, other end, place between center and lock tail stock. Stop, take bushings off, place blank back on and finish without getting bushings stuck to the blank

The ease of taking a TBC blank on and off both simplifies the process and speeds it up faster to the point that it can easily be faster to do two blanks on TBC than two blanks on a single mandrel, - especially if you drop a spacer or bushing while assembling it. Done that enough and I think we all have.
 
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budnder

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Something else to consider, for a net of 25, I'd probably start out with 30 through the drilling, and then proceed to glue tubes in 25. That way when I screwed up or had something bad happen I've got a few reserve prepped pieces ready to use.
 

FrankH

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I usually make one pen at a time. but, like Chasper, I worry about the bushings wearing down with use. For the pens that I really like, e.g. Cigar Pens, I "waste" a kit and file the tip, cap and center band(s) so I can slip them into the pen I'm making to insure a good fit. Sometimes the "wasted" kit is the result of one of my royal screw ups.
 

avramw

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Avramw, welcome! I saw it was your first post. However, it is obvious that you have been reading quite a bit to understand TBC.

Thank you for the welcome. I read quite a bit and watch youtube videos. My wife says I don't have hobbies; I have obsessions :)

I've turned probably around 30 pens so far to varying degrees of success. I'm starting to get annoyed with the out of roundess I sometimes get. I've tried a couple of pens with TBC using just the regular bushing that came with the pen kit between a dead and live center and it seemed to work ok. I think whatever wobble was left there was maybe due to the blank not being perfectly square. I'm still working on the best way to do that. Here are a couple that I'm particularly proud of:
 

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LoneOak

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I've turned probably around 30 pens so far to varying degrees of success. I'm starting to get annoyed with the out of roundess I sometimes get. I've tried a couple of pens with TBC using just the regular bushing that came with the pen kit between a dead and live center and it seemed to work ok. I think whatever wobble was left there was maybe due to the blank not being perfectly square. I'm still working on the best way to do that. Here are a couple that I'm particularly proud of:


You might want to get one of these "Turn Between Centers Mandrel" from Penn State. I got one and it has made a world of difference in how easy it is to turn single tube pens. You just slip your bushings on the shafts and lock you blank in between. It is fast and so far they have all came out round and true. It comes in a #2MT or a #1MT to fit which ever kind of lathe you have.
 

avramw

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I saw these and they look tempting but honestly what's the difference between that and just sliding the regular bushings against my dead and live centers? What does this really buy me?
 
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