I though I'd share

[Bart]

I have been slowly making some of the items I'll need to to make pens. Here is what I came up with as a pen press. Next will be a jig to hold blanks for drilling. I am lucky because I have a small bench top drill-press that I can dedicate to pen making. I figure by making some of the less complicated items I can purchase better quality items like the mandrels etc.

 

[ctEaglesc]

That type of clamp will work but you will find the clutch will wear out and it isn't very accurate.(you'll leaarn how to dismantle slimlines quickly)
A screw type wood clmp would be better and the vice you show will also work.
There are also those who press pens together using a DP.
The vice and the DP would be much better than the clamp you have pictured,(DAMHIKT)

 

[alamocdc]

Bart, I've been using a clamp like this for pressing since April with no problems. However, it does not have enough juice to adequately press cigar pens all of the time so I had to come up with fixtures to attach to my lathe for pressing.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I see a bench vice in the photo. That is what I used successfully until I acquired a genuine pen press. Try it, you'll like it. []

 

[Scott]

Hi Bart!

I use a woodworking clamp as my pen press. It's not one of these quick-grip type, but I would suspect this will work fine. As tool fanatics I think we often make too big a deal over what we use to do what. And I'm one of the worst tool fanatics there is! The clamp I use is a Bessy K-body, but that's because it's what I had, and it's still pressing pens together all these years later. Use what works for you! And have fun! []

Scott.