Pen Chuck for Pen Mandrel Updated with pic

[rtjw]

I turned one blank with this pen chuck. Turned wonderfully. The only problem was that the blank was to clear. So I turned something that was mostly for trial and error.

Have been toying with this idea for a while now. I have been thinking, why couldnt you make a pen chuck for a pen mandrel? That way you could make solid body pens without having to change out the whole mandrel. Worked on it for a while and this is what I came up with. Will be trying it out tonight. All you have to do is change out the mandrel shaft. Turns true and doesnt seem to bad. Left about 1/2 inch off the tube end so you can drill the hole far enough. Probably will shorten it a bit.

This piece is for a Jr. gent. It is made to where you can put the bushing on and then the blank.

 

[vick]

I think I am slow today because I do not understand what I am looking at? Is it a collet chuck for pin chucks?

 

[JimGo]

Mike,
I think what Johnny has done is to create a collet where one end of the mandrel is the standard just-slightly-smaller than 1/4" to fit through the bushing, and the other end is larger, approximately the diameter of the brass tube. The whole thing is slid into the headstock, and then the collet tightened down around it. Neat idea!

 

[rtjw]

Correct. I have the first blank set up and ready to turn as soo as I get back from my daughters reading night at school.

 

[btboone]

Johnny, I just made one with a Morse Taper #0 on one side and a .500" shank on the other to mount to my Jet Pen Lathe to polish titanium pen blanks.

 

[Randy_]

Guess I am missing something here?? What "drives" the pen blank(makes it spin) and how do you keep the blank from moving laterally on the mandrel??

 

[btboone]

The pin riding on the flat drives it. The tube can be trapped in place with a tailstock or with a bushing made from a nut or a normal bushing and a normal nut on the end. The shaft needs to be threaded for that to happen.

 

[Randy_]

Thanks. Guess the thread title and picture confused me?? Title said pen chuck
and the picture does not show the "pin" mechanism. I was looking a different direction

 

[rtjw]

Sorry I did not post a picture of the pin mechanism. I will try to get more up as soon as I finish it.

 

[btboone]

Johnny, how is it for side thrust? You obviously didn't need anything to keep it in place as you turned it since you turned a blind end. Did you just turn in the direction of the chuck, or does the pin chuck grip good enough where it won't move to the side at all during turning?

 

[rtjw]

I did make a place for the pin but did not use one. It gripped good enough that it didnt move to the side at all. You could use the pin if you wanted to but like I said, it gripped good enough without it. I will be trying it out again today (hopefully with a good piece of acrylic). I am working on making it into a chuck that is tightened into the headstock itself without the morse taper.

 

[MDWine]

JimGo, some day when we get together, you'll have to explain this whole thing to a brain-dead-ex-biker what this is all about. I'd love to do some of those 'closed end' pens, but I'm having a problem wrapping what's left of my brain around it!

 

[JimGo]

I'm not surprised, Michael! []