Pen Turners Check Your Bits

[glen r]

I was having problems with my Sierra blanks blowing up when being turned and today I think I finally found the reason that the blanks were blowing up. I had a completed blank today that I didn't like the looks of and decided to turn the acrylic off. I found that most of the blank was not attached/glued to the tube so I started checking. I found that the 27/64 drill bit that I had bought especially for this purpose was turning about 1/16" out of round causing the hole to be bigger than the tube. This in turn did not allow the glue to bond to both surfaces throughout its entire length. I tried one of the bits from my big set and found that there was no wobble on the bit so it was not the drill press. I bored a piece of curly maple and the tube was much tighter than it was using the other bit. I hope this solves the blow up problem as there is nothing more frustrating than getting close to finishing and a piece just pops out - start all over.

 

[JimB]

I use a letter "Z" bit for the Sierra becuase I get a better fit. I know may others on here do the same. However, I only turn wood.

 

[Mac]

I have started to use my calipers on the brass to see if I can find a closer fit for my blank. I guess I am lucky to have alot of bits laying around and so far have had good luck with it, and that drill doctor that I got for Christmas years ago has paid for itself many times.

 

[broitblat]

All my bits still seem to be in their proper places and working order. Thanks for asking.

-Barry

 

[JBCustomPens]

Many people have posted this before, but this chart is very helpful. Almost every bit known to man up to 1".

http://www.arizonasilhouette.com/Drill%20Bits/Drill_Chart2.pdf


It has been very helpful to me and hope it will be to someone else too!

 

[Gary Beasley]

I've noticed the sierras fit the softer woods using the 27/64th bit but need a smaller bit for the hard stuff. I guess the soft wood springs back after cutting so my 10.5mm bit barely fits but is a perfect slide in with something like rosewood.

 

[JimB]

I've noticed the sierras fit the softer woods using the 27/64th bit but need a smaller bit for the hard stuff. I guess the soft wood springs back after cutting so my 10.5mm bit barely fits but is a perfect slide in with something like rosewood.

I have noticed some very very small differences with different woods but the smaller "Z" still works on all of them for me while the larger 27/64 doesn't work all the time. Your 10.5mm is very very very close to the "Z", I think just 0.0004 difference.

 

[Gin N' Tonic]

I have purchased all of the videos from "the master" (Russ Fairfield), and he turned me on to using a fractional caliper and fractional drill bits. I measure the tube, drill with a fractional drill bit and glue in the tube. I have not had a failure yet. Watching his video's I have come to realize two things.

1. I was making thing much more complicated than they needed to be.
2. Russ has forgotten more about pen turning than I will probably ever know.


If you haven't seen his video's I would suggest that you take advantage of the discount and buy them all at once because you will end up buying all of them anyway.




BTW: Although I have met Russ and shook his hand I doubt he would even know who I was if he saw me again. I have seen a lot of video's on pen making and while most of them are very good, I find that Russ has a unique ability to explain thing is a way that makes sense to me.

 

[KD5NRH]

Well, you could always make a few itty-bitty adjustable boring bars to cover all the sizes you need. Take a piece of round stock down smaller than the hole you need, drill through it large enough to use a piece of a broken drill bit as a cutter, then drill into that hole from the end and tap it for a setscrew. Drill a hole in a test piece that your round stock will fit in, set the cutter just barely protruding, bore, and adjust by trial and error until you have the perfect hole. Add some red Loctite to help it stay there, and mark the tube size on your new tool.

Making one for Slimline could be a real challenge, but I cobbled one together for 33/64 that should adjust down almost to 3/8. There was enough room there that I could probably have gone all the way down below 3/8 without getting too delicate, but I didn't want to have too much of the cutter hanging free.