Long nosed jaw set vs pen plus jaws

[Gumbercules563]

Well the title kinda says it all. To drill pen blanks accurately do you have to use the pen plus or can you just put the corners between the jaws and drill with them? What about pen blanks that have moved a little since cutting, won't they just wobble around? Thanks

 

[Dan Masshardt]

I use the nova pin jaws They work fine

 

[plantman]

Well the title kinda says it all. To drill pen blanks accurately do you have to use the pen plus or can you just put the corners between the jaws and drill with them? What about pen blanks that have moved a little since cutting, won't they just wobble around? Thanks

If you want to drill pen blanks or any other small object accurately, you should use the longest pair of Pen Blank jaws that will fit your chuck. or buy a Pen Blank Drilling Chuck. It's a simple 2 jaw system and easy to use. It doesn't matter if your blank is round, oblong, square, or not so square, just mount it all the way in the jaws and tighten up. Even if your blank is warped, the rear of the blank will be centered in the jaws, and the exposed end of the blank will have a center point when spinnng. Use a centering drill placed at this front center point and lock down your tail stock. Advance the centering drill with the hand wheel or crank until it reaches the end of the flutes. put in your correct size drill. With the lathe stopped, move up your bit and center it in the hole. Lock down your tailstock and drill your hole backing the bit out every 1/2 inch or so. Once you have drilled in an inch or more you can release the tailstock lock and work the drill bit by hand. If your blank is longer than your drill bit, drill as far as you can, remove the blank and cut to your first tube length +. Place the remaining blank on your drill bit and line it up with the jaws of the blank holder. Lock down your tailstock. Make sure it turns freely by hand. Start your lathe with the drill bit in the blank. This will keep the bit from chewing up the entry hole if everything is not straight. Finishing drilling your hole. Your blanks may wobble after the tubes are glued in and mounted in the lathe, but your blanks will be centered and even out as you turn them. I have a Barracuda "C' Series Chuck with the "C" Series Pen Blank Drilling Jaws installed. Hope this answers your question !! Jim S

 

[Gumbercules563]

I do not think for a second they don't work. Hotel 6 says NO to expenditures due to my attending the symposium (and the expected extra spending that will allow). I have the long nosed jaws. I was hoping I could uses them instead of spending highly limited money on a new set of jaws.

 

[plantman]

I do not think for a second they don't work. Hotel 6 says NO to expenditures due to my attending the symposium (and the expected extra spending that will allow). I have the long nosed jaws. I was hoping I could uses them instead of spending highly limited money on a new set of jaws.

As long as your jaws will hold your blank firmly there should be no reason you could not use them !! A solid base, (your lathe) and a good locking tailstock properly centered, with a centering drill to start your hole should be all that's required. If you are just drilling holes to insert tubes and you have enough stock, it realy doesn't matter if the hole is centered or not. When you turn it it will center out. If you are segmenting a blank or making a custom pen, you need to be dead center or your pattern or joints will not be even. Jim S

 

[mikespenturningz]

I use both jaws. I don't think the pen plus jaws are as good for highly segmented pieces. I think the extra jaws of the pin jaws do a better job, however on all other blanks I like the pens plus jaws much better. They are fast to use and do a great job.

 

[thewishman]

The long jaws (pin jaws) work well. I used the regular short jaws for drilling thousands of blanks before I got the pin jaws. The longer jaws made things much more secure. Then I got the pen drilling chuck and drilling is MUCH easier and quicker. I haven't got the pen jaws, but I imagine they would work about the same.

Your long jaws will work just fine.

 

[Krash]

I use both jaws. I don't think the pen plus jaws are as good for highly segmented pieces. I think the extra jaws of the pin jaws do a better job, however on all other blanks I like the pens plus jaws much better. They are fast to use and do a great job.

I agree with Mike. I have both but the pen jaws plus have been very useful for segmented pieces, especially when the segments are at the end of the pen with no additional wood buffer. The first time I used my new G3 with the plus jaws, I had the segmented end out of the jaws to make sure I was centered. When I started to drill, a piece popped right off. I glued it back on and turned it around so the segments were held tightly in the jaws. The drilling went flawlessly. I was soooo happy to have this feature on my most recent pen with the complex segment. I went thru it slowly but was successful. I was fearful though.

I just received the pin jaws on the $25 Amazon prime deal and haven't tried them yet.

 

[KenV]

Have both and both have different advantages and different weaknesses.

Pen jaws (2 jaws) deal well with rectangular (not perfect square) jaws -- and do it better than the Pin jaws (4 jaws) The 4 jaw version with the jaws bearing on the flats will have 2 jaws engaged, and 2 that are not engaged.

the 4 jaw pin jaws work better for me on round blanks (odd shaped or rectangle shaped blanks are turned round between centers and then mounted in the chuck). The 2 jaw pen jaws do not hold round blanks as securely for drilling and the additional bearing points of 4 jaws seem more solid. Neither will hold round banks if you jam the drill bit

Neither works especially well with highly irregular non-symmetrical blanks until they have been rounded between centers.

 

[triw51]

I have the Dedicated Pen Blank Drilling Chuck from Pen state but I think the pen jaws would do the same thing.

The only thing I would add to what plantman said is: I mark one of the jaws with a piece of tape so if I have to remove the blank for any reason I make an arrow pointing to the tape so the blank goes back in with the same orientation. This helps keep the hole round especially if the blank is not square.