Making Demonstrator Style Kitless Pens

[magpens]

Those of you who make "Demonstrators" ( and I hope I am using the term correctly) ....

do you use purchased barrel lapping tools (such as used by a gunsmith) to polish the inside surfaces of your pens ?

Here is an example of the tools I am referring to:

KBC Tools & Machinery

If "yes" where do you buy the tools ?

If "no" what do you use instead ? Thanks. I have watched the edisonpen.com video on this ... maybe some used different methods.

 

[duncsuss]

That's not what I used, but it looks like a great idea -- thanks!

I use a simple piece of wooden dowel with a slot cut in one end, put a "flag" of sandpaper in the slot and the other end of the dowel in the headstock of the lathe (I use a collet chuck to hold it, but whatever you've got.) Lots of water while sanding.

I also have some split mandrels -- steel, about 1/8" diameter, but they are less than 3" long so I glued them into a length of dowel so I can get to the bottom of the barrels. They are no more effective than the dowel on its own, IMO.

 

[bmachin]

Brian Gray at Edison Pen Company has a video showing exactly how he does things.

Edison Pen Co – Helpful Videos

See #3, How a demonstrator is made.

#2, Making a Menlo pump filler, shows his whole process, including some really cool video from inside his CNC lathe.

Hope this helps.

Bill

 

[Curly]

I saw that MicroMesh makes polishing swabs that I think would work to shine the insides of a demonstrator nicely. One thing to keep in mind is that the cleaner the drilled hole is, the easier it will be to polish. An real machinist will be able to confirm or shoot down what I have said. :wink:

I am likely wrong but I believe the laps you linked have copper or soft brass ends that are used with lapping compound (abrasive powder in grease) to polish metal. The compound imbeds itself in the tool to do the polishing of the metal hole. I don't think they will work with plastic since the tool is harder than the plastic and the lapping compound will instead bed itself in the plastic and not the lapping tool.

 

[magpens]

Ahaaa ! . Good point, Curly !!!! . Thank you for bringing that very good point to my attentioin.

 

[Takari]

I use a wooden dowel with a slot cut in it for sandpaper AND I wrap a little piece of felt around the dowel under the sandpaper to add some cush. The felt makes a huge difference.

 

[magpens]

Thank you Takari ... that is a good tip to know about the use of felt under the sandpaper.

 

[bmachin]

OOPS!! I didn't read the last sentence of the first post before I suggested Edison.

If you want to try lapping a dowel might work as a tool. Just a guess.

If you try it let us know how it works.

Bill

 

[Sandsini]

I use the dowel method with foam backed sandpaper. It works great. After using 400 and 600 grit paper I move on to 3M polishing compound (made for auto finishes) on a small strip of micromesh cloth, then Meguires plastic polish. This all works very well.

The real challenge is to drill the material slowly and keep it cool. The Lucite that I have been using for demonstrators doesn't like heat and it will permanently damage the material if you rush.

Good luck!

 

[magpens]

Thanks, Eric !

Have you ever tried Sandit Abrasive Sticks ... Woodcraft has these 120/180 grit :

Buy Sandits 120/180 grit 8 pack at Woodcraft.com

... but you can also get them in a 400/800 grit pack .

Thanks for mentioning the foam-backed sandpaper.

 

[Sandsini]

Yes, I tried them and found them a little too flexy to be of much use. I'm glad, actually, because it's so much cheaper to use the dowel and paper method. I have a whole package of the Sandits and have never used them again after being disappointed the first time I tried them.

 

[More4dan]

After using the slotted stick and sandpaper routine to 2500 grit, I use a rifle bore swab with polishing rouge I have for my buffer. Works well. The swabs are about $3 and come in many different diameters.

 

[magpens]

Thanks for that tip, Dan !