Squaring pens???

[sandking]

I just started turning and have been spending lots of money so the budget is tight. I basically have been doing Slimlines and Big Ben Cigar pens and have the trim kit for the drill press. The problem is that I just bought a bunch of new types of kits (Jr. Statesman, Jr. Gentleman, havana, etc) and don't have the correct size bits.

Do all of you buy the barrell trimers for each kit you make? Do I have anothe option? I don't have a disk sander, buy I do have a Ridgid Benchtop sander that is basically a belt sander turned on its side.

 

[Rojo22]

sandking

Craft Supplies offer many different ways to handle the squaring. They offer a plastic insert that acts as the guide for the different size tubes. You turn the plastic insert on the lathe down to fit the different size tubes, and use the plastic insert on the 3/4 inch barrel trimmer tool that it sounds like you already have. The most expensive solution is to buy the attachments for each size tube.

I have been using the belt sander for the larger pens, and many others use the same approach. As long as you can get the pen blank "square" to the sanding surface, you should be able to accomplish the same thing. The tricky part is making sure it is perfectly square.

Good luck, and congratulations on creating the larger size pens!

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

I turn my own

 

[smoky10]

Yep Ron, thats what I do.

 

[wags54]

yea what Ron said ---it's good practice using your lather for other things as well

 

[gerryr]

If you want to be lazy, just wrap the shaft with 1.5" or 2" masking tape. Just make sure you don't wrap it the wrong direction.

 

[bob393]

Yup what he said. I turned a bushing.

 

[clthayer]

I myself use a turned insert like pictured above, but am wondering what people do to get the glue out of the tubes.

Christian

 

[Randy_]

Wax plug prior to glueing.

 

[txcwboy]

I have a 3/4 inch counterbore that I found 2 pilots that fit my Gent Jr and Statesman Jr tubes.It works real nice. I just need to get some pilots to match the Gent/Statesman tubes. I was getting on here tonite to look to see how everyone else did the full size tube squaring when I ran across this thread ![] I may do the tube insert thing too.

Dave

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

Originally posted by clthayer
<br />I myself use a turned insert like pictured above, but am wondering what people do to get the glue out of the tubes.

Christian

Wax works

I take a slice of potato about 3/16" thick or so and jam the both ends of the tube into the slice. Perfect plug each time.

 

[kf4knf]

Potato??!?! That is funny. I should give that a try! []

I dont buy the barrel trimmer for every tube size. I think the 10mm shaft and cutter work on most pen models. You just have to be careful when trimming so it comes out square. Ultimately, this requires the blank to be close to square when you cut it to size.

BTW - nice segmented pens on your site Ron! [:0]

 

[KenV]

I have a couple of drill bit sets and get the close fit just under the inside diameter of the tube to clean the tubes. I use a hand held chuck to turn the drill. Cuts out the potato/wax/playdough or what have you as well as any glue that caps the end filler.

The highest grade barrel trimmer home tuned materials is lignum -- slippery stuff. My usual is what ever ends and scraps I can put a piece of 7mm tube into. I have enough now that I write the size and pen tube name on the sleeve so I can get the correct one for reuse out off the zip lock bag. (Ron - I also like the berea trimmer - the small shaft on the end give it away).

 

[MikeHelvey]

Originally posted by clthayer
<br />I myself use a turned insert like pictured above, but am wondering what people do to get the glue out of the tubes.

Christian

I do likewise Christian...and I sometimes have to use a scraper to clean the tube inside...or just hold the cutting edge of the trimmer's shaft against the inside of the tube and use that to do clean up. Occassionally hitting it with sandpaper to finish.


Mike

 

[skiprat]

Hi Sandking,
Once I've glued in the tube I put the blank in my 4 jaw scroll chuck and with the lathe going, hold a smooth metal file against the end of the blank. Once the file can be held smoothly and flat on the blank, it must be square. I then just keep going till the tube is there. You need a little practice and confidence though.
I did this cause I couldn't find different size trimmers, and now do all my squaring like that.
Hope it helps and take care.
Skiprat ( also new )

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Like most others I just turn my own sleeves. I tend to keep any failed 7mm kits to re-use as keychains or kit sleeves. Buy a bag of slimline replacement tubes and make how ever many you want to.

For glue clean up, I use a fine round file. I use Gorilla Glue so any "mess" is cleaned up easily with the file.

 

[ctEaglesc]

An exacto knife will "shave off" any excesglue that gets in the tube get the long tapered blade it will go in almosr 3/4 of an inch once you"break the edge" it usually comes out in one piece.
I tried a file and the glue gums it yp. for me also a risk of srafing the tube.
For a perfect fit, The 8mm tube is a good fit on an 8mm shaft for the upper barrel.

 

[soundman]

For clearing out the gunk in the tubes the best thing is the "correct" drill.
Now there are three commonly available drill systems.

Imperial fractional.... 1/6"... 1/8..... 1/2"... usualy in 1/16" steps. you know.
Metric 2mm... and so on in .5mm steps

Number and letter drills, which corespond to wire guage.... now there are a more drills in the number and letter system in some cases there are three letter drills between imperial fractional sizes.

Having all three systems is extreemly handy, most fitter & turner types will have all three thats how they make their fits.

now... most of the pen tubes there will be a drilling size in one system and a neat fit drill to go up the middle of the tube in another.
For a pen1...( do you call them that) here the drilling drill is 7mm, no metric or imperial fractional drill will be a neat fit inside the tube....BUT.. one of the letter drill fits sweet as a nut & will clean the tube out real well without damaging it.
same goes for all tubes.

There are generic number letter drills available at engineering suppliers at a very reasonable cost here in AUS arround $100.
I don't know about else where but individual number letter drills are a but of a fiddle to get and not cheap.... except for a couple of sizes used for pop rivets.

Oh wondered why your pop rivets don't fit the hole.... bet you are using imperial fractional drills.

Oh for squaring up... on some of the bigger and more obscure pens I just trim them on the drop saw.... bear in mind I use an accurate drop saw and it usualy has a very fine aluminium cutting blade in it.

cheers