Squaring up your blanks

[elody21]

I wanted to put this as a response to the thread about this subject but couldn't seem to find how to insert an image in a response.

As you can see by the picture, I used my hand trimmer to make one for the disc sander. Then I took 7mm tubes and made inserts for the larger pens. This can be done with corian or wood. The acrylic piece was cut from an acrylic box found at where else, the thrift store. By cutting this from an existing box it assured me that it was square and gave me a side to run up against the miter guage. All I did to attach the trimmer was un screw the handle drill a hole and put it together!( make sure your drill hole is straight!) It really works great and is so much faster especially when I do 200 corian pens for an order!
If you have a very large brass tube you can place a metal washer behind the blank to be trimmeed so it does not slip back over the original trimmer head.

 

[jwoodwright]

Alice, what a great idea! []

 

[Fleabit]

Now there is a grand idea! May have to try that one.

 

[rtjw]

Great idea and good concept.

 

[woodscavenger]

Excuse my ignorance but why do you need that if you have a trimmer. I slip mine in my drill press, hold the blank with pliers and off I go. Am I missing something? Or is the sander much faster?

 

[wee willie]

for me Shane it was a question of could I make one of those? sure I could and I like toys LOL

 

[its_virgil]

There are three squaring threads since April 27. Each of us has his/her own method of squaring blanks. Some like the pen mills and others like sanders. I started using pen mills but found the disk sander and a squaring jig to be quicker, easier and adaptable. I have inserts for each size tube and use a jig with an old mandrel as the rod. Slide on the appropriate spacer and square. I had two pen mills break using them in the drrill press and that gets expesive. I found it annoying to chuck and unchuck the pen mill in the drill press. I don't know the answers to the squaring delima...I just know the sander and jig work best for me. Now those of us who use sanders can discuss disk or belt. For me, its the 10" disk.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

 

[swm6500]

That is a nice looking setup.

 

[dougle40]

Each of us has his/her own method of squaring blanks.

So true and everyone of them is the right way to do it for each individual .

I slip mine in my drill press, hold the blank with pliers and off I go.

I've always used mine in a hand held electric drill and the blank held in my 6" wood vice .

Like I said , whatever works for you <b>IS</b> the correct way .

 

[elody21]

Originally posted by woodscavenger
<br />Excuse my ignorance but why do you need that if you have a trimmer. I slip mine in my drill press, hold the blank with pliers and off I go. Am I missing something? Or is the sander much faster?

I have orders from Corian for 200 pens at a time. For me this is much faster!!! and when the disc of sandpaper gets "dull" it is simple to change instead of having to sharpen the trimmer each time. By making the centers for other pens it also makes it an "all in one" for the larger pens where the small cutting head never would work!

 

[Rudy Vey]

Also the chance of break-out with certain woods, and especially Dymondwood is not existant when you use a sander with a jig.

 

[woodscavenger]

Chip out is a very valid point.

 

[jdavis]

Good set-up. Bet it works well.

 

[rtgleck]

That is a great looking sanding jig. I use the hand drill method as well but might have to try this for the more brittle blanks.