Will 3/4" blanks work for Emperors, Gents, Lotus?

[redfishsc]

Is it feasible to drill a 3/4" round blank using the Beall 3/4" collet? I know that CSUSA claims you need a 7/8" blank, but I also know there's a little slop in that recommendation.

Would there be a risk of the blank collapsing/crushing?

My reason for asking is that I need to be able to drill blanks without a drill press, and a Beall with a good range of collets will work fine if I pre-round the blanks to the correct size.

I am buying the Beall also for mandrel holding, and at this time can't afford a jaw chuck w/pin jaws to hold & drill blanks. I'm trying to find out if the Beall can "do it all" as far as drilling.

 

[ctEaglesc]

The Herring bone was built around the guts of a Gent.
When I need an accurate hole in a patterened blank I use the Beally 3/4 collet.
I have a theory about blanks that blow up while drilling.There needs to be "mass" around the bit so the torque of the bit doesn't "twist" or torques the material while it makes its' "bite"
I have also "wraped" blanks in a "box joint" and turned them round and subsequently put them in the 3/4 Beall chuck for drilling.
I don't believe you can craush the blank, sort of like compressing the ends of an egg.
The Beall exerts equal pressureallthe way around the circumfrence of the blank.
As far as the other kits go I cannot comment but the Gent is a Honker.
One more thought.
You can also jsut turn a tenon on a larger blank and put that in the collet, the whole blank doesn't need to be turned round.
It would seem though a drill press would be easier, more useful.

 

[DCBluesman]

The only kit that make me nervous when using a 3/4" blank is the Panache. If you measure the bushings (and parts, you will find that technically every other kit can be made from a 5/8" blank. Personally, I have made pens from all of the kits you name using only 3/4" blanks. You do need to be able to 1) center the blank, and 2) drill a hole straight through. Eagle (and MANY others) will acknowledge that I am not a woodworker, so if I can accomplish this, anyone can. [8D]

 

[wdcav1952]

Originally posted by DCBluesman
<br />The only kit that make me nervous when using a 3/4" blank is the Panache. If you measure the bushings (and parts, you will find that technically every other kit can be made from a 5/8" blank. Personally, I have made pens from all of the kits you name using only 3/4" blanks. You do need to be able to 1) center the blank, and 2) drill a hole straight through. Eagle (and MANY others) will acknowledge that I am not a woodworker, so if I can accomplish this, anyone can. [8D]

Maybe your aren't a woodworker, but you can drill antler lightyears better than I can!!! []

 

[chigdon]

As Lou stated you can definately do it, just drill straight. It doesn't leave you with a lot of room for error but it does work.

 

[redfishsc]

Thanks everyone, that's what I needed to know.


As far as room for error, the LESS material I have to turn off of the pen the LESS likely I will have an error. I tend to get aggressive and impatient with huge blanks (some of the blanks I harvested and cut are well over and inch thick). Smaller blanks are quick-n-easy pens to make IMO.

Thanks again!

 

[cmcfalls]

I have a similar question...

First, I do have a drill press (benchtop because of limited shop size).

Am I understanding y'all that you can use a 3/4" blank (these would be square olivewood) for the larger pens (Emperors, Gents, Statemen, etc)?

I am working on some pens for my church and am using olivewood from bethlehemolivewood.net. They have that special where they are selling 2 each of the Nazareth, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem olivewood 3/4" blanks for 24.99. They sell the Bethlehem blanks in 7/8", but not the others and I am really wanting to do a few of each. Can I use the 3/4"?

 

[kent4Him]

The easiest way to tell is to put the back of the bushing up to the end of of your blank. That will tell you how much room you have to play with and how accurate you need to be in drilling.

 

[turned_for_good]

I used a 5/8" blank to make a Baron before, I measued it as kent4him mentioned with the bushing but I will add, when drilling I use a pen makers vice and use just enough pressure to hold the blank in the vice and do not over tighten it because that can cause the blank to collapse or crack.

 

[Randy_]

RF: According to the CSUSA catalog, the minimum blank size for an Emperor is is 7/8". They also say the finished size of the pen is 21/32". A 3/4" blank will only have 1.5/32" leeway so it really depends on how accurately you can drill hole. If it were me, I would use a larger blank and cut a tenon as suggested by eagle.

The Lotus finished size is only 1/32" smaller than the Emperor so that kit will also be a tight fit for a 3/4" blank. The Gent finished size is actually 1/32" larger than the Emperor so that kit will be an even tighter fit for a 3/4" blank.

What you need to do is try drilling a scrap 3/4" blank and see if you can drill it accurately enough to produce a good blank.