Scallops

[brownsfn2]

I am trying to do scallops. I can glue them up and make the cuts just fine. Problem I have is in trimming and squaring the barrel to the blank. I do not have a disc sander. What do you guys use? Do you just use a pen mill or something else? Tonight I sent a peice of the scallop flying .

 

[Curly]

If you have or make a small sled with hold downs you can trim them on a table saw.

Pete

 

[Ruby pen turning]

I would do what Curly said. If you do not have a belt sander, sneak up on the tube with your table saw until you have just a hair left to trim. Then lay a sheet of sandpaper on a flat surface and go in circles until you hit the tube. The only problem with that is getting it square= you may have more pressure on one side then the other. You really should spend the money and get a belt/disc sander. It is not the best but Harbor Freight has one for cheap. I saw a porter cable at Lowes for around $125.00

 

[PenMan1]

I am trying to do scallops. I can glue them up and make the cuts just fine. Problem I have is in trimming and squaring the barrel to the blank. I do not have a disc sander. What do you guys use? Do you just use a pen mill or something else? Tonight I sent a peice of the scallop flying .

If you have a 3/4 inch or a 1 inch hole saw, you can drill a plug from hardwood. Then carefully epoxy the plug squarely onto the center of spare mandrel.

Cut the mandrel approximately 3 inches on either side of the hardwood plug.

Then, sharpen one end of a piece of 3/4 metal conduit. This will serve to stamp 3/4 round sanding discs (from sheet sand paper) to put on your sanding mandrel.

Mount the mandrel on your lathe (barrel insert required for larger than 7mm tubes) and hold the blank against the sander while turning at a very slow speed.

OR CONTRACT RHARRELL. He makes a very similar instrument for just a few bucks.

 

[brownsfn2]

Thanks guys. I have an extra pen mill and I have been using that as a sander (reversed the head). I think I will try to use that to square one tonight that I made today. Hope it works.