Advantage Of Dedicated Pen Press?

[Mortalis]

Ok, I didnt want to hijack Wyone's thread.

I've used my drill press with a turned stop made from Snakewood mounted in the chuck and a piece of slightly softer hardwood on the table to press my pen parts together since day one. I have not had any issues with this process and since I drill my blanks on the lathe with a drill chuck my drill press is handy to leave set up as a press.

I looked at the brands of dedicated pen presses that were mentioned in Wyone's thread and they all operate on the same principle but I dont see an advantage over the drill press (or even a small bench press). They dont seem to offer any more support.

To those that have used the drill/bench press method and switched over to a dedicated pen press, what have you found are advantages of the pen press?

Discussion begins now!

 

[wyone]

You certainly would not have upset me to hijack the thread. I am here to learn and ALL input is good input.

My issue with the drill press is that I need more hands to hold things. The pen press is spring loaded, so it holds things in place for alignment before pressing. I used one during a turn for our troops event and was hooked! lol

 

[Mortalis]

Thanks Mitch,

The spring loaded part would be an advantage. I have large hands so I just assemble the part I want to press with the starter inserted into the tube and hold the assembly like a long tube with one hand while I lower the press with the other hand.

If I have anything to say about the drill press method it is that the alignment is sometimes difficult but not something I cant overcome. I guess that is what I was thinking the pen press would help with. That is why I comment about the missing support.

Keep 'em coming folks.

 

[Schroedc]

For most of my assembly I'm actually using a small arbor press purchased form a local auto parts store. Initially it was just because it's what I had (I used to fix cars for a living) but I've come to really like it. I glued a piece of hard leather to the ram so as not to scratch anything and I've made several different bases to slide into the bottom to hold things during assembly. The biggest thing I need to keep in mind is it can apply way more force than a guy needs so not to putt the handle too hard or I can crush things.

 

[its_virgil]

I would rather sit at my shop desk to assemble than stand at my drill press or lathe to assemble. So, I use a dedicated pen press. i tried the arbor press route in the beginning since so many others used them but the arbor press was not happy in my shop. Maybe I was the unhappy one but the arbor press and I did not play well together. I have a nice relationship with my pen press and enjoy using it at my desk.:biggrin:
Do a good turn daily!
Don

 

[Sataro]

I've tried using my drill press and lathe as presses. They both do the job with no issues. Currently I use a Milescraft press. I have it bolted to one corner of my lathe table. I keep a blue shop towel right beside it. I finish turning/polishing a blank, the blank goes off the lathe & straight to the shop towel. I do not even have to move to place the blank on the shop towel. Pen package is then opened up & parts layed out beside the pen blank. All parts are now lying within 6" of the pen press. This keeps me from dropping anything. If I drop it, it is lost in my shop floor clutter. Does this provide any advantage? No, it's just the way I like to assemble my pen kits. All of the different methods of pressing a pen together work. We each just find a method that suits us.

 

[Edgar]

I started out using my drill press to assemble pens & it worked just fine. However, I also use my drill press to drill my blanks, so it seemed that I was always having to take time to mount a pressing adapter into the chuck in order to assemble my pens.

I managed to acquire a PSI press from one of our members (thanks Billy) who had an extra one and I really enjoy the fact that it's always ready to use without having to do any setup work.

 

[Gregf]

I tried the arbor press, and others, and have settled on using a bar clamp fro HF. Attached a knob. I find it gives me finer control.

 

[Jim Smith]

I used to use a dedicated pen press, but I found it a bit difficult to crank the handle to press some pens. I switched over to a Zyliss vise which is a multipurpose vise that clamps to the side of a bench. I find it to be MUCH easier to press pens with the Zyliss vise and that it gives me excellent control with almost no effort. Typically, you can find a good used Zyliss vise on ebay for around $30. Very well made tool that adds flexibility to your bench. Just a thought...

Jim Smith

 

[1080Wayne]

I also use a Zyliss

 

[Bill in Buena Park]

I tried the arbor press, and others, and have settled on using a bar clamp fro HF. Attached a knob. I find it gives me finer control.

View attachment 126965

I used a similar approach with a pipe clamp, likely also from HF, mounted in a little holder as shown. Epoxied on wood blocks so as not to mar any parts.

 

[raar25]

I use the same bar clamp as Greg

 

[navycop]

I got a pen press from Woodcraft. I just got tired of setting my drill press up for every pen and I just wanted to use it as a drill press. I also used to use an arbor press. I moved it off the bench one day it got mysteriously buried under stuff... The pen press is "C" clampped to the bench and works perfectly.