Upping the pen wizard game

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Carl Fisher

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I wasn't sure if this was going to be possible until I had a pen wizard in my hands. Well, to my surprise it looks like this is going to work out perfectly.

The only thing left is to work out a more effective tail stock support that doesn't have all the play in it and then beef up the entire unit to remove play and backlash from all the bits.

The adapter will accept any of my 5/8" custom mandrels.

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magpens

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Please keep us posted on your progress and further adaptations !!
 
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walshjp17

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I have been trying to get something like this done for a couple of years now. I just don't have the engineering or design skills to pull it off. I will be closely watching whatever you decide to post. If you end up with a successful process, I will be willing to offer copious quantities of monetary funds in myriad currencies (or similar quantities of adult beverages) for one of your miracle contraptions.šŸ˜ I will also volunteer to beta test anything you come up with.

BTW, Don Doyle at Rubber Chucky has an "Anything Chucky" that I tested that might help with tail stock stability.
 

Carl Fisher

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BTW, Don Doyle at Rubber Chucky has an "Anything Chucky" that I tested that might help with tail stock stability.

Interesting. The micro still looks too big for pen use though. But the concept of a silicone cup based support did come up last night when I was working on this.

Currently it looks like I can use the stock tail stock support if I am working with material that still has a tail in place prior to final trimming and shaping, but depending on the end shape of the blank, then work holding becomes an issue again at the lathe. Plus I need to beef up the tail stock assembly that is stock on the PW. It has way too much slop so I think I'm going to add on a piece of 1/2" HDPE to the back side to provide more stability. Looks to be 3/8-16 thread so it's a pretty common tap.

IF I can get something final, I may be able to laser these out. It's just the teardrop adapter plate that needs attention. The rest is just delrin rod stock strategically drilled and tapped.
 

Carl Fisher

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Making pens is 80% work holding, 15% looking around for misplaced tools and 5% actual turning of material. At least that's how it feels some days.

I'm looking for someone to 3D print the tear drop base plate to my specs currently and from there it's all about how the mandrels or centers are attached.

Then my next major hurdle is that I want to design in some sort of taper capability.
 

Carl Fisher

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Have you looked at something like this? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-CNC-L...468270?hash=item2ae409b6ae:g:WZ0AAOSwg~JecJnf

Also search eBay for "machifit" There are a lot of things that "gadget makers" probably don't need, but we buying because we think we need.

Eyeballing CNC setups is another source of info about gadgets and odd ball manufacturing things to stimulate the gadget making.

Yeah, but most of that is too big to fit in the envelope of a pen wizard. I have a long term goal in mind for a complete redesign of this concept but needed to figure out what I did and didn't like about the pen wizard first to understand what I wanted to correct and improve on.
 

Odinswoodshop

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I am still learning to 3d print as I have only had my machine for a few days now but I would be more than willing to give a go at it for ya.
 

duncsuss

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Nicely done, Carl. I borrowed a PenWizard from Ron Blais a couple of years ago, hoping to see a way to use it for my pens but because it wasn't mine I didn't want to do anything that might break it. Looks like you're on track with this.
 

MrMEC

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I wasn't sure if this was going to be possible until I had a pen wizard in my hands. Well, to my surprise it looks like this is going to work out perfectly.

The only thing left is to work out a more effective tail stock support that doesn't have all the play in it and then beef up the entire unit to remove play and backlash from all the bits.

The adapter will accept any of my 5/8" custom mandrels.

View attachment 302519

View attachment 302520
How it is going on this adventure
 

PenPal

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I believe I conquered the slop question by extending the threaded parts on the mandrel that allow double locking on the shaft,also where the mandrel is held on the end opposite the turning end I use threaded rod double nutted and sink the mandrel into the holding part with double nutting. I had pics of all of these mods but my computer was wiped out recently in my picture library. I will try to take some pics again in the next day or two. My mate makes things for me and for sale for kitless pens costed at 30 AU each,I will post pics in a few minutes. Kind regards.
 
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