This weekend I blew out my first blank - got greedy with the spindlemaster and tried to turn down a wood blank to bushing + light sanding diameter. Doh! It was a slimline, so I kept both tubes - one for the visual reminder, and one to try to make a "mix-n-match pen" next time I do it. On the plus side, now I have a reason to buy spare tubes...
I also got my first penmaking injury - I guess I'm not supposed to hold the blank in my hand when using the barrel trimmer in a cordless drill. I wear carpenter's gloves in the shop (no thumb/index/middle finger tips) and the blank spun out of my fist and whipped over the tip of my index finger, cutting it beside and below the nail. Nothing serious, but I've finally christened my lathe with my own blood. (I was standing right in front of it when I did this, and it splattered.) Doh! :redface:
So now that I've learned my lesson and have a set of channel lock pliers to hold the blanks, I thought I'd ask what's the accepted norm for holding the blanks to square the ends. I hate using the pliers, I feel like I have less control over the blank...but maybe it just takes some getting used to...
daniel
I also got my first penmaking injury - I guess I'm not supposed to hold the blank in my hand when using the barrel trimmer in a cordless drill. I wear carpenter's gloves in the shop (no thumb/index/middle finger tips) and the blank spun out of my fist and whipped over the tip of my index finger, cutting it beside and below the nail. Nothing serious, but I've finally christened my lathe with my own blood. (I was standing right in front of it when I did this, and it splattered.) Doh! :redface:
So now that I've learned my lesson and have a set of channel lock pliers to hold the blanks, I thought I'd ask what's the accepted norm for holding the blanks to square the ends. I hate using the pliers, I feel like I have less control over the blank...but maybe it just takes some getting used to...
daniel