ashaw
Member
My vise is centered all the time for drill and barrel trimming. I will do a couple of hundred at one time with no problems.
Barrel trimmer and drill press
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endacoz
Member
How to sharpen the barrel trimmer?
Just wondering if anyone has a video of how to sharpen the barrel trimmer?
Just wondering if anyone has a video of how to sharpen the barrel trimmer?
edman2
Local Chapter Leader
sbell111
Member
I use a vise on my drill press. The table is set to drill a perpendicular hole through the blank. It doesn't matter if you are drilling or milling, the hole is still perpendicular. there really isnt much extra setup when milling. I clamp the drilled blank into the hole, line up the mill shaft with the hole, and then clamp the vise to the drill press table. I guess that I'm not seeing the problem.
neubee
Member
I use a quick clamp to keep my hand away from the trimmer and it supports two wall sides of the blank from potentially breaking away.
tool-man
Member
For trimming/squaring rough, unturned blanks to the correct length I use a drill press as shown here. The pic shows a blank without the brass tube - that's what I had at hand for the picture - but this is done after gluing in the tube. The blank is clamped the the visegrip and I hold it by hand. There is almost no tendency for the cutter to grab the blank, and no need for a vise. If you use a vise here, you have a dickens of a time ensuring the trimmer and the blank are in alignment. Before I turn the drill press on, I raise the blank so the guide shaft is about an inch or so into the brass tube. With the shaft in the tube the plane of the cut is automatically aligned perpendicular to the axis (or square.)
Below is a close up of the tool I use, but most of you will of course be using a barrel trimmer which has the same effect. My tool is a piloted end mill with a #2 morse taper. Since it is high speed steel I have not yet needed to sharpen the cutters. I use home made hollow tubes for shims when using this on larger diameter pen tubes.
I do not use this after the pen tube has been turned. I use a lathe jig consisting of a metal rod held in a chuck in the tailstock, onto to which is slid the completed pen tube, and then the tube is slid up against a sanding disk held in the headstock. Slow speed of course and about 100 grit paper. Using fine grit sandpaper there is no problem with then end of you finished pen tube cracking or splintering. See this thread http://www.penturners.org/forum/f30/my-new-squaring-method-94962/
more ideas
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f30/barrell-trimming-yep-another-way-107749/
Below is a close up of the tool I use, but most of you will of course be using a barrel trimmer which has the same effect. My tool is a piloted end mill with a #2 morse taper. Since it is high speed steel I have not yet needed to sharpen the cutters. I use home made hollow tubes for shims when using this on larger diameter pen tubes.
I do not use this after the pen tube has been turned. I use a lathe jig consisting of a metal rod held in a chuck in the tailstock, onto to which is slid the completed pen tube, and then the tube is slid up against a sanding disk held in the headstock. Slow speed of course and about 100 grit paper. Using fine grit sandpaper there is no problem with then end of you finished pen tube cracking or splintering. See this thread http://www.penturners.org/forum/f30/my-new-squaring-method-94962/
more ideas
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f30/barrell-trimming-yep-another-way-107749/
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sbwertz
Member
I realize this is an old post, but it is good info that can use a bump.
I have carbide pen mills and chuck them in the drill press, since we are usually doing thirty or more at a time. I hold the blank with a pair of pliers and put a thick piece of board under it. Take TINY passes until the brass shows. I slide the board out from under to slip the blank off the mill, since my drill press down there only has a 2.5" quill travel.
Carbide stays sharper much longer than regular mills, and I sharpen them with diamond hones when they need it. We were gifted two carbide pen mills not long ago, and I keep one of them with the 7mm shaft, since that is the one we use the most, and the other I change the shaft for whatever pen we are milling. For sizes that I don't have shafts for, I turn wooden sleeves with 7mm tubes to fit the tubes of various kits and label them with a sharpie. I just slip them over the 7mm shaft.
I have carbide pen mills and chuck them in the drill press, since we are usually doing thirty or more at a time. I hold the blank with a pair of pliers and put a thick piece of board under it. Take TINY passes until the brass shows. I slide the board out from under to slip the blank off the mill, since my drill press down there only has a 2.5" quill travel.
Carbide stays sharper much longer than regular mills, and I sharpen them with diamond hones when they need it. We were gifted two carbide pen mills not long ago, and I keep one of them with the 7mm shaft, since that is the one we use the most, and the other I change the shaft for whatever pen we are milling. For sizes that I don't have shafts for, I turn wooden sleeves with 7mm tubes to fit the tubes of various kits and label them with a sharpie. I just slip them over the 7mm shaft.
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Woodchipper
Member
No problem if you are doing several pens as Sharon mentioned. See photo with Harbor /freight machinist's vise. Slip the tube on the bit, raise the bed, keep the blank against one side of the vise, tighten and turn away! I made a disk sander but have to put it on the lathe and square then take it off to turn the blank.
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EdM
Member
Rick's jig was a real value-add for me. I haven't blown up a blank in the barrel trimmer since I switched over, and the ends wind up properly squared every time !