Can I turn a blank without a tube?

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navycop

navycop

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I wanted to try different woods (pupleheart, holly, etc). I was trying to avoid gluing the tubes in then turning the wood off if I didn't like it. I know I could make a pen out of it and give it as a gift. I just didn't want to have to use all my extra tubes up.
 
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navycop said:
I wanted to try different woods (pupleheart, holly, etc). I was trying to avoid gluing the tubes in then turning the wood off if I didn't like it. I know I could make a pen out of it and give it as a gift. I just didn't want to have to use all my extra tubes up.
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good morning, you certainly may turn wood without a tube. you drill a small center hole in each end, place piece between centers and turn to round. i have even put on a quick finish on woods just to see what they looked like or show a customer how they looked. that way you have not even committed to a tube size yet so it is still available for any pen. i have even turned some with just a center punch hole in the end but that can get a little scary at times.
i will do this sometimes to get a large blank down to use to make a smaller pen. to me that is easier than using my band saw to rough off the corners.
you can be carefull, get exact center, and determine if a small square blank will be big enough to round out in time for the large pen you are making.

good luck. you still have not let me know when we can meet.
 
Yes - its done all the time but will not be a finished product. That's how the the lazercut blanks are made. Just use a tube for support - the bushings will hold the blank. If you intend on using it later, turn it a little proud of the bushings. You will have to adjust after gluing in.
 
Every pen that I turn is first done just turning the blank close to size without a tube or any kind. I do it this way so I can see what the blank is going to look like before committing to finish it.

I simply drill the proper size hole needed for the kit I plan to use. I then insert my dead center and live center directly into the hole and turn away. I have yet to have one blow up on me. Once turned down to about the size I need, I can then decide if I want to glue in the tube and finish up the pen or set it aside for a different day.

As a result, I have a bunch of blanks that are ready to just glue in the tube and complete the turning and finishing. This is real handy for when I need to do a quick pen too!
 
Why not

Given the things from spindles to baseball bats that are turned with no tube or even hole drilled, I'd say it is a pretty sure bet you can turn a pen blank as well.
 
Can I turn a blank without a tube?

Ok, I have resisted the temptation for a couple days, now I have to say it,:eek::eek: "I don't know if YOU can, I know I can".:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
 
True enough

Fact is I've even turned a few without even using the lathe. No trick at all. Just picked it up looked at one side, turned it and looked at another...two more turns and I've seen all four sides (assuming the blank is a rectangular prism or cuboid).
 
I just tried this the other night. I used a center drill from Johnnycnc that everyone recommended for drilling blanks between centers without bushings. It worked perfectly and I got to see what the blank looked like committing to a pen style.
 
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