Centre bands!

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Ligget

Ligget

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Hi All,
Forgive me if this is a repeat question, I never have the time to read all the posts!
When making your own centre bands from wood, corian, antler etc...Do you need a small piece of brass tube in middle, as if turning a normal pen blank?
Thanks
 
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Mark,
I don't use anything in the middle of a custom CB . Just drill a <b>1/4"</b> hole in the piece and slip it directly onto the mandrel . I use a 1/4" brad point bit for this .
 
Their are occasions, in my opinion, when a brass tube is needed. The first that come to mind is when the wood is not very dense itself, or has voids or other weakness, and needs the support. I'm sure there are others but can't think of them right now.
 
Mark, You can do it either way. I've done them where I've just drilled a 1/4" hole which works. Now, though, I'm drilling them and inserting a short brass tube---I think this works better for me.
 
I like making them with the brass tube, but that's probably a bit of paranoia showing through. I'd hate for a customer to see that the I think the barrels need the brass support but the CB isn't worth the effort. Remember, just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're NOT out to get me! [:D]
 
The first that come to mind is when the wood is not very dense itself, or has voids or other weakness, and needs the support.
Click to expand...
Tip has a very good point there . So far I've not made a CB from anything that wasn't a hardwood or that might have any of the qualities that Tip mentioned but it does make a lot of sense .
 
When I do centre bands I drill the band with the same drill as the barrels. I then put a samll piece of brass in the hole, but don't glue it in. Using the pen mill I square one end of the center band and pull the brass back out (the brass is just to center the mill). Then I go to the upper barrel and turn down the width of the center band I want to the brass tube. At that point I take the barrel off the mandrel, put a small drop of CYA on the tube, and press the squared side of the band onto the barrel. I usually clamp it into the vise for a couple of minutes, and then square the other side of the centre band to the barrel tube.

This method only works, of course, if you don't want a free turning center band.
 
I just use a 1/4" drill bit. On a couple of softer woods I have dripped some CA into the center. So far no problems. I like the floating bands. Someone who has had his for a while says he spins it while he thinks. It's like a worry band. Kind of like those people a lot more coordinated than me that can spin their pens across their fingertips.
 
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