Click! Sheesh! Ouch! Click!

[marcruby]

I've been fiddling with a slight adaptation of LauLauWoods Click pen and I think I've figured out why most of the examples I've seen have been segmented. There's nothing like having 4+ inches of bit jam in a piece of expensive lucite, followed by an hour of struggling to get the bit back out, to teach this turner a lesson.

I thought I was drilling slowly and clearing the passage religiously. The truth is that I wasn't even close. When you're that deep in plastic another eight of an inch can be a long way. Anyway, one nick on my pointing finger and and ounce of WD40 later I have a drilled lucite blank that, strangely enough, is actually centered from end to end.

Next time I'll cut the segments, drill them individually and then glue everything up.

Marc

 

[Gary Max]

Marc you could always buy a long drill bit and drill them on your lathe---Aaron sells the bits---super high quality ---worth the money.

 

[scotirish]

Marc, are you sure the bit did not freeze inside the blank Just kidding.

 

[marcruby]

I've got one of Aaron's bits. You're right, their top quality and sharp - hence the bandage on my finger. >

For the record, I don't like drilling on the lathe. I either have to turn the blank round, which makes it hard to use with my scroll saw, or I pop it into a chuck. Chances are if I did that and the drill jammed it would blow the blank.

I just write this off to not thinking and rushing. It's just that the definition of 'rushing' is a lot different when you're 4 inches deep. What I'm after is a more retro version of the pen than Aaron does.

You wouldn't happen to know where I can get thin sheets of silver or gold, would you. I hate aluminum and brass.

Marc

Marc you could always buy a long drill bit and drill them on your lathe---Aaron sells the bits---super high quality ---worth the money.

 

[ed4copies]

Jewelry supply house would be my best guess. Sheet gold is gonna be expensive.

RingsNThings comes to mind
RioGrande

 

[marcruby]

I'm probably going to use riogrande. Actually, $200 worth of gold will do a fair number of pens if it's just simple inlay work. It just gets factored into the price of the pen, anyway. >

Marc

Jewelry supply house would be my best guess. Sheet gold is gonna be expensive.

RingsNThings comes to mind
RioGrande

 

[workinforwood]

I'm just happy to hear that your scrollsaw isn't hiding in the corner collecting dust and cobwebs.