Twojugs
Member
Question from a complete novice (Yet to actually turn my lathe on!). When drilling blanks, do you drill the complete blank, or cut the two sections and drill each separately? I will be drilling on the lathe. Thanks.
Drilling blanks
- Thread starter Twojugs
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RobS
Member
Depends on the length of your drill, it is usually easier to cut the blank in half and drill.
Highly recomend buying the following book, there are a lot of tips you'll like.
Highly recomend buying the following book, there are a lot of tips you'll like.
The Pen Turner's Bible: The Art of Creating Custom Pens: Kleinhenz, Richard: 9780941936613: Amazon.com: Books
The Pen Turner's Bible: The Art of Creating Custom Pens [Kleinhenz, Richard] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Pen Turner's Bible: The Art of Creating Custom Pens
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jttheclockman
Member
Most kits are 2 different tube sizes so you would drill individually. Drill on the lathe is the more accurate but can also easily be done on a drill press if you do a correct setup and the drill press drill fairly accurate holes. No right or wrong way with most things done in this hobby. Lots of room to work around using your own methods.
Penchant 4
Member
Another good reference, I found it quite helpful when starting anyway, is Pen Turner's Workbook by Barry Gross.
egnald
Member
Greetings from Nebraska.
I often do a combination of what you asked in your question. If it is a particularly precious blank, I will measure it with the tubes and cut it in the middle, leaving an equal amount of excess on each end. Then I drill (on my drill press) from the center of each blank down towards the end to a depth that just exceeds the length of the tube, stopping before the bit breaks through the end of the blank. The bit grabbing as it breaks through the end is one of the primary causes for tear-out or blow-out on blanks. Then, I cut off end of the blank at the tube length (plus about 1/16 of an inch) to expose the hole.
I have also finally learned to have patience and to retract the bit every 1/4 to 1/2 inch or so to let it (and the blank) cool and to clean out the chips. It is so easy to get in a hurry and blow up a blank because the bit gets packed or the blank gets too hot. The bigger my pile of blown up blanks get, the more patience I seem to have.
Dave
I often do a combination of what you asked in your question. If it is a particularly precious blank, I will measure it with the tubes and cut it in the middle, leaving an equal amount of excess on each end. Then I drill (on my drill press) from the center of each blank down towards the end to a depth that just exceeds the length of the tube, stopping before the bit breaks through the end of the blank. The bit grabbing as it breaks through the end is one of the primary causes for tear-out or blow-out on blanks. Then, I cut off end of the blank at the tube length (plus about 1/16 of an inch) to expose the hole.
I have also finally learned to have patience and to retract the bit every 1/4 to 1/2 inch or so to let it (and the blank) cool and to clean out the chips. It is so easy to get in a hurry and blow up a blank because the bit gets packed or the blank gets too hot. The bigger my pile of blown up blanks get, the more patience I seem to have.
Dave
My process is to cut the blank down to size first, before drilling. Makes it easier to make sure you have enough bit length, and avoids how far off the bit might drift by the time you get to the other end, if the bit drifts.
My overall process for pens is as follows:
1. Cut blank(s) to match tube lengths.
2. Drill cut blanks. I'll use a drill press for speed if getting exactly centered drilling isn't necessary, or the lathe if keeping the hole as centered as possible IS important (sometimes this is important with segmented/layered blanks).
3. Paint tubes and holes as appropriate, if necessary.
4. Glue tubes into blanks (usually with 2-part epoxy, but sometimes with gorilla glue if I find I need to fill space around a loose tube.)
5. Trim blanks to tube ends (usually with a disc sander and pen squaring jig.)
6. Turn blanks to size and shape down to bushings (usually between centers, unless the bushings require a mandrel.)
7. Sand turned blanks to high grit (pretty much always, wood or reins, I sand to a high grit/high polish. To 2000 grit or wood, 12000 micromesh or 1 micron zona paper for resins.)
8. Finish blank (walnut oil/pens plus usually for wood, ultra high grit plastic polishes for resins; possibly buffing if necessary to get optimal shine.)
9. Assemble pen.
My overall process for pens is as follows:
1. Cut blank(s) to match tube lengths.
2. Drill cut blanks. I'll use a drill press for speed if getting exactly centered drilling isn't necessary, or the lathe if keeping the hole as centered as possible IS important (sometimes this is important with segmented/layered blanks).
3. Paint tubes and holes as appropriate, if necessary.
4. Glue tubes into blanks (usually with 2-part epoxy, but sometimes with gorilla glue if I find I need to fill space around a loose tube.)
5. Trim blanks to tube ends (usually with a disc sander and pen squaring jig.)
6. Turn blanks to size and shape down to bushings (usually between centers, unless the bushings require a mandrel.)
7. Sand turned blanks to high grit (pretty much always, wood or reins, I sand to a high grit/high polish. To 2000 grit or wood, 12000 micromesh or 1 micron zona paper for resins.)
8. Finish blank (walnut oil/pens plus usually for wood, ultra high grit plastic polishes for resins; possibly buffing if necessary to get optimal shine.)
9. Assemble pen.