How do you square up your pen blanks

[Chris88]

Hello everyone, it is amazing to see all of the pretty segmented pens along with the knot pens. I would hate to spend all my time putting one together and have it not come out. I have been trying some segmented pens along with some celtic knot pens. I have tried different ways of doing this and I am getting close. It's still with the drilling the blank. I think the one thing I might be missing is when you start do you square the blank up. I do cut and square the ends but do you do the length? Are is that important? If you do what do you use a belt sander, jointer are a planer?

 

[djwood1]

I use my bandsaw to square the blank. I use a center marking tool and mark the end of the blank for drilling, even use an awl to put a hole at center. When drilling, I center the drill bit to the blank, not just center the vise.

 

[hilltopper46]

One technique that is helpful is to mark the center of the pattern on the end of the blank, then turn the blank round on centers, making sure that your center is the center of the pattern and not necessarily the center of the blank. Then after turning the blank round, drill on the lathe, if possible. Even if you aren't set up to drill on the lathe, this will center and square your blank for the drill press.

Another important thing to reduce drill wander is to use sharp bits. Make that SHARP bits!!

 

[RAdams]

Similar to what Tony said, you could also use the deer antler drilling technique. I saw it on a video a few years back... You indent the very center on both ends of the blank, or what you want to be the center anyway... and then you hold the blank in pliers, put your drillbit in the headstock, and use th tailstock to keep the blank centered, and also to push the blank into the drillbit. Not the safest technique, but effective.

 

[Russianwolf]

For knots, yep, the length of the blank needs to be trued. It can be Square, Hexagonal, OCtagonal, or round, but since the cuts reference the corresponding sides, they all need to be in sync or the knot will not come out even.

 

[Chris88]

One technique that is helpful is to mark the center of the pattern on the end of the blank, then turn the blank round on centers, making sure that your center is the center of the pattern and not necessarily the center of the blank. Then after turning the blank round, drill on the lathe, if possible. Even if you aren't set up to drill on the lathe, this will center and square your blank for the drill press.

Another important thing to reduce drill wander is to use sharp bits. Make that SHARP bits!!

What technique do you use to mark you lines to the end of the blank? I am tried that and it seems to work but there must be an easier way to do it.

 

[hilltopper46]

What technique do you use to mark you lines to the end of the blank? I am tried that and it seems to work but there must be an easier way to do it.

My technique is not that sophisticated - I use a steel rule and a sharp pencil and simply trace a straight line to the end of the blank and then across the end. If the pattern differs on each side, I can do that on as many sides as necessary. Where the lines on the end cross is where I center punch it.