egnald
Member
Greetings from Nebraska.
Recently someone asked me for information on the process I use to make custom cabochons for the finials of Caballer or Jr. Gent series pens, so here is a go at it.
The Cap/Finial component of the Caballero pen kit as well as many of the Jr. Gent series lend themselves to this modification because the factory cabochon can be removed from the cap and replaced with a custom one made from the same blank material as the pen. As with most procedures in pen turning there are multiple methods for accomplishing this. The following explains only one of them -- the one that I use.
I remove the factory cabochon from the cap by resting it in a recess drilled into a small block of hardwood that acts as a type of die. The block has a clearance hole drilled all the way through it to accommodate the size of the cabochon that will be punched out. A chamfer or counter bore helps center and hold the cap in position when the cabochon is being punched out.
Although a Transfer Punch or Disassembly Punch would work, I use a Pin Punch sized to fit through the little hole visible on the inside of the cap. The factory cabochon is usually press fit and does not readily come apart, so it can take several rather sharp taps with a hammer (or mallet) on the punch to get the factory cabochon to break loose.
I Measure the diameter of the factory cabochon and set a caliper or other appropriate tool to the dimension needed. The cabochon on the Caballero should be in the range of 10mm (or 0.40 inches) give or take. The closer the custom cabochon is to this dimension the better it will fit in the cap and the better it will look on the finished pen. One word of caution though, from experience, to prevent damaging the finish on the cabochon it is better to have it slightly undersized rather than oversized. A tight fit looks nice, but it is hardly noticeable if there is a tiny bit of clearance between the cabochon and the cap.
I turn the custom cabochon by first attaching a piece of the blank to a 3/4-inch dowel using hot melt glue. The left over scrap of material from when the blank was initially cut is usually big enough for making the cabochon. Although I rarely do this, a belt sander or bandsaw can be used to round the piece of scrap before turning it. This helps remove some bulk and reduces the impact forces that occur when turning until the blank is round.
I mount the 3/4-inch dowel in a collet chuck, however any other chuck such as a pin chuck or even a dedicated blank drilling chuck would work as well -- anything that holds the blank for turning. If there is enough material I sometimes bring a live center up to help support the blank until I get it turned down to the right diameter. Then I back the tailstock off and use a parting tool to clean up the end and remove the little dimple left behind by the live center.
Although I usually round the edge after the cabochon is the right diameter, a chamfer sort of like what is on the factory cabochon could be used as well.
I sand and apply a finish to the cabochon using the regimen that I follow to sand and finish the upper and lower blanks. Then I part the cabochon off using a parting tool and fine toothed pull saw. Although I should probably take measurements, I simply estimate the length of the finial and the diameter of the tenon. I use a parting tool to cut down to a small tenon that will fit through the hole in the cap. Since the cabochon is so small I remove the piece using a fine toothed pull saw rather than parting it off in the traditional fashion with the parting tool. I find that it gives me much better control of the little piece being parted off.
I glue the custom cabochon in the cap by first scratching the inside plating from the cap a little in order to improve adhesion. Although a sharp knife blade would work, I use the sharp point of a scratch awl. I test fit the custom cabochon and then glue it into the cap using a small amount of epoxy being careful not to get too much adhesive on the flat part of the cap as it will produce squeeze out around the finial which is very difficult if not impossible to remove.
Note that although gluing the cabochon into the cap could also be done as the last step in the assembly, in my opinion it is much easier to match up the grain or pattern by orienting the cap when it is being pressed in rather than trying to get the cabochon precisely oriented after the pen has been assembled. If you wait until after the cap is pressed in, you only get one chance at getting the grain or pattern in the right spot.
I don't know why It took me so long to start using custom cabochons as they can really add a polished and customized look to a finished pen. I hope the procedure that I use can help you develop a regimen to use for making custom cabochons with your equipment and tools.
Best Regards,
Dave
Recently someone asked me for information on the process I use to make custom cabochons for the finials of Caballer or Jr. Gent series pens, so here is a go at it.
The Cap/Finial component of the Caballero pen kit as well as many of the Jr. Gent series lend themselves to this modification because the factory cabochon can be removed from the cap and replaced with a custom one made from the same blank material as the pen. As with most procedures in pen turning there are multiple methods for accomplishing this. The following explains only one of them -- the one that I use.
I remove the factory cabochon from the cap by resting it in a recess drilled into a small block of hardwood that acts as a type of die. The block has a clearance hole drilled all the way through it to accommodate the size of the cabochon that will be punched out. A chamfer or counter bore helps center and hold the cap in position when the cabochon is being punched out.
Although a Transfer Punch or Disassembly Punch would work, I use a Pin Punch sized to fit through the little hole visible on the inside of the cap. The factory cabochon is usually press fit and does not readily come apart, so it can take several rather sharp taps with a hammer (or mallet) on the punch to get the factory cabochon to break loose.
I Measure the diameter of the factory cabochon and set a caliper or other appropriate tool to the dimension needed. The cabochon on the Caballero should be in the range of 10mm (or 0.40 inches) give or take. The closer the custom cabochon is to this dimension the better it will fit in the cap and the better it will look on the finished pen. One word of caution though, from experience, to prevent damaging the finish on the cabochon it is better to have it slightly undersized rather than oversized. A tight fit looks nice, but it is hardly noticeable if there is a tiny bit of clearance between the cabochon and the cap.
I turn the custom cabochon by first attaching a piece of the blank to a 3/4-inch dowel using hot melt glue. The left over scrap of material from when the blank was initially cut is usually big enough for making the cabochon. Although I rarely do this, a belt sander or bandsaw can be used to round the piece of scrap before turning it. This helps remove some bulk and reduces the impact forces that occur when turning until the blank is round.
I mount the 3/4-inch dowel in a collet chuck, however any other chuck such as a pin chuck or even a dedicated blank drilling chuck would work as well -- anything that holds the blank for turning. If there is enough material I sometimes bring a live center up to help support the blank until I get it turned down to the right diameter. Then I back the tailstock off and use a parting tool to clean up the end and remove the little dimple left behind by the live center.
Although I usually round the edge after the cabochon is the right diameter, a chamfer sort of like what is on the factory cabochon could be used as well.
I sand and apply a finish to the cabochon using the regimen that I follow to sand and finish the upper and lower blanks. Then I part the cabochon off using a parting tool and fine toothed pull saw. Although I should probably take measurements, I simply estimate the length of the finial and the diameter of the tenon. I use a parting tool to cut down to a small tenon that will fit through the hole in the cap. Since the cabochon is so small I remove the piece using a fine toothed pull saw rather than parting it off in the traditional fashion with the parting tool. I find that it gives me much better control of the little piece being parted off.
I glue the custom cabochon in the cap by first scratching the inside plating from the cap a little in order to improve adhesion. Although a sharp knife blade would work, I use the sharp point of a scratch awl. I test fit the custom cabochon and then glue it into the cap using a small amount of epoxy being careful not to get too much adhesive on the flat part of the cap as it will produce squeeze out around the finial which is very difficult if not impossible to remove.
Note that although gluing the cabochon into the cap could also be done as the last step in the assembly, in my opinion it is much easier to match up the grain or pattern by orienting the cap when it is being pressed in rather than trying to get the cabochon precisely oriented after the pen has been assembled. If you wait until after the cap is pressed in, you only get one chance at getting the grain or pattern in the right spot.
I don't know why It took me so long to start using custom cabochons as they can really add a polished and customized look to a finished pen. I hope the procedure that I use can help you develop a regimen to use for making custom cabochons with your equipment and tools.
Best Regards,
Dave
