larger cutter head & short stub

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bradbn4

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Right now I have a few Panache kits glued up and ready to go. My 3/4" pen mill cutter head is too small to square up the ends - so does anyone know of a pen mill .8" or larger?

I have tried the trick using a using a right angle with a 7mm(I think) trying to square the end with a sanding disk. All this has provided me with is a beveled end pen blank. (This is a PSI jig.)

I would also like to find shorter 7mm post to attach a cutter head to so I can square the pocket pen. . . I have had these kits for awhile - and I would like to finish a few of them.



Bradbn4 - still having fun here in Colorado
 
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I just made sure my table on my belt/disk sander combo was 90 deg to the disk and very carefully ran the blanks against the disk until they were square... very slowly and carefully.

on the shorter post... don't know if you will find one... I wound up cutting one off to about 1.5 inches to use for shorter pens.
 
There's always the old, tried-n-true method of squaring blanks. Cut the blanks close to final length...I find I can get to about 1/32" on each end. Put a piece of 120 or 180 sand paper on a piece of flat glass, then hand sand the blank square. I've used it over 100 time without a single failure. And I can all but guarantee that you will not blow out a blank. FYI, the entire process takes less than 5 minutes and the fit is perfect!
 
Most of my pen blanks are not what you call square that I used for the Panache - some real odds and ends that I picked up in a barrel at a local WoodCraft store. I have tried the power disk sanding - and truth be known - I have a whole lot more than a few mm of extra wood.

My next try will be to use the 3/4" pen mill - and stay proud of brass by 1/16" or so and try the sanding again.

Bradbn4
 
I have not made these myself, but if the cutter head clears the tube and gives you some wood milled down, you can make some Corian bushings to hold the blank and then clean the extra off while on the lathe. I think I would use some thin CA on the edges if I were to do this.
 
Take a 7mm tube and a scrap of wood, I use Red Oak. Glue em up and turn them down to the diamiter of the pen tube your tryin to trim. This works great and can be used over and over again. I've made 2 so far.
 
Steve, I think you are describing a sleeve for the pen mill. The problem is that the Panache is so big that the pen mill <b>head</b> is not big enough. I have a feeling the Gentleman kit I have in the shop may be the same way, I will find out soon!
 
I have two pen mills and one is distinctly bigger than the other. I have no idea why. I know I got one at Woodcraft but I ndon't know about the other. I probably got it at woodcraft too when I got nfrustrated having mislaid the first one and just found buying a new one simpler than finding the old one (which turned up eventually).

All this to say they do come in at least two different sizes. I do know that much.

Julia
 
You know ... i wonder if ....

Take a 2" chunk of maple or something ... turn yourself a tenon on the end of it that is the proper diameter to fit inside your tube - use your skew and really clean up the "pommel" or shoulder of that tenon so it's nice and smooth... use a straight edge if you have to to make sure it is flat (not coned or dished). Then take a piece of 100/150 grit sandpaper and drill yourself a hole in it that matches the diameter of your tenon. Slip the sandpaper on (glue it if you like) and turn on the lathe. Now you got yerself a 2" diameter pen mill. It'd be slow, but it might do the job. ...

It's so crazy, it just might work.
 
Use the 3/4 pen mill then when you have it flush with the tube take it to the sander and finish squaring the blank being careful to keep it square.
 
The 3/4 or should I say .75" cutter head is smaller than the aprox .78 of the bushing. That is where the problem is. What I might also be able to do is create a sleave for the aprox 7mm jig I have to take out the slop in my right angle PSI jig.

This is sort of what Jason is recommending but adapted to a sanding disk vs sanding on the lathe.

hmm, just if I could find some metal rods the correct size - that could help with a chuck in the lathe and have a sanding block - it would resolve a few other issues working on "micro" size pens. The key is to remove slop in what ever jig I use.

Bradbn4
 
So is it a tool that is made out of high speed steel or a tool that could cut high speed steel.

While the price is somewhat high - (2 -3 times normal cutter head price) it seems to be the best tool for the job.

My big worry is that it would 'clash' with the vice that I bought from you.

Questions: Are other shaft sizes possible?
What lenght size options on the 7mm shaft?

With a short and long shaft I will be able to use this over size cutter for other projects.

Bradbn4 - Still having fun in Colorado
 
Originally posted by bradbn4
<br />So is it a tool that is made out of high speed steel or a tool that could cut high speed steel.

While the price is somewhat high - (2 -3 times normal cutter head price) it seems to be the best tool for the job.

My big worry is that it would 'clash' with the vice that I bought from you.

Questions: Are other shaft sizes possible?
What lenght size options on the 7mm shaft?

With a short and long shaft I will be able to use this over size cutter for other projects.

Bradbn4 - Still having fun in Colorado
Click to expand...

Shafts would be made by me so they could be whatever you needed.
 
Bob, you could not use the slimline bushings, but custom "trimming" bushings could be made. All you need is a hair larger than the tube diameter so that the bushing will not be inside the tube, However, it may be a very small margin.
 
So it is possible to make two/three different shafts for the same cutter head? I figure that 7mm would be the key for short and long size shafts. I think I can find adapter sleaves that would fit other pens.

Or am I stuck with one shaft size per adapter - and can the shaft be larger?

bradbn4 - Having fun in Colorado
 
Originally posted by bradbn4
<br />So it is possible to make two/three different shafts for the same cutter head? I figure that 7mm would be the key for short and long size shafts. I think I can find adapter sleaves that would fit other pens.

Or am I stuck with one shaft size per adapter - and can the shaft be larger?

bradbn4 - Having fun in Colorado
Click to expand...
Shafts would lock in with a set screw, so they can be different sizes, but the easieast and least expensive would be one for 7mm and make sleeves for the rest, but....
 
What the heck - it's only money right? Would the existing pen mill shafts fit? Or is is custom size? I use Berea Hardwoods pen mills. . . not sure what size those shafts are.

Thanks for the info and the advice - I guess I should contact you offline to wrap this up.


Bradbn4 - having fun in colorado - but gee - it's cold out there (-3 when I went to work on Sat).
 
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