Latest pen projects

[tipusnr]

Monday I will be mailing off to my parents the last seven pen projects I've completed. Scans of them are in my photo album on this site.

The multi-tool was the hardest project I've done since I started turning. I cut the blanks to the recommended size and laminated a white stripe in some nice bronze colored wood blanks. I couldn't use my new self-centering vise because the drill bit was too long for the height of my drill press. I used my old vise, which doesn't go up very high on the blank. The bit wandered and the blank came apart.

Starting over I went with some oversized cherry blanks. The ends split on one end of each blank as I caught grain with my skew that I didn't see. I drilled through a dymondwood cutoff for the bands and they were too thick. I don't have a mill thick enough so I put the blanks on the mandrel and used a thin parting tool to bring them down near the size of the cherry. Took them off the mandrel and whittled them down with a utility knife then remounted them and turned the project. Sanded to 600 and couldn't get an even shine so resanded to 1000 and finished again with several coats of friction polish.

3.5 hours one night and 2 hours the next - for one project. Be a long time before I make another of those.

Please take time to look over my album and let me know what you think.

 

[Bev Polmanteer]

Bill, when my drilling vise isn't low enough I drill into the blank as far as it will go then thread the blank up on the drill bit, retighten it in the vise and drill the rest of the way. It works great for me! Hope this helps.

 

[Fred in NC]

There will be days like this, Bill! Been there, done that.

 

[dougle40]

Another way of drilling long blanks is to drill as far as you can go then simply put scrap pieces under the vise without removing the bit (just lift vise and blank together) . This saves time and also prevents possible movement from loosening and retightening the vise .
Another trick that I use , is to attach a foot switch to the drill and that way you don't have to let go of the vise to switch off the drill .
That's my method and it too works great .

 

[tipusnr]

Thanks guys but the problem wasn't that the blank was too long. This kit uses the same length blanks as most of them. The problem was that the combination of the drill bit length and vise height was too long. Having the extra support for the blank would have been nice for the glued joints as would have a shorter - non-bullet point bit but didn't happen.

Actually each obstacle by itself wasn't a problem - it was one after another that was kicking my but!

By the way - you never said what you thought of the finished product!!

 

[woodman928]

What is the name of the picture and which album is it in I didn't find it.
Jay

 

[tipusnr]

Just click "My Photos" under my name or go to the "tipusnr" gallery chose "scanned" it's Jerrymultitool and the next five pens.

Maybe embedding IS easier but didn't want to put seven photos in this posting.

 

[woodman928]

Nice looking stuff Tip I like the pine and walnut one [8D]