Modified MillDrill with Pen Mill

[PenPal]

Recently I viewed Don Wards PenMill on the site and thought I can make one of those,I kicked it around with a thought to utilise as much scrap material and or machinery I already have or use.Fourteen years ago I purchased a top quality Makita small edge hand held etc Makita with a heap of attachments so that was the starting point.
Nearly as long ago bought a Clisby Miniature metal lathe with wood turning attachments etc to do demos,decided it was a bit of a toy so I had the bed anodised stuffed it in a box waiting to mount it as a conversation piece on a high figure timber base,in a beautiful box and there it was waiting in line for that one day.So now I had the carrier with a head and tail stock,a drill chuck to go with it and so I stripped the lathe,locked the head stock to the spindle,fitted a gear wheel to the head stock pulley and fitted a smaller gear on a weighted steel above the index wheel and fitted a spring to ensure it would not jump out,bolted the head stock to the bed,the bed brackets to a 2 inch bar of aluminium,drilled the one morse taper parallel in the tail stock and snug fitted a brass sleeve in the post the same as I turn pens normally.In the wisdom of Clisby they butcher the bed to the stands by crimping,yuk.* drilled and tapped bolts now support the bed to the base plates.Aluminium can be a pain in the proverbial to drill sometimes hardened and clogs the taps sometimes breaks them,no probs this time but awesome slow working for care.
A mate of mine made a Metal Mill into a C and C Mill using servomotors and aq computer and cut me from my aluminium a yoke with two holes and a half hole to clear the height adjust on the Mill quill body to hold the small Router so as the quill goes down so does the router.I left the milling cutter in to show the configuration.It removes in 30 seconds to fit the drill spindle or to use the newly fitted router.I leave the Router on all the time now

Pic 1 Overall view.
Pic 2Shows the yoke plate split twice to clamp to the quill and router,the router switch is on the router top right,very convenient.
Pic 3Clisby Lathe stripped and quite modified clamped to the bed with two T Nuts to the X and Y axis bed.
Pic 4 Indexing set up,the holding unit is kept in place with a spring.

So far I am very pleased with the unit I have to make spacers for the mandrel and fit an electronic height indicator for accurate height adjustments.

Two questions anyone making pens with any form of mill do you shape to round first?
Do you shape the ends first,how do you sand the finished blank?

Thanks Peter

 

[PenPal]

Pics trying again,fingers crossed. Peter

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[rherrell]

Looks great. Nice work!

 

[Paul in OKC]

Nice gadgetry work there! I just sold my mill/drill to a cue maker friend. As for the sanding, you still need a lathe, or a way to hook up the spindle there to a small motor, I would think.

 

[johncrane]

Good one Peter![]

 

[PenPal]

Paul,
I must have given the wrong impression my pen lathe is alongside the mill so I will still use it for all turning functions.It is a substantial,wonderfull product that you only have to buy once a Vicmarc VL100 modified with variable speed,fitted to a sit down bench,the delight of my pen work.My first car in the 1950 s was an A Model Ford I enjoyed immensely as well for many years.Thanks for your interest. Peter

 

[mrcook4570]

Originally posted by pwhay
Two questions anyone making pens with any form of mill do you shape to round first?
Do you shape the ends first,how do you sand the finished blank?

I have made a few from square stock, but did not like how the ends sometimes wanted to blow out. I now round the blanks before milling.

The ends can be shaped either first or last and can be done with the mill. However, I prefer to shape the ends on the lathe.

Sanding is a bit of a bear if done by hand. Much of the hand sanding can be eliminated by using a sanding mop.