Bratboys3
Member
Hi. I am new to wood turning. I saw some You Tube videos about pen turning. I was intrigued so I bought a small lathe and the basic pen making supplies. I haven't been able to turn a pen yet because I haven't been able to successfully drill out a pen blank. I have a small 8in drill press. Its drilling depth is just a shade under 2in. I've been cutting my blanks in half because I thought that's what I was supposed to do. The problem is that the two halves are closer to 2.5in. I can adjust the table up and down a bit and I can drill through the blank with some work but the hole is significantly off of center on the bottom side. Is there a neat trick to doing this that I'm not aware of? Or, do I just need to get a bigger drill press? Additionally, I don't have a dedicated jig to put my blanks in for drilling. Right now I'm using a 3in drill vise. Getting the blanks to stand straight is a challenge. I'm certainly open to any help, ideas, and suggestions anyone would be willing to offer. Thanks for your time!