Pen Mill Adapters???

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bca1313

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I currently drill my blanks with a pen vise and then put the pen mill in the same set up to trim the barrel.

As more pens are built this is getting harder to use since I have to leave everything exaclty the same between drilling and barrel trimming so the alignment remains constant.

I am trying to decide whether to continue this set-up, turn adapter sleeves or purchase the other size inserts.

Any thoughts? The inserts seem like a good idea because they clean any excess glue out of the barrel, but there are probably ways to keep the glue out of there in the first place that I am not doing.

Any help is appreciated.

Ben
 
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Ben,

I turn my own sleeves and use the guide for 7mm tubes for all odd/new sized tubes. When I find time, I will actually make sleeves for all sized tubes I use.

I clean the tube with a skinny dull knife and it does much better than the guide/insert can.
 
Ben,

You certainly can purchase other size inserts, and this might well be practical for pens you turn a lot of.

Otherwise, consider using corian to turn sleeves for the other pens you use. I drill a 7mm hole and glue in a slimline tube for maximum life for my sleeves. BTW, you may want to label the sleeves with a Sharpie marker just in case you want to know which is which. If you don't have any corian, buy a hardwood dowell and turn it to size. If you use the dowell, I consider a slimline tube an absolute must to preserve accuracy. Use your handy dandy cordless drill for your end milling so you leave the drill press out of the loop for this part of the process.

FWIW,
 
That is a good idea. I have some extra acrylic blanks that I was not going to use. I may use those since I dont have any corian laying around. Also have plenty of wood I could use.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Ben
 
to keep glue out of the tubes I use beeswax or a candle. Potatos work well too. Just stick the tube into the potato or wax and then put the glue on. Once you have it glued in just push the small piece out. I think I got the idea from one of the Pen videos, maybe the one by Kip.
Brian
 
I also turn my own sleeves out of hardwood dowel with 7mm tubes glued in. My friendly dentist gave me half a box of baseplate wax to keep glue out of the tubes (enough for a lifetime). He also gives me his used dental bits and picks (too dull for teeth but perfect for wood). Total cost was a comfort pen[:D]
 
I ahve the interchangeable PSI mill with 4 shafts.
It's a pain to change them and keepup with the diffrent sizes but with 2 cutters it's a little easier.
Part of your post has me confused.
To say that you mill using the vice.This doesn't make sense to me.
The purpose of the vice is to drill a hole parallel with the side of the blank refrenced to the vice.
That doesn't mean that once the tube is glued in everything worked out as planned.
What works for me is to mill the blanks while holding them with a pair of channel locks,a strip of sandpaper or even my bare hands.
The shaft orients the cutter so the face of the blank is square to the tube.
The use of a vice defeats the purpose of milling square to the tube.
 
I bought the pre-drilled plastic insert from CSUSA when I ordered my Gents. The plastic turns very easily with a skew to whatever size you want. It's predrilled to the correct size, works fine.

It was only AFTER I had ordered them with my order that I figured I could use corian or PR throwouts.
 
Never thought about buying inserts. I turn my own from pen blanks gone bad on the lathe, like when one blank blows out, I keep the other one and down the road these will be turned into inserts. Have a number of those around, one never knows. Actually, I use an 8 mm shaft for my barrel trimmer and the blown blanks are mainly from Flattop pens with the 8 mm tubes.
 
Here is how I do it.

Drill a 1/4" hole in some stock (no tube), turn to fit and you are set

photo2.jpg
 
I make my inserts out of delrin. Whenever I get ready to do a new style pen, I go ahead and make a set of inserts for it. I've built up a pretty nice collection of inserts now. So many that I sometimes have trouble finding the right size. I need to get them better organized !!
 
I do the same as many others (Dario, Ron, Mike, etc.) and use delrin, corian, acrylic, or even aluminum. Most of my sleeves are for the 7mm mill (1/4" hole), but a few of my larger ones for the likes of the new CSUSA high end pens, or the El Presidente, etc. I've milled sleeves to fit my 10mm mill. Why? Because my 7mm mill (it came with my PSI starter set) only has a 5/8" cutter head and it doesn't work for the larger pens. The 10mm mill has a 3/4" cutter head. And before anyone asks, they are not interchangeable because I ordered the 10mm from BB thinking I'd eventually by all the other shafts. Well, at $12 each, I decided that wasn't necessary.
 
I use plumbers putty to keep the tubes free from glue - most of the time. When I do get glue inside, I use a very small file and scrape it out gently.

AS for pen mill sizes that don't scrape the glue out, that I do as mentioned above.


One note that I would like to add on making a pen mill fit any particular pen tube size:

I went to the local hobby shop and bought one each of succeeding sizes of brass tubing - from 1/4 inch thorugh 9/16. They all fit snugly inside of each other. I cut about 2 inches off of each one with a small pipe cutter, used BBaumbecks deburring tool, and keep them with my mill adpaters. Now I can do perfect mills on most.

I have discovered that there is a very small bit of play on a couple of pen tubes using this method (and I forget which ones) because there is a difference in the tubes of imperial sizes versus metric sizes. The only way to cure this is to get a set of metric brass tubes.

The 4 shaft set does not fit all the different pens good enough for me.

Since I have returned to Japan, my intention is to get a similar set of metric brass tubes and do the same as I did with the inch set.
 
Originally posted by ncseeker
<br />I make my inserts out of delrin. Whenever I get ready to do a new style pen, I go ahead and make a set of inserts for it. I've built up a pretty nice collection of inserts now. So many that I sometimes have trouble finding the right size. I need to get them better organized !!
Click to expand...

I organize mine in that way that I keep them with the bushings of the respective pen in the same box as the pen parts.
 
I do the same as Rudy and keep my home made inserts with their respective bushings in my plastic organizer box. I've taken the time to make inserts for different pens even if they're the same diameter. ie. the 15/32 insert is longer for the Gents pen than the 15/32's insert for the Baron. It just helps me keep track of them. I also make my inserts from scrap desert ironwood. Very durable.

Edited because I forgot what the topic was. [B)]
I also use a handheld clamp to hold the blank when squaring it so the pen mill is free to do what it's supposed to do.
I really like the baseplate wax I get from BB. I actually figured it as cheaper than potatoes. I tried the potatoes but I would use a couple slices and then the rest would dry up so I needed a new potatoe the next time. At the price I can get the wax from AS, I'm money ahead.
Like Dario, I just find it simpler to clean the end out with a thin (xacto) blade.
 
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