Pen press

[TG Design]

I saw a few neat pen press designs on the web and decided I needed one. It's not a original design, I took some ideas from several in the web. I grabbed some scrap walnut, oak, and an aluminum rod. I picked up a horizontal hold down at WoodCraft (GH-302-F) and mounted it to the oak base. The walnut spacers make it fast and easy to switch tube lengths. I added an aluminum plate that can be removed and placed in front of a spacer. I have not run into a pen I cannot press yet, beats my old bench vise. I turned the handle from a 3/4" aluminum rod and replaced the hold down end with the same diameter aluminum rod. I added some knurling to make it easy to turn.

Fun project on a wet winter day.

 

[magpens]

Rather classy !!! . Well done !!!

 

[dogcatcher]

I like it, and it appears it can do double duty as a cracker of pecan shells.

 

[Talfalfa33]

Very nice and simple. I started with something similar to that, and it worked great. Then I landed a job where I had unlimited use to a milling machine (Bridgeport) and built one out of aluminum with some of the same characteristics.

 

[TG Design]

Very nice! I really like how you incorporated a "clamp bar", I assume that makes it super fast to adjust for body/cap pressing. Are the pen contact points UHMW or Teflon? That a good idea also. Sounds like a good update for mine.


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[Talfalfa33]

Very nice! I really like how you incorporated a "clamp bar", I assume that makes it super fast to adjust for body/cap pressing. Are the pen contact points UHMW or Teflon? That a good idea also. Sounds like a good update for mine.


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On the handle end, I used a straight line toggle clamp and replaced the rubber tip with a Teflon bolt from Home Depot, but on the modified bar clamp ( harbor freight) I have the UHMW screwed to a aluminum block from the backside. If you would like, I can give you detailed photos of how I made it.