Yellow River Woodturning
Member
I just tried making my first segmented pen yesterday which incorporated two brass bands separating two pieces of Brazilian Rosewood from a piece of Lilac. I'll include a photo of the blank after it was rounded below. Everything went somewhat okay, but it left me with quite a few questions about using metal in segmenting:
What thickness of metal is best?
Where do other penturners buy metal?
What should I cut metal sheets with?
Can you use a brad point on metal if it's thin enough?
How do I do diagonal strips of metal (glueing and drilling)?
For my first try at segmenting, I used a brass sheet from Hobby Lobby (not sure of the thickness, but it was probably between 0.75-1 mm thick). I cut out two small squares from it using a standard bandsaw and glued them together with the three pieces of wood I used. I then drilled the entire thing as a stack using a 27/64" brad point, which managed to drill through brass without too much trouble. I turned it with a spindle gouge, which didn't have too much trouble cutting through the brass.
Any critique is much appreciated, as I am completely new to this part of penturning, along with any feedback on the above questions. Thanks in advance!
What thickness of metal is best?
Where do other penturners buy metal?
What should I cut metal sheets with?
Can you use a brad point on metal if it's thin enough?
How do I do diagonal strips of metal (glueing and drilling)?
For my first try at segmenting, I used a brass sheet from Hobby Lobby (not sure of the thickness, but it was probably between 0.75-1 mm thick). I cut out two small squares from it using a standard bandsaw and glued them together with the three pieces of wood I used. I then drilled the entire thing as a stack using a 27/64" brad point, which managed to drill through brass without too much trouble. I turned it with a spindle gouge, which didn't have too much trouble cutting through the brass.
Any critique is much appreciated, as I am completely new to this part of penturning, along with any feedback on the above questions. Thanks in advance!
