Rebar ???

[MTViper]

Last week, I got an email from Exotic Blanks advertising Rebar pen blanks were back in stock. I had never seen or heard of such an thing and couldn't imagine anything like that. I looked at the picture on the website and decided to give it a try. I ordered one for Sierra twist pens and one for Bolt Action pens. These were for my use, not for selling or giving away.

They arrived (complete with peanut M&Ms) and I looked them over before I took them to the shop. These are drilled to fit the brass tube in the pen kit. They are powder coated so the don't rust. I took them to the shop and glued the brass tubes the rebar. Holes are precise. Tubes fit nicely and blanks are the right length. I used System 3 Barrel Bond epoxy and left them overnight. The next morning, I went back to the shop and in 10 minutes I had 2 shiny new pens. No turning involved.

The attached photo shows the results. I used a Gunmetal Bolt Action kit and a Black Titanium and Titanium Gold Sierra Vista Stylus kit. I had looked at the Sierra Nomad kit but the rebar was slightly proud of the pen parts all around. With the Sierra Vista kit, the pen parts are slightly proud of the flat spaces but the ridges line up nicely with the hardware.

I like the look and feel of these. I will probably get another couple of blanks for gifts for my sons. Great job Ed & Dawn! Nice idea again.

Steve

 

[ed4copies]

We tried to make these ourselves--ruined a dozen or so drill bits on my metal lathe.

One of our customers called to tell us he had a source that could make them. A couple prototypes later and we have a really nice product!!

Thanks for thinking of us!!!

 

[JohnU]

Yours look great! I was happy to see these back in stock. I made several a couple years ago and gifted them to some friends in the cement and construction business. They loved them.

 

[egnald]

We tried to make these ourselves--ruined a dozen or so drill bits on my metal lathe.

One of our customers called to tell us he had a source that could make them. A couple prototypes later and we have a really nice product!!

Thanks for thinking of us!!!

I've always been told that Rebar is the Bologna of steel. Anything you can't use to make something uniform and useful is thrown into the grinder. High and low carbon steels, iron, and all kinds of other stuff - like even ball bearings. It's no wonder it can't be drilled worth a darn. We used to use an EDM hole shooter or plunge EDM in the shop to make holes in it as even carbide drills didn't always work.

Dave

 

[jttheclockman]

Have to ask, are they as heavy as a piece of rebar? Or is this a composite material made to look like a rebar. I would like to know what they are drilling with too if that is truely rebar material. Diamond bits?

 

[MTViper]

Here's what Ed says: "they are made from real rebar! They have been drilled and sized precisely to fit" They are surprisingly lighter than I expected them to be, but the size of rebar selected means the actual metal shell is relatively thin, not much thicker than a wood or synthetic blank would be. They are comfortable in the hand and I would have no problem writing with one for an extended period of time. I don't know how they drilled it or what kind of bit they used but I'm glad they did. I'm about to order more.

 

[jttheclockman]

Here's what Ed says: "they are made from real rebar! They have been drilled and sized precisely to fit" They are surprisingly lighter than I expected them to be, but the size of rebar selected means the actual metal shell is relatively thin, not much thicker than a wood or synthetic blank would be. They are comfortable in the hand and I would have no problem writing with one for an extended period of time. I don't know how they drilled it or what kind of bit they used but I'm glad they did. I'm about to order more.

Thanks. Glad you like them.

 

[Mach4]

Of course you could always cheat and just use real rebar….

 

[JohnU]

That pen could double as a weapon! Lol
The Exotic Blanks rebar blanks are real. Some are just clear powder coated so they don't rust.

 

[MTViper]

Of course you could always cheat and just use real rebar….

View attachment 368136

That's impressive. How long did it take you to drill thru that?

 

[Mach4]

That's impressive. How long did it take you to drill thru that?

It really wasn't that bad - I made two so wasn't terribly put off by the process.