Slimline Pen Straight Segments- tips needed.....

[LK&T]

So, I'm getting ready to make a grip of slimline style pens for Christmas presents. I've seen a lot of slimline kits made with curved segment sides that taper down to the furnishings on both ends of the two segments. Personally, I like the look better if the segments are straight sided. However, straight is hard. Possibly harder for me given how much lathe time I have. The first pen I made came out well but I had to resort to a hard sanding block to get the segments straight enough to look good; just couldn't get there with the skew or scraper. I thought that worked well enough, doesn't take too much time and certainly got a good result. But now, I wanna hear from the pros how they do it. Teach me, o' Jedi Master!

 

[Jolly Red]

Practice, practice, practice. Turn a piece of wood, any specie, between centers, and practice making the sides straight using the tools you normally use on pen turning. This is a turning skill, not just a pen turning skill. You will learn to do it, but it will take persistence.
If you want to use your mandrel to do this, just drill out the center of the blank with a 1/4" bit and put it on the mandrel, no tube required. You could even put 7mm bushings on to practice turning to fit them.
Tom

 

[jttheclockman]

Show us an example of what you are talking about if you can and then it will be easier to answer.

 

[its_virgil]

Sharp skew...just saying

 

[EricRN]

So, I'm getting ready to make a grip of slimline style pens for Christmas presents. I've seen a lot of slimline kits made with curved segment sides that taper down to the furnishings on both ends of the two segments. Personally, I like the look better if the segments are straight sided. However, straight is hard. Possibly harder for me given how much lathe time I have. The first pen I made came out well but I had to resort to a hard sanding block to get the segments straight enough to look good; just couldn't get there with the skew or scraper. I thought that worked well enough, doesn't take too much time and certainly got a good result. But now, I wanna hear from the pros how they do it. Teach me, o' Jedi Master!

Sorry. My method is same as yours--I hit'em with a sanding block to make sure they are straight. Best I can do. Maybe someday I'll get'em that way straight off the skew.

 

[wouldentu2?]

Sanding block works well, but even better is laying your skew on its side and using it as a scraper.

 

[EricRN]

Sanding block works well, but even better is laying your skew on its side and using it as a scraper.

How do you avoid catches? I've tried that a couple times and it never goes well ...

 

[walshjp17]

How do you avoid catches? I've tried that a couple times and it never goes well ...

As Tom said above, practice, practice, practice. The skew is a great tool but used in an incorrect manner (as most of us do at the beginning of our turning journeys) it can be a bear to control. Check out YT videos by Alan Batty and Alan Lacer - time well spent.

 

[wouldentu2?]

How do you avoid catches? I've tried that a couple times and it never goes well ...

Without moving the tool rest lay it horizontal and move it from side to side lightly touching it's sharp edge to the blank. You do this as the final step before sanding.I'm not an expert in the whole angle thing but it works like a negative angle scraper. I don't know how far above and below the center line of the blank you can do this but I am usually at the centerline.

 

[LK&T]

Thanks everyone for all the good advice. Looks like practice, practice, practice is gonna be the best answer for me. I can do planing, peeling and slicing cuts with the skew at will without any issues, but I realize I've never practiced trying to make absolutely straight lines. I like the idea of using the skew as a negative rake scraper to get close to the final shape, but I like to switch to planing cuts at the end for the superior surface finish. A combination of the two will probably be effective. What's also gonna help is ditching the mandrel- I already don't like that thing. Ordered a dead center today so I can TBC from now on. The further I got from the headstock, the more vibration became an issue.