Square Dinkum

[PenPal]

My method of squaring pen blanks after glueing and cutting.

Construction method.
A small block of Aussie Ironwood horizontally bored to fit mandrel.
Using a Dremel with black cutting disk cut small grooves in the recessed part of the mandrel to allow glue movement all round the mandrel with random cuts around as well.
Used top class Epoxy Glued in place.
Cut the mandrel protuding to less than the blank length.
Place the block with mandrel against the rest on my Sander slide by hand gently to the disk.
Clean up the ends using my 15 yr old Step Drill the only reamer available to pen turners then (made in the USA).

Easy breezy and smooth as, accurate.

Regards Peter.

 

[bradh]

I like the idea, nice and simple way to use the mitre on the sander to square the blanks.
The reamer caught my attention. It appears to be a good, quick way to clear the glue out of the tube. What size drill bit are you using, 1/4"?
Thanks for sharing.

 

[PenPal]

Brad

This unit is a snug fit in the brass and yes it really does a great job of clearing and cleaning. The most clearing is needed when I use Polyurethane glue that foams during cure. I use a potato slice so normal glues there is not much to clean. It was sold in the same way as the various clearing reaming methods used today but unlike them has lasted for all these years and literally thousands of uses. There is a firm called wlfuller.com in the US that custom makes these same step drills I may order a replacement for mine in case I misplace the one I have. They classify them as stepdrills giving a formula to send your measurements to them, they say they specialize in small numbers and one offs.Dead accurate measurements are needed for the small sizes bearing in mind the brass sizes vary a little as well. I only make slimline,streamline but mandrels in the other sizes are cheap and easy to make and reamers can be custom made by firms such as Fuller.

Peter.