Todays quick tip

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Firefyter-emt

Firefyter-emt

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For larger "capped" pens that can easily have the blanks mixed up leading you to stare at grain patterns trying to remember which way was which, make a dot with a sharpie on the end where the cap and body line up. This will survive bushing's very nice and it will end that "which end is up" ;)
 
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Lee, if you don't mind, let me add a little to this method with how I do it (similar, but different).

Before cutting and drilling, I draw a cabinet makers triagle across the seam to be cut. This does a few things. 1) It let's me know which end to drill first so that the grain will line up at the CB, and 2) It allows me to tell similar blanks apart since I often use more than one of the same (I reverse the direction of the triangle on these). Once I have them drilled and tubed (and before turning) I will mark the inside of the tube (on the triangle end) with a line using a sharpie like you. I use the inside of the tube to keep the mark invisible on pens where there is no hardware to cover the milled end. NOTE: When using similar blanks (like bookmatched pairs) I will use two lines in each half of one of the prepared blanks and one in each of the other so I can further differentiate them once turned and finished. This assures that I get everything together as originally cut.
 
Both great tips. Does anyone else have more tips to add this could be the start of something good.

One thing I have not seen mentioned here is using an air nozzle to clean the MM between uses. A quick snort unloads the dust and keeps the MM clean for weeks.
 
I stole one of my daughters gazillion bottles of nail polish.
I use a q-tip to mark the inside of the blanks
and sometimes the inside of the tube to know which end is up.
 
When cutting multiple blanks, simular wood, I use a series of matching marsks, i.e. Triangle, Single line, doulbe line, "X", etc.. Helps me sort things out. can also revert to using different colors...
 
Just to recap, great ideas to mark the outside of the blank, I have done pens of the same wood before and I have always numbered the blanks so they match. Myself, I draw a heavy line with arrows on one side (many arrows so they can't be cut away) I then write the word cap and body on one side, and a dot one another (I use to dot to place the blank int he drilling jig so they always are drilled in alingment.) On the last side I will write the pen kit. (cigar, churchill ect..)

My problem was after I turned the pen and found myself looking a a blank to line up the grain. The sharpie trick works great, but I like the nail polish idea too because the sharpei can be hard on some kits.
 
I like to make about 10 pens at a time. I got a bunch of drawer organizers at Wal Mart. They are made by rubbermaid and are 9X6X2 inchs. I put one pen kit in the tray with the blank I am going to use. I will then get the bushing for the different kits and put the bushings in the tray. I also use index cards and write down the customers name, pen kit info, blank and finish used. At this point I do what Billy does. After I glue in the tube I use a sharppie and mark the inside of the tube where the center band will go. I then turn the pens. If I take any parts out of the bags they all go back into the tray. This way I don't loose any parts. When I finish turning the blanks they also go back into the tray to await assembly.
The trays nest together so they can be stacked on top of each other.
After I am done I have a record of each pen that I can go back to. Kind of an old fashion data base, but it works for me. I will file each index card.
 
That is very similar to what I do, I actually draw a line with a permanent marker on both pen pieces, before turning. This line goes down the side of the blank, and inside the tube, so I can line up the grain perfectly on any type pen kit, and multiple kits at the same time.

Sheldon
 
It's probably dumb, but I use bamboo bbq skewers to keep my 'sets' together, with a mark in the tube for center joint.
 
After cutting the blank, I draw an X on the blank so half the X is on one half and half is on the other. If the blanks get mixed up before turning, they are easily matched using this X.

The X also allows the blanks to be placed on the mandrel in the correct orientation. The X goes away during turning, but once it is turned and finshed it is assembled individually, so there is little chance of confusion.

I guess it would help to mark the ends (or middle or tops or bottoms, whetever) of the blankis prior to turning just in case they get turned around immediately after finishing and before assembly.
 
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