What is needed for larger pen turning.

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donhart1966

Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2015
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5
Location
Southern Ohio
Hi all, I've been turning pens and pencils off and on for a few years now, and all I have ever done is slimline with 7mm bushings. My question is, other than bushings, what else is needed to do the larger styles of pens and pencils? Can I use the same mandrel or should I purchase a separate one? Thanks everyone.
 
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Same mandrel most of the time. There is one website that has kits that use a thicker B mandrel.

Oh and you will need more drill bits.
 
Bigger kits are more expensive, so it's a bigger problem when they "blow up". So, I recommend an adjustable length mandrel and turning one barrel (or cap) at a time. This is NOT a necessity, but it will save you money in the long run.
 
Hi Don

Welcome to IAP from Medina. Not sure where you are in S Ohio, but there are regular Ohio meetings towards the Akron/Cleveland are.

Usually at Hartville lumber.

You get the announcements here:

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f84/

And in a few weeks we are having a cookout in Elyria.

Anyone is welcome - and keep asking questions.
 
I guess mandrels is one way and most likely the most inexpensive way to start to make a bigger pen if you are using a wood lathe.


General question, does everyone assume that everyone in here is using a wood lathe ?

If you are using a engine lathe with a live cutter a one dead and one live center , nothing is needed except Maybe Some kind of sanding mandrels depending on the design of the pen.
 
donhart1966 said:
Hi all, I've been turning pens and pencils off and on for a few years now, and all I have ever done is slimline with 7mm bushings. My question is, other than bushings, what else is needed to do the larger styles of pens and pencils? Can I use the same mandrel or should I purchase a separate one? Thanks everyone.
Click to expand...

You will need:
- bushings to match the pen you are building. They should fit on the standard 0.25" mandrel shaft you already have
- a drill for the larger hole required by the different pen. Slims require a 7mm bit; the next standard larger size in 10mm, but then things get really squirrelly with a wild selection of bit and bushing sizes to choose from. You can easily spend a lot of money on specialized bits and bushings for which there are actually very few pen kits to choose from. So it would be prudent to be careful about moving past 10mm.
- end mill shaft for the larger hole. These are readily available in 10mm, and also a few other odd sizes. You only need to purchase the shaft - your existing end-mill will fit on a 10mm shaft. Note that you can't buy end mill shafts for every pen diameter made; an alternative is to turn a sleeve that fits on your existing 7mm mill shaft to 'pad out' the diameter to match larger pens.
 
Thanks Everyone.

Thanks everyone for your tips and info. Your comments cleared allot up for me. I have been wanting to get into turning more pens other than slimline. Don't get me wrong, slimlines do make nice pens. I'm starting up a business soon and was wanting a larger variety. Once again, thanks everyone for your comments.
 
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