What length blank do YOU prefer?

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What length of pen blank do you prefer?

  • 4.5 inch

    Votes: 3 2.7%

  • 5 inch

    Votes: 39 34.8%

  • 6 inch

    Votes: 46 41.1%

  • 10 inch

    Votes: 11 9.8%

  • 12 inch

    Votes: 7 6.3%

  • Other comment to elaborate please

    Votes: 6 5.4%
  • Total voters
    112
  • Poll closed .
ed4copies

ed4copies

Local Chapter Manager
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Messages
24,685
Location
Racine, WI, USA.
Two years ago I asked this question and only had 5" or 6" as the choices. Everyone was "fine" with that. NOW, however, I am getting requests for 12" and we are cutting some 10" that is being used. So, let's try the poll again.

I am trying to get an idea of how MANY people would want each size, so I am only allowing one choice per person. So, pick your overall preference!!
 
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The poll question is": What length of pen blank do you prefer?

But I will change the question in the text to match it, to eliminate any confusion.

Ed
 
I would like to haw a 10 inch option, but still would use 5 or 6 inch blanks. I would use more of the shorter, but could use the longer for free hand pens. Thanks for providing the option.
 
I voted other as I'd like to see 5.5 as an option, otherwise I would sat 5 is ok, 6 might be better for "custom" work.
 
I'm the first "Other". If I want blanks for kits, I would say 5 or 10 inch. But for customs, 6 or 12. But then 12 could be used for quite a few single tube kits too, yielding 3 blanks per. So I guess I see the most utility with 12 unless all I do is kits. So do you try to make evereybody happy, or just most everybody and leave the custom guys to do what they can. If you are of a mind to, you could do your cuts for a twin business model. For example, you could cut 5" blanks for the kit folks and 12' blanks for the custom folks and those who want three blanks for a single tube pen. Make sense?

I really was, it just takes me longer to type! LOL!
 
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ed4copies said:
The poll question is": What length of pen blank do you prefer?

But I will change the question in the text to match it, to eliminate any confusion.

Ed
Click to expand...

Sorry, I didn't read the poll question. My bad. I'm not usually that easily confused.

The deciding factor for me would end up being a combination of price and the length of tube I needed. If the longer blanks made it so that I got more pens for the money, I would opt for the 12 inch. But it the price per inch remained the same I would probably choose the blank closest to the size of the tube I was using.
 
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I put 5" BUT I can see how 10" & 12" would be useful too. I guess it comes down to what pen I want the blank for, & how many pens (barrels &/ or caps) I could get out of a blank.
I make mainly Sierra type pens, a barrel ends up around 2 1/4" finished so multiples of (say) 2 1/2" would work. Not sure what length the individual barrels/ caps are on other styles.
Hope that makes sense & helps.
David
 
I expected someone to ask about cost.

The real issue with cost is waste. Rods are different length, depending on the manufacturer and they are NOT dead on, consistent. So, the prices you pay for a 5" blank (current standard) are based on the conversion from whatever the original length is. USUALLY, for us, it is one meter--just over 39", or 1.5 meters---59".

In many patterns of rod, the first inch or two should be cut off anyhow, but as you can see, 5" yields nearly a full blank of waste. So, 6" or 12" are not likely to be more expensive on a "cost per inch" basis. But, obviously, a 6" piece WILL cost 20% more than the same material in 5".

All this means, cost per inch will be pretty close to the same, regardless of number of inches.
 
225 views, 47 votes--I think this is the first poll I have ever started that did not get 100 replies on the first day. But, it was posted in the early evening on Saturday, so I will wait until tonight to talk about "rankings".

Thanks to all who have voted and to those who have not----it doesn't cost anything to check one of the "boxes"!! No picture ID required!!!
 
I voted 6", and can't remember what I voted on the FB poll. Most of the time I'd probably settle for 5", but there are some sets that require more.

I'm with it's virgil. 1/4" longer than the tubes I'm using.
 
I have gone to a lot of closed ended pens, and I rarely buy anything shorter than 5.25. I like 5.5, but that wasn't one of the options, so I picked 6.

I can make a custom pen from a 6" blank if the section is made of something else, and I pay really close attention to the length. For a custom pen that uses the same material for the section, I'll use 2 5" blanks. But if all I had were 6" blanks, then that would work too.
 
:confused::confused: ED; I know this is not the question you asked but, what about an option for a 1" square blank? Sounds like a lot of waste, but if done correctly, you can get twice the number of pens out of the same length blank. You can also bookmach the top and buttom blanks on a two barrel pen, and you could make a pen and pencle set that would have the exact same color and grain pattern. Jim S
 
I voted for the 12" because normally I always buy 2 of any given blank anyway. There is more versatility with the 12" blank.

Quite often when I cut my own blanks, they are between 10-15 inches. Then I cut them down as I need them.
 
plantman said:
:confused::confused: ED; I know this is not the question you asked but, what about an option for a 1" square blank? Sounds like a lot of waste, but if done correctly, you can get twice the number of pens out of the same length blank. You can also bookmach the top and buttom blanks on a two barrel pen, and you could make a pen and pencle set that would have the exact same color and grain pattern. Jim S
Click to expand...


This is an interesting possibility. It would require purchasing in 25mm thick sheets. This automatically raises the cost of the material by 25% (was 20mm) for EVERY pen blank. So, it would require selling a couple hundred blanks of one inch square.

Maybe, some of the larger vendors could hope to sell that many of ONE pattern. That is probably all I can say without getting "ad flack"!!
 
Well, overall "bad" news---only 76 people voted. But, the breakdown is (currently)
424 views, which means 300+ "I could care less"!

5"---34%
6"---39%
10"- 10.5
12"- 9.5

The poll will remain open for a few days, but the overall consensus is "who cares"?

Thanks to the 78 who voted here.

Time for a "group yawn"!!???
 
I voted for 6 inch although 80% of the time 5 inch is probably enough. Maybe 10 % of the time the extra inch is useful for replacing finials or trim rings. That leaves another 10% when "maybe" the extra long lengths would be worth the extra shipping charges. Hth
 
Ed, I voted for a 10 inch, Most guys doing scratch built pens, are doing the grip and section out of the same material as the rest of the pen and 7 inches seems to be a good length (from what I've heard) and even if a 6 would work some times,, mistakes do happen, so a 10 inch blank would give recovery material.
 
I don't think peope "don't care" it's that they're not sure how to vote or it depends what they're working on.

I bought some 1m rods a while ago and really like how little waste there is but certainly wouldn't order a rod of a bright pink blank that's for a custom order.

The other consideration is shipping. 12" blanks would cost more to ship (I'm in Canada) whereas 5.25" (or 8.5") blanks fit in a small flat rate box.

AK
 
Andrew_K99 said:
I don't think peope "don't care" it's that they're not sure how to vote or it depends what they're working on.

I bought some 1m rods a while ago and really like how little waste there is but certainly wouldn't order a rod of a bright pink blank that's for a custom order.

The other consideration is shipping. 12" blanks would cost more to ship (I'm in Canada) whereas 5.25" (or 8.5") blanks fit in a small flat rate box.

AK
Click to expand...

You mention some very VALID concerns, Andrew!! But, if a majority of the turners ignore these questions, why would the vendors change anything. The way we do it now is easy for shipping (5" fits in a small flat box, standing up). So, unless you, the customers of the vendors express a desire for something different, the status quo will prevail.

Thanks for taking the time to comment---that's even BETTER than "just voting"!!!!
 
Ed although I voted I hesitated to. I am a very small purchaser of blanks. So the ratio of blanks I buy to my vote tends to skew the answers. Your views per vote is probably also skewed by returning voters as well as non voters to view the thread.
 
Hey Mike!!

My observation about the number of voters is made in light of previous experience on IAP. The number of PARTICIPATING members is dropping off---I have never started a poll on IAP and received fewer than 100 answers---I used to hope for 200 and made that goal several times.

There are very few people who buy a LOT of pen blanks. So, those who think, "I don't buy much" are the greatest portion of the "universe". Now, there are 87 voters. Nine of whom would like to see 10". (Although this may cause "ad flack", it is pertinent), we currently offer 10" and it sells. There is one fewer (8) votes for 12". So, do I conclude it would also sell? Don't know.

The whole idea of polls is to get statistically reliable information. With an assumed population of 2000 or so turners who view IAP----this poll represents LESS THAN FIVE percent of the population.

We can call this lack of participation anything we want. But I would NOT call it "healthy" for the IAP.
 
I voted 5" as I don't think I've ever needed more than that for any one pen (or 2 single barrel(like Sierra). Since I never throw anything away, a little extra is nice to have for "lifesaver" pens (a variety of 1/8" sections of acrylic in different colors) or a few coral snake pens (black wood,redheart,yellow heart in sections according to the ideal snake colors (other than antler the outdoors folks like them...haven't invested in the real snakeskin blanks yet). I've done a few duck calls that require 1.5" x4"" barrels; wood spindles are easy to find but acrylic is tougher (I don't want a 30" rod all the same color). Thanks for asking.
 
ed4copies said:
Hey Mike!!

My observation about the number of voters is made in light of previous experience on IAP. The number of PARTICIPATING members is dropping off---I have never started a poll on IAP and received fewer than 100 answers---I used to hope for 200 and made that goal several times.

There are very few people who buy a LOT of pen blanks. So, those who think, "I don't buy much" are the greatest portion of the "universe". Now, there are 87 voters. Nine of whom would like to see 10". (Although this may cause "ad flack", it is pertinent), we currently offer 10" and it sells. There is one fewer (8) votes for 12". So, do I conclude it would also sell? Don't know.

The whole idea of polls is to get statistically reliable information. With an assumed population of 2000 or so turners who view IAP----this poll represents LESS THAN FIVE percent of the population.

We can call this lack of participation anything we want. But I would NOT

call it "healthy" for the IAP.
Click to expand...

:eek::eek: Ed; I applaud your courage for speaking your mind and standing up for your ideas !!!! I found out the hard way what happens when you ask some members to give to help make this site and craft better. Jim S
 
Having 5% vote is actually a very good statistical number for showing trends.

Keep in mind that political polls are very small (5000 or less), which is a minute percentage of the population, but they still are a good reflection of what the nation thinks.
 
BigE said:
Having 5% vote is actually a very good statistical number for showing trends.

Keep in mind that political polls are very small (5000 or less), which is a minute percentage of the population, but they still are a good reflection of what the nation thinks.
Click to expand...

Political polsters CHOOSE the people they want to survey and try to keep their samples reflective of the important traits of the universe.

RANDOM samples that we have on IAP are far LESS reliable. Especially if part of the universe has views that are "publicly frowned on" by more "verbal" members.

This can create a "fear to voice one's opinion" because the "vocal gang" may choose to attack. I believe that condition has been inflicted on our community. I intend to do what I can to change that.
The blue section above is MY opinion and may not reflect the views of anyone else!!
 
Ed:
I can feel your frustration. My wife and I make the majority of our blanks. When we "need something out of the ordinary" , we pour in round, vertical 12 inch molds.
We do this, because to my knowledge, nobody makes 12 inch horizontal molds.

Additionally, with the 12 inch verticals, we know the volume needed to make blanks to any length. I USUALLY POUR TO 11 inches. I do this because it saves a tiny bit of money over pouring 12 inches. Additionally, if I choose NOT to make a custom pen, 11 inches (even with saw kerf) will make 2 of almost any component pen.

I don't KNOW HOW I should vote. As you suggested, I don't buy a lot of blanks. BUT, again as you stated, if 12 inch blanks of certain materials were available, I would buy some of those.
 
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I prefer as long as they will fit in a large flat rate box. The short ones always leave a small cut off to throw in a box. The longer ones can make several pens and only have one cut off left over. I get my mesquite blanks in about 30" lengths, I usually only have one short piece left over. If they came in 5" blanks, I would have enough cut offs to make another pen. Wasted wood!
 
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