Yet another pen making jig.

[KenB259]

Spent yesterday making a new jig. I wanted an accurate way to make striped designs. I made my first pen from it this morning and was a little disappointed. The blank looked great, but when I finished the pen, my stripes were not straight. I scratched my head, because I took great pains to make sure my jig was square and very precise. Got a cup of coffee and trued to figure out what could have went wrong. Then it hit me, the stripes were not straight, maybe because the hole was slightly askew. I had stock left from the first try so I drilled it first with a smaller bit and then again with the correct bit. This time it worked like I intended. After I got the glue up done, there's only a small core, I think drilling it with the bigger bit first, wax bigger than that cord and I think the segments left the bit wander. Also , and this never happens, the whole jig cost me 88 cents, the cost of two bolts, because I had everything I needed , left over from other projects. Here are a few pictures of pen I made from it. Attaching a picture of the jig as well.

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[mark james]

The tapers are actually pretty darn good! And your jig will do just fine. Some bedtime reading: Design considerations.

 

[KenB259]

The tapers are actually pretty darn good! And your jig will do just fine. Some bedtime reading: Design considerations.

Thanks Mark, this is actually the 2nd pen, this one the stripes are straight. The link doesn't work on my iPhone. Is it a link to an article in the library? LOL are you trying to tell me In a nice way my design is horrible? [emoji23]


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[mark james]

Is it a link to an article in the library? LOL are you trying to tell me In a nice way my design is horrible? [emoji23]


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Yes, it is a library link, and NO! your design is awesome. Your taper issues as detailed in the article are common, and we all need to tweak our jigs/techniques to compensate. I love what you are doing and this pen as is, is great!

 

[KenB259]

Yes, it is a library link, and NO! your design is awesome. Your taper issues as detailed in the article are common, and we all need to tweak our jigs/techniques to compensate. I love what you are doing and this pen as is, is great!

Whew!! I was about to go have a good cry!!


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[SteveJ]

Well done with the stripes! It is very easy to get them a bit off, and doing two sizes of strippers is awesome. I also like your pen stand.

 

[KenB259]

Well done with the stripes! It is very easy to get them a bit off, and doing two sizes of strippers is awesome. I also like your pen stand.

Thanks, that's actually a little cell phone stand that I make, sold quite a few of them.


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[magpens]

Very nice work on that pen, Ken !!!!

Thanks for posting the details of your jig !!

 

[jttheclockman]

The pen looks great. For a slow learner could you explain how you are indexing your cuts?? Are you using a round blank to start with?? I am assuming you are cutting on a tablesaw. Not able to wrap my head around this process. Unless this is a jig to cut staves and you are buiding the blank that way, then this makes sense.

 

[KenB259]

The pen looks great. For a slow learner could you explain how you are indexing your cuts?? Are you using a round blank to start with?? I am assuming you are cutting on a tablesaw. Not able to wrap my head around this process. Unless this is a jig to cut staves and you are buiding the blank that way, then this makes sense.

Starting with a square blank, as close to square as I can get it. In fact that is how I pretty much start all pens. Seems everything goes better when it's square from the start. I make four cuts from the front V section, glue in infill, probably what you call staves. Then after that dries, I make 4 more cuts with the blank laying flat in the back of the sled, behind the V section. Most sleds the back end don't need to be square, on this one that's not true. The sled needs to be very square front and back. Most critical part is have the last four cuts in the exact center of the blank. If it's off some, it's not a deal breaker, I can rotate the blank and make four more cuts, if will then be perfectly centered , but the infill will be a little wider on those cuts. Square blocks in the back, that can slide left or right, to position the blank also need to be precisely square.


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[KenB259]

The pen looks great. For a slow learner could you explain how you are indexing your cuts?? Are you using a round blank to start with?? I am assuming you are cutting on a tablesaw. Not able to wrap my head around this process. Unless this is a jig to cut staves and you are buiding the blank that way, then this makes sense.

Yes, table saw.


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[KenB259]

The tapers are actually pretty darn good! And your jig will do just fine. Some bedtime reading: Design considerations.

Got on an actual computer and looked at the link you provided. Awesome info in there, thanks again.

 

[howsitwork]

love that look, nice work.

I follow the stripes or inlayed bits as you call them but the fine black division lines ? veneer perhaps ? How ???

 

[KenB259]

love that look, nice work.

I follow the stripes or inlayed bits as you call them but the fine black division lines ? veneer perhaps ? How ???

Those are actually a forest green veneer simply glued onto each side of 4 of the infill pieces and the glued into the blank.


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[howsitwork]

Ah many thanks for that. I assume the hrizontal bands are likewise glued between top and base layers?

 

[KenB259]

Ah many thanks for that. I assume the hrizontal bands are likewise glued between top and base layers?

Exactly.


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[Woodchipper]

Nice pen and glad you solved the problem. It was the coffee that helped.

 

[Woodchipper]

The tapers are actually pretty darn good! And your jig will do just fine. Some bedtime reading: Design considerations.

I click on the link and get a thumbnail photo, nothing else. Am I parting my hair on the wrong side?

 

[mark james]

I click on the link and get a thumbnail photo, nothing else. Am I parting my hair on the wrong side?

Yup, both of them!

Click on the "download" box at the upper right side. Then the document is on your computer's downloads to be saved, read, deleted, etc. Beware, It'll put you to sleep.

 

[KenB259]

FYI, you have to be on a computer, won't work on my phone. The article is not boring at all, it has a lot of very useful stuff in there.


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