Pen Mills

[clubbyr8]

How do you go about sharpening your pen mill (barrel trimmer)? Do you use a file, a diamond file, a grinder or something else? Do you hone across the face or on the verticle/angled sides? Or do you something else to square your blanks?

There are several threads about this on the IAP forum, but would like to here what people do here.


Bob

[Froggie40]

G'day Bob
I just ran a file very carefully across the face and it worked just fine it didnt take much at all to put an edge back on the mill.

Brett

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

How do you go about sharpening your pen mill (barrel trimmer)? Do you use a file, a diamond file, a grinder or something else? Do you hone across the face or on the verticle/angled sides? Or do you something else to square your blanks?

Diamond lap, just a stroke or two on the face of the flute.

In the early days (before I honed my sharpening skills ) I found that lapping the bevelled edge can either round it over slightly or sometimes change one bevel angle more than t'other. This results in the cutting edges being slightly different heights, so one side cuts more aggressively than t'other. This can cause an obvious "step" in the milled face of the pen... not exactly a desirable thing.

Lapping the face of the flute can cause the same problems, but the change in height is much less pronounced.

Now that I've learnt the skills to sharpen reliably at a constant angle, I guess I should switch to sharpening the bevel... it'd lengthen the overall service life of the mill. But old habits are hard to change.

[Terry B]

Skew
I haven't needed to sharpen mine. Have you been running that drill in reverse again?

[chrisb691]

Skew
I haven't needed to sharpen mine. Have you been running that drill in reverse again?

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Make 5 pens out of Jarrah, Boree, Bohemia or similar timbers.

Then come back and tell me your mill (or drill bit, or tools) doesn't need sharpening.

[clubbyr8]

Totally agree Skew, these bloody hardwoods are murder

[lubbing5cherubs]

hardwoods may be murder but they do make nice pens, but to save the cutting edge you could put it in the drill in reverse. that saves the cutting blade..lol
Toni

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

hardwoods may be murder but they do make nice pens, but to save the cutting edge you could put it in the drill in reverse. that saves the cutting blade..lol

Yup. At least you know it'd still be sharp when you've finished.

[Skewpid]

ROFL

Skew, this reverse drill thing is gonna haunt you to the end mate, ya know that dont ya!

[lubbing5cherubs]

sorry skew no I was not having a go at you I was actually having a go at myself.. Except I meant putting the mill in back to front in the drill that helps it to stay sharp too...but if the cap fits I suppose you will have to wear it

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

sorry skew no I was not having a go at you I was actually having a go at myself.. Except I meant putting the mill in back to front in the drill that helps it to stay sharp too...but if the cap fits I suppose you will have to wear it

I know, Toni, I remembered how that thread started.

One thing about these forums... there's no chance of getting a big head, there's always someone around to make sure the cap fits.

[soundman]

I sharpen mine on the grinder:eek:

seriously
I take the "mill bit" off the shank and put it on the end of s screw driver or back on the very end of the shank & touch it up on the grinder.

It's no more dificult than sharpening a drill.
You just have to make sure you consistenly sharpening each flute the same angle and the same ammount.
Check the cutting edges aganst the back of a steel rule or similar "flat thing".

needless to say you will need to use a freshly dressed flat wheel.

I agree if you are working the harder timbers or some of the synthetics you will be sharpening regularly.

cheers

[Fireman sam]

My pen mill was taken to my saw doctor it cut better than when it was new
Andrew