Pen Press recomendations

[Jack.Tar]

Which pen press to you guys use? Where did you buy it from and if you had the choice would you buy it again?

I have pretty much had enough of dealing with my timberbits one, it was pretty ordinary to start with but now bits are bending and I am cracking pens left and right.

Anyone have one of the GPW ones? This is the one I am considering but I am weary because it looks a touch like the timberbits one.

Cheers.

[Pariss]

Hey Jack. This is the one I've been using for the past 2 years. Never had a problem. There might be better ones out there, but this is the only one I have ever used. I note the Timberbits have a new model on their site now. Looks good !.
Here is mine CWS Store - Pen Assembly Press | Carroll's Woodcraft Supplies (http://www.cws.au.com/shop/item/pen-assembly-press-4)

[Jack.Tar]

The only one I can see on the timberbits store is the same one I have been using for about 2 years and it is very ordinary.

[dabbler]

Let us know what you end up doing. As a beginner I haven't sprung for one yet - still using a smallish ratcheting bar clamp. Thought I'd wait and see a few varieties at the Bris wood show.

[HazzaB]

Hey Jack,

I have a Pen Press from GPW, have had it for about 3 years, haven't had one problem, and done over 3000 pens, hasn't missed a beat.

HazzaB

[gawdelpus]

I've never used a pen press as such , my old bench drill is pretty solid and I use that,mainly because its easy to line up the parts vertically and control the amount of pressure being applied ,also easy to see if things are not quite in line and make adjustments :) cheers~ John

[Grommett]

When I started I used the lathe, made up two wooden plugs for the head and tail stock. I found working in the horizontal plane a pain and dropped too many bits into the shavings on the floor. When I bought a decent drill press (pops shed) I started using that with a flat head bolt in the jaws. Works a treat and much easier to line things up in the vertical. You can make jigs to control how far you push in mechanisms etc but I don't bother.

[Jack.Tar]

Hey Jack,

I have a Pen Press from GPW, have had it for about 3 years, haven't had one problem, and done over 3000 pens, hasn't missed a beat.

HazzaB

That's good enough for me, just ordered it.

[bdar]

Which pen press to you guys use? Where did you buy it from and if you had the choice would you buy it again?

I have pretty much had enough of dealing with my timberbits one, it was pretty ordinary to start with but now bits are bending and I am cracking pens left and right.

Anyone have one of the GPW ones? This is the one I am considering but I am weary because it looks a touch like the timberbits one.

Cheers.

Jack Tar, if it is the one pictured with the red handle on David's site then I am surprised, I have had mine for quite a while now and have not had a problem. I am not saying though you can't have problems. you have said parts have bent, now I am not exactly a small fella and I know I can exert a fair force on things but man you must be strong :)

I know I did crack pens when i first started to use the press, operator error it was, not doing the small simple things right to start with for me. As I said I love mine, nothing bent and works great, you may have got one bad one out of a batch of good ones. are you able to post a photo of the problem press?

Have you contacted David about this issue as he may not see every post and having dealt with him for some time he does not like his customers to have a problem.

[Jack.Tar]

Hey don't get me wrong, I'm not having a go at timberbits as a matter of fact there are only two places I buy from and he is one of them. I have gotten a good 2 years out of a $40 machine which is pretty impressive by anyones standards, it has just finaly given up the ghost and the place I am getting the other one from is the other shop I use. Mainly because he is the only one out of the two that has bullet pens.

[gawdelpus]

Hey don't get me wrong, I'm not having a go at timberbits as a matter of fact there are only two places I buy from and he is one of them. I have gotten a good 2 years out of a $40 machine which is pretty impressive by anyones standards, it has just finaly given up the ghost and the place I am getting the other one from is the other shop I use. Mainly because he is the only one out of the two that has bullet pens.
Hehe ! check with David re bullet pens ,he may surprise you :) cheers ~ John

[Treecycle]

Is this the press (http://www.garypye.com/Pen-Accessories/Pen-Making-Tools/Pen-Press-p84.html) you ordered?
I have had one for a couple of years and wouldn't be without it. Spring loaded at one end to hold all your parts together so that you don't have to hold them in place as you advance the handle. Built strong, but you have plenty of feel when pressing together, especially that last bit before the parts come together.

[Jack.Tar]

That's the one.

[edblysard]

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k143/edblysard/bethpen2022.jpg
Arbor press, purchased for $24.99 at the "Made in China" tool store, originaly designed to press bearings and u-joints but works great as a pen press, perfect leverage, un-breakable and modifies easily.

[plantagenon]

I just use a multi-purpose vice I bought at one of the woodwork shows. Glued a couple of pieces of wood over metal retainers that fit on the jaws (Thompy's suggestion) and it works like a charm. The tension applied can be precise as it has a crank handle to wind the jaws together. Haven't lost a kit since.

[seriph1]

I'd love to know if there is a reliable tool available to take pens APART again!

[gawdelpus]

Because almost all pen parts are pressed into the tubes,they need to be hammered out, the best way is with a set of transfer punches so you can get the most accurate fit of punch to tube ,transfer punches go up to 1/2 " in 64ths " steps :) select the closest rod to tube you can get grip the pen body in your hand tightly, some use a rubber glove or such to help with the grip, a couple of sharp taps on the end of the rod will usually do the trick ,be aware that sometimes after disassembly the tube can be slightly stretched ,so may need a drop of CA on reassembly, just test the fit first , In the case of slimlines and the like you have to push the nib out first with a small rod through the transmission ,then a 15/64 ths " rod to drive out the transmission :) thats the rod that fits inside the 7 mm tube . Hope that helps , cheers ~ John

[Tiger]

I also use transfer punches to take pens apart, correct size punch and turned mallet but you have to be patient on some of them, they'll take a while to come apart.

[tdrumnut]

I have one of Timberbits pen press/drill jigs and have never lost a pen with it yet.
I am quite happy with the quality of this unit.
I have however been thinking of a way to mount it in a verticle position at eye level when pressing pens as I think it may some of the fiddlelyness (is that a word?) out of teh process.
Cheers
Rumnut

[Penpal]

Hi,

My Pen Press for many years now mounted on a pipe stand bolted to the floor and the pen at sitting eye height one pic shows the handy drawers open also the variable speed buffer a Lab Stirrer in a previous life.

Kind regards Peter.:B:2tsup:

[plantagenon]

Where do you get the transfer punches from John?

I have been using temper and a rubbish bin when it doesn't work out but transfer punches might be worth a try until I hit my hand for the first time.

[Perfect Pens]

Bunnies have them, thats where I got mine.
Cheers
Tony.

[gawdelpus]

If you are not sure what transfer punches are this is the best deal I could find on E-Bay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Silverline-250575-28-Piece-Transfer-Punch-Set-/221029624687?pt=AU_Building_Materials&hash=item3376646b6f).Most engineering supplies will have them ,but prices can be pretty mixed, Hopefully bunnings lot are a fare price :) cheers ~ John :D

[thompy]

i bought a horizontal hold down clamp, and bolted it onto a framing timber offcut and fashioned my own, turned up some cups from wood to interchange on the moving end, and made my base block 4 way changeable also with different shapes for different pens, and its quite versatile and changeable on a whim.. works for me untill i can rig my drill press the same way as others do.

I'll get to my "round-to-it" list right after i finish the "honey-do" list...

Neal.

[tdrumnut]

i bought a horizontal hold down clamp, and bolted it onto a framing timber offcut and fashioned my own, turned up some cups from wood to interchange on the moving end, and made my base block 4 way changeable also with different shapes for different pens, and its quite versatile and changeable on a whim.. works for me untill i can rig my drill press the same way as others do.

I'll get to my "round-to-it" list right after i finish the "honey-do" list...

Neal.

What about a pic Neal

Cheers
Rumnut

[thompy]

here ya go, its when i'd first gotten it so its quite rough but you get the idea.

it hasn't changed a whole lot, and you could use captive nuts on the underside with a handled bolt stepped out for different lengths or even a routed slide with the same arrangement to move the base block, also add sides to stabilise the base block from turning on the central bolt. and of course the turned cups that fit over the bolt head on the press itself.

Neal.

[tdrumnut]

here ya go, its when i'd first gotten it so its quite rough but you get the idea.

it hasn't changed a whole lot, and you could use captive nuts on the underside with a handled bolt stepped out for different lengths or even a routed slide with the same arrangement to move the base block, also add sides to stabilise the base block from turning on the central bolt. and of course the turned cups that fit over the bolt head on the press itself.

Neal.

Thanks for the pic Neal

Cheers
Rumnut

[daf]

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k143/edblysard/bethpen2022.jpg
Arbor press, purchased for $24.99 at the "Made in China" tool store, originaly designed to press bearings and u-joints but works great as a pen press, perfect leverage, un-breakable and modifies easily.

Hi Ed

Not a bad device for $24.99 are you able to give me the name so I can see if possible to pick up on ebay.

Speaking of pen - presses though, my mate in the riverland south australia has made up a press which consists of two nylon parts with concave ends which fit into the lathe. Very easy to use as you can balance item with one hand and wind in the tail stock with the other.

I will have to get him to post some pics on the forum.

regards

Dave :U

[KBs PensNmore]

I'd love to know if there is a reliable tool available to take pens APART again!
I made up some holders out of Corian to press my pens apart, works really well with a normal slimline disassembly kit.
Will take some pics of it when I can work out the camera!!!!!!!
Kryn

[edblysard]

Dave,
#3 or #4 Arbor press, its sold here by Empire Tools...they have this one and a larger one for $10.00 more. but you may ask Peter, (Penpal) where he got his, it looks to be the same one.
Link to Harbor Freight tools, they have 2 listed...
http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=arbor+press
.
Hi Ed

Not a bad device for $24.99 are you able to give me the name so I can see if possible to pick up on ebay.

Speaking of pen - presses though, my mate in the riverland south australia has made up a press which consists of two nylon parts with concave ends which fit into the lathe. Very easy to use as you can balance item with one hand and wind in the tail stock with the other.

I will have to get him to post some pics on the forum.

regards

Dave :U

[Big Shed]

Hare & Forbes sell one, at a "slightly" higher cost

P118 | AP-1 Arbor Press | machineryhouse.com.au (http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/P118)

There is also an Ebay source

Arbour Press 1 Tonne | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Arbour-Press-1-Tonne-/221039184161?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item3376f64921)

Personally I use the lathe as my press, very good control of pressure via the tailstock.

Turn up a few bushes from acetal and get perfect alignment.

[Simomatra]

I use the Jet wood working parallel clamps and the Bessey ones would do the same job lots of control with these.

[CWCD]

Hi All,
THis is my first post so I hope it works.
Dave asked me to post my pen press I have been making.
Simple to use. You just use it in the chucks in your Lathe.
I found that I can control the pressing pressure better.
Cheers
Chris:)

[daf]

Thanks for the feedback Ed - I will have a look at the link. Still pretty affordable at $10.00 more too. :U

Dave

[daf]

Hi All,
THis is my first post so I hope it works.
Dave asked me to post my pen press I have been making.
Simple to use. You just use it in the chucks in your Lathe.
I found that I can control the pressing pressure better.
Cheers
Chris:)

Good pics Chris.

Dave

[plantagenon]

Great idea. The delrin with a 60 degree cut into it would hold the pens nicely for the pressure that has to be applied. :2tsup:

[Les in Red Deer]

Works great for me and only cost $1.50!

Les

http://i56.tinypic.com/34s2lbb.jpg
http://i53.tinypic.com/ve2low.jpg