First Close Ended Pen

[CameronPotter]

Hi all,

Warning - this post was written by a very happy chappy, if you are feeling surly this might rub you the wrong way. ;)

I LOVE the learning curve! Why? 'cause it means that your last piece is always the best. Well, anyway, after not having turned a pen for ages I finally got myself organised again and got this done from go to woe. I used a Pen 2 kit for it and did the closed end from a combination of methods (mainly based on Skew's advice).

Firstly (before cutting the blank in half) I drilled a 10mm hole from one end. It went about 8cm deep. Then I cut off about 6cm for the lid, the body part was then drilled about 4cm deep (an extra 2cm). Then, I drilled a 6mm hole in the base (but not all the way through).

This meant that the blank could actually be screwed onto the end of the mandrel (and supported by the tailstock). This worked much better than expected.

I turned the base of the pen, and sanded it leaving a small nub for the tailstock that needed to be removed later.

I cut this last little knob off using a jeweller's saw and simply sanded the mandrel spinning free hand. I also applied the obligatory EEE and Trad. Wax as a finish buff.

I did the lid as you would for any other pen.

Then when assembling, the 6mm hole is too narrow for the pen refill to fit in comfortably (as the refill is about 6mm wide itself). So I redrilled it with a 6.5 mm bit and the fit was very nice. This could be carefully and slowly drill deeper to give a perfect fit for the pen refill.

This technique worked perfectly - even if I do say so myself. The one thing I might do is cut down my second (broken, but that is a different story) mandrel and tap another thread onto it to make it just a little bit stiffer.

I am thrilled with the result!

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Cam

Nice post for my 800th... :cool:

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Very nice, Cameron. The best part is when fellow pen-turners ask how you did it and watching the baffled look come over their faces when you reply "on an ordinary mandrel." :D

Looks like dymond wood... or is it one of your creations? I'm slowly amassing all the kit to start my own experimenting, just a few $ per week but I'm nearly ready to start brewing... :) I really should DL your PDF to put aside as a handy reference.

[Wild Dingo]

Listen you pair of flamin smartassed galahs knock that off!!! :mad: Your too bloody smart for your own good you do know that dont you? :rolleyes:

So bein the proverbial dumass as usuall... I will ask the question and be totally baffled again... so how did you do it Cam? Cause mate that looks sweet as! :cool:

Now Skew you bloody reprobate you said the other day I could now get into doing all sorts of things on the pen madrel... so Ive done me shoppin and Ive got the bits for the salt and pepper shakers the knives forks spoons and lampshade thingys.. so come on!! let a bloke in on your secrets man... I stood out there in the shed glaring from the lathe to the mandrel to the parts to the lathe to the mandrel to the parts for nigh on a bloody hour today and do you think I cauld work out how Id do those on that thing? Not a bloody chance! So mate over to you how do you do it?... look Im at that stage that I really dont care if you post the reply here or make a whole new thread just to explain the process (with pics if you please remember dumbass needs pics for association old minds not what it once was doncha know :) ) to your old mate... eeer please? :cool:

But Cam? Beautiful work mate truely stunning material youve used and the finished effect is... well... stunning :cool:

[CameronPotter]

Cheers guys.

It is more of my stuff (actually I put a busted dymondwood blank on as a spacer on the mandrel and I thought that my stuff looked pretty good in comparison - even if I do say so myself).

Dingo, there is a book by Kip Christensen and Rex Burningham called "Turning Pens and Pencils". It is a very good book.

I am also more than happy to answer specific questions so fire away.

My guess about the mandrel though (if you can't figure out how to work it) is that you haven't realised what the brass tubes are for...

This is a quick and dirty explanation on how to do a normal pen:

Step 1. Drill hole down the centre of a wooden blank. This will usually be 7mm or 10mm for a pen. You probably won't be able to drill all the way through.

Step 2. Mark one of the sides so that you can line it up later on.

Step 3. Cut off a section of the blank long enough for one of the tubes.

Step 4. Finish drilling the hole through the end of the left over bit of wood.

Step 5. Scuff up the outside of the brass tubes and glue into the bits of wood.

Step 6. Use a pen mill to trim the ends of the wood down flush with the brass tube.

Step 7. Put on the little metal tubes (bushings) with the pen blanks in between them.

Step 8. Tighten up the knurled brass nut at the end (but not too tight).

Step 9. Pop the tapered bit into your lathe headstock and support the other end with your tailstock. Gauge the tightness of your tailstock by sliding it up (not locking it off) then winding the tailstock until the base moves back along the bed (then lock everything off).

Step 10. Turn the pen.

Step 11. Ask more questions later. :D ;)

Cam

[jmk89]

Cam

That is a wonderful looking pen and being close-ended makes it better.

I went down to the shed (aka last 1800mm of the garage) last night - there is no way to fit a lathe in there.

Thinks - FIL has a lathe. Time to convince SWMBO that she needs to make sure that the kids see more of their grandmother. Then Grandfather and I can go down into his shed and turn pens.....

Cheers

Jeremy

Greenie will be on the way if I have seen 20 good threads since your last one

[CameronPotter]

Thanks Jeremy,

Turning pens (and other stuff) is really rewarding as it can be done reasonably quickly and you get useful things out of it that everyone can appreciate (who doesn't use a pen).

When you "convince" your wife that the kids need to see more of their grandparents (as if that will be hard) post some pics of the outcomes. :D

Cam

[ss_11000]

Listen you pair of flamin smartassed galahs knock that off!!! :mad: Your too bloody smart for your own good you do know that dont you? :rolleyes:


:D :D :D thats what i was thinking

well done cam, it truly does look spectacular

[CameronPotter]

Thanks mate,

The only problem is that it has re-hooked me on the whole pen turning thing! ;)

I was so happy doing bowls and boxes for a while there. :cool:

Also, I should note that the body blank only has a short bit of tube in it (basically, enough for a press fit and safe gluing, but not much more than that).

I hope that people understood my technique if they want to give it a go. I reckon that it is your turn to do a closed ended pen Stirlo. :D

Cam

[ss_11000]

I hope that people understood my technique if they want to give it a go. I reckon that it is your turn to do a closed ended pen Stirlo. :D

Cam

i will when i get round to buying that particular type of kit......slimlines all i got, but next time round to ct i will get some dif kits.....

[CameronPotter]

It would be pretty easy to do with a slimline (wouldn't need to worry about all of the funny drilling), but I think that slimlines without the clip look funny, so probably best to wait. :)

[ss_11000]

It would be pretty easy to do with a slimline (wouldn't need to worry about all of the funny drilling), but I think that slimlines without the clip look funny, so probably best to wait. :)

have you got a pic of one without the clip? i want to see what it looks like but dont want to waste a pen if it looks crap.

[CameronPotter]

Nope, sorry. I think I saw it in a book.

Just hold a pen you made so that you can't see the clip - and there you have it - but you have to imagine the the metal end is not there as well.

Play with a pen before putting the cap and clip on (you will be able to see what it looks like).

Cam

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

It would be pretty easy to do with a slimline (wouldn't need to worry about all of the funny drilling), but I think that slimlines without the clip look funny, so probably best to wait. :)

Actually, I've made a couple of closed end slimlines for desk sets, along the lines of the nib & well jobs from my old school days.

Looked pretty damned good, if I do say so myself! :D

[CameronPotter]

Ahhh, but it is different if you have the trumpet there...

ie http://www.cws.au.com/cgi/index.cgi/shopfront/view_product_details?category_id=1107144820&product_id=1107369686

Did you use this kind of trumpet and if so, did it fit well?

[Wild Dingo]

I think Ive got the normal pen turning sussed Cam :cool: And lovin it!! ;) Getting daring as all heck too by gar makin fancy nobs and shapes along the small length... great fun until the old tired short and long sighted eyes mix themselves up and end up taking me chisel too low and suddenly mmmm that looks like metal there... and so turn it off and there you go nice hole in the beautiful plum pen blank!! :eek:

Was wondering how you do that closed end stuff... curiosity you know? ;) As for my comments to that reprobate and man of few words Skew... weelll mate he let the cat outta the bag the other day regarding doing all manner of things on the pen mandrel so I got all manner of things all I need is for him to open up and tell me his secrets!! but it seems to be like gettin blood from the proverbial stone! :rolleyes:

[bdar]

Cameron, it looks great. Thanks for te pm and letting me know. As Skew and I have said in a previous post the end results is what counts. We both have our own prefered method in the process of doing closed end pens but the end results are the same. A closed end pen that we are proud of and knowing that we are doing something a little bit different. Cam have you seen that Carb-a-Tec are carrying the Statesman, JR Gentleman and Emperor pen kits from the States. The JR Gentleman and Statesman pen look good as a closed end pen as well. Picking up some Polaris pens at the Brissie show and have a customised job figured out for them already will post something when I get them done. Got the theory worked out, just have to see if it works in practice. The beauty with closed end pens is the shapes you can create, some are classics and some are well, unique. You got one out, I want to see more mate. Pm me about them blanks would mind buying a few if you are selling mate.
Cheers
Darren

[CameronPotter]

Dingo,

Can you tell me what part of my explanation needed extra work?

Basically, I screwed the blank (that was drilled narrowly) onto the mandrel and supported the end with the tailstock. The only "trick" is that the barrel in the body of the pen doesn't go the whole way.

Cam

[CameronPotter]

bdar,

I will send you a PM, I am certainly willing to sell a few! :D

I will look into getting some of the nicer pen kits. I am getting to the stage of thinking that the extra kits might be justified.

I recently got a few polaris (stainless brushed finish) pencils and a pen and I would be interested in seeing what you do!

Cheers

Cam