Thread: Barrel trimmer

Welcome Mr Potter

Might need just a touch more info, mate, we're flying blind

Not positive, but if a barrel trimmer is a 1/4" router held in one hand for trimming formica, etc they are also known as laminate trimmers.


Cheers................Sean

Sean, I guess he is talking about a 'pen mill', or what I would call a 'piloted counterbore'.
Mr. Potter, the pilot cleans any glue out of the brass tube, and aligns the trimmer (counterbore) to cut the tube at 90°, spend the money, it is worth it.

a barrel trimmer is used to trim up the end of a pen blank, once the tube has been inserted

Originally Posted by Gil Jones

Sean, I guess he is talking about a 'pen mill', that I would call a 'piloted counterbore'.

yeah thats what i mean
sorry, im from the US

Sean, barrel trimmer also called pen mill.
mrpotter, welcome to the Forum.
To my mind, there's no real substitute for a barrel trimmer. I can't get my mind around using a forstner bit for this.
You can square the ends other ways (but probably not as well, as you must square to the tube, not to the outside of the blank) but you also have to remove glue from the inside of the tube.
If you're turning pens then you must have a lathe and turning tools and you have to buy pen kits. So $20 is not significant in the overall expense.

ok thats what i though, thanks for all the answers!

Didn't think they were that much. Mine cost about $A12.50 (although I had to make my own handle)

i think that is a barrel inserter

Mr Potter, (we are both from the USA) the 7mm piloted barrel trimmer is $16.50 USD at PSI [ http://www.pennstateind.com/store/pktrim7.html ].
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At the bottom of the above web page, is a trimmer with several different sized pilots, and is a fair deal if you wish to make different size pens.

I would HIGHLY recommend the expense as it is a tool that will last for a very long time and it is used in EVER pen - I personally think its an essential part of pen turners kit.

Originally Posted by Stuart.

(although I had to make my own handle)

If you only have one pen mill I suggest you don't put a handle on it, but use it in a drill press or at least a power drill.

Aha, thanks for the correction

Anyone heard of a branch stabiliser? What about a shaft neutraliser?

Nah, me either, want me to take a stab at a definition anyway?


Cheers..................Sean

Originally Posted by scooter

Anyone heard of a branch stabiliser? What about a shaft neutraliser?

My shed is a branch stabiliser. Or to look at it another way, a certain damned tree is a shed destabiliser! :mad:

Ahead of my time, skew