Thread: Modifications to a TIMBERBITS pen press

Hey mate nicely done on your mods with that pen press I like Ian

Nice job. I've often wondered if one of those would be better than my old mini drill press which I use as a pen press. With your mods, looks like it Might just be.

Russell.

Well done

I don't use a pen press as such these days, but use my wood lathe with similar adapters made from Delrin. Gives very fine control over the pressing action with the tailstock and making adapters to size from Delrin the pen parts are always lined up perfectly.

Excellent modifications!

I have mostly used a Zyliss vise but have turned to using the drill press.

I think Fred's idea is a reall goer. Must look at what I can cook up.

Harry, that is excellent, do your adaptors work with all or most pen types or only slimlines? If all or most are you up for selling a set as I have that same press and yes it is quite painful and I have cracked more than a few pens by putting a component in crooked.

Well done. I have the same press sitting on a shelf collecting dust because it is useless. Do you have any intention of making some of your adaptors for sale? If so give me a call as I will be a customer for sure.

Thank you guys for your nice comments.Pens, like most of my other projects are made to give as presents and with pens I hand a box full and ask the recipient to choose and found that most people chose a slimline so I stopped making all the others. If I ever make a Euro or cigar pen and the press isn't suitable, I'll make some new adaptors.
I don't normally make two of anything so unfortunately I can't help with adaptors, however, why don't you contact David at Timberbits and suggest that he gets the factory to make sets of adaptors, I have no objection to this, in fact when I made them I emailed the photos to David but didn't hear back so assumed that emails with attachments get deleted without being opened. Prior to this modification I used the bench vice or drill press but this modified press is the bees knees!

harrysin.
Would you mind if I had a crakc at making a set like yours. I have a metal lathe but not really that good with it. But might be worth a try.
Cookie

Originally Posted by cookie48

harrysin.
Would you mind if I had a crakc at making a set like yours. I have a metal lathe but not really that good with it. But might be worth a try.
Cookie

I have no objection what-so-ever, in fact here are the details. I broke my usual rule of not making the same thing twice because I just found out that a very good friend who is an expert wood turner, he demonstrates at wood shows, has an identical pen press still in the box that it arrived in so today I made this second set for him and assured him that I'll make further adaptors to suit whatever pens he makes. By the way, he's teaching me tool sharpening and turning.

Harry.
Thanks for that. Will give it a try.

You're welcome. So far as the metal lathe is concerned I'm self taught over the last 30 years since I bought it from a very skilled elderly engineer. The machine according to it's serial number was manufactured in 1947, so there is quite some wear and tear, but compensating for it is half the fun!
Why not take a few photographs during the making of your adaptors and post them, if you encounter problems I'm sure that there are skilled members ready and willing to help you.

Nice work, thanks for sharing.

Part of the fun in doing these things is looking to find better ways to achieve our ends What you have shown overcomes to a large extent the alignment of the pen parts for a more secure fitting of the parts . For those without machining facilities you can simply mount the press vertically on a piece of board and use it like a drill press (which is what I have used for the last 5 years hehe) this does away with the need for a range of different sized spigots to align the parts as gravity is working for you to keep the parts in alignment. Cheers ~ John

Originally Posted by gawdelpus

Part of the fun in doing these things is looking to find better ways to achieve our ends What you have shown overcomes to a large extent the alignment of the pen parts for a more secure fitting of the parts . For those without machining facilities you can simply mount the press vertically on a piece of board and use it like a drill press (which is what I have used for the last 5 years hehe) this does away with the need for a range of different sized spigots to align the parts as gravity is working for you to keep the parts in alignment. Cheers ~ John

This shot shows how I used to assemble pens.