Thread: Pen blank drilling choices

Originally Posted by Treecycle

When it comes down to it, unless you are doing pens where accuracy is critical such as celtic knots, laminating, etc, the accuracy of the hole position is relatively unimportant. Normally most people start off with a blank that is far larger than the finished blank, so a high percentage of the wood is turned away to leave a thin walled blank anyway. Therefore the position of the hole is not critical. I used to try to get them as central as possible, but after a while realised that it didn't really matter, unless you are starting with a special blank that you only had enough of to cut slightly bigger than the finished pen.

Mostly I agree but hole size & shape is important, otherwise the timber left is thinner that it needs to be. As pointed out earlier if the alignment of head & tail stocks is off a bit the resulting hole is oversize. If the pen plank can move during drilling the hole diameter may actually vary along its length. Hole alignment can also be important for grain matching on highly figured blanks or blanks with very prominent grain (hairy oak?) for two blank pen kits. Not critical but it looks better if the grain is not canted to one side. Maybe we are the only ones to notice.

Originally Posted by Mobyturns

Hole alignment can also be important for grain matching on highly figured blanks or blanks with very prominent grain (hairy oak?) for two blank pen kits. Not critical but it looks better if the grain is not canted to one side. Maybe we are the only ones to notice.

This is where I find drilling on the lathe an advantage. If I have a 2 part kit to make, I try to keep the blank fairly square so that it runs true in the chuck. I always drill from the 2 ends where the blank has been cut in two. That way at least the hole starts from the same point keeping the grain in alignment where the two halves come together when assembled.