Thread: Some new pens, new dyes, and my pen press

can't help with #1, but for question 2, use a hand countersink or the fluted end of a pen mill to clean away the bur of brass that will be hanging over the inside of the tube. that'll let you slide your bushes straight on in, and should also remove the risk of splitting your blank when you assemble the kit.

#3, i'm always happy for people to send me pens for testing, so i'll throw my hand up for that if you're planning on sending them across the pond.

and finally, your pens look great, i'd love to see a photo when you get your new camera.

have fun, Reece

One thing i do is to put a little polishing wax in each end of the tubes and across the squared ends. Stops the risk of CA gluing bushes to tubes.

Differing wood densities will always be a problem but if you are doing a sraight barrel a suitable length of hardwood used as a sanding block should help.

Donkeee, first of all nice set of pens you have a nice set of pens there. Dyes can make a bland piece of timber more interesting and also good to enhance burls with a contrasting colour as well.

1 : When i sand any pen blank, either normal or segmented, I use a cork block which gives an even pressure across the whole blank.

2 : As for the trimmed barrels, I first used an old chainsaw file to remove the burrs from inside the tubes after trimming. Also can use the tool the shooters use that reload cartridges, it can de-burr the inside of the tube and the other end can put a champher on the outside of the tube. I now use a tube reamer, it's size is 3mm to 20m and suits all pen types.

3 : As for dissecting one of your pens I would love to.

Thanks for all the feedback. I will be working on some packages to send out to you guys I got messages from!

I had a few questions about the razor. I got the kit from TheGoldenNib. The razor uses a Mach 3 cartridge. Was very easy to turn and assemble. I think im going to order a closed end madrel to turn some more.

Closed End Mandrel
Closed-end Pen Mandrel

Mach 3 Razor Kit
Razor Heads : Fountain Pen parts - NIBS, - Wholesale Fountain Pen Ink - Golden Nib AZ

Donkee,
I just use an Xacto knife and simply run it around the inside of the brass, removes any burr and great on getting excess glue out also.
By the way, the plastic you used on your pen press is not PVC, as you said in your great post about building the press.
It is UHMW plastic, ultra high molecular weight plastic, has many many industrial used from bushings to bearings to surface plates that carry tremendous loads, it is even used in kitchen and butcher cutting boards because it wears so well.
PVC is poly vinyl chloride, plastic plumbing pipe, and quite un suited for such an application, it would crack and fail the first time you used it..
The place I work part time sells blocks and sheets of UHMW plastic, and thin strips of the stuff to be used as runners and slide pads.
By the way, great job on the press, looks a lot better than the ones sold commercially, and I bet it is much better built than they are also…

I just use a pen mill to clean out the tube after sanding and have had no problem with them.. Love your pens and the razor took my eye too. Well done, excellent work.