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8 Easy
Steps To Making Pens
Without the
use of a Lathe
It IS
Possible!
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Ideally you would use a lathe
and a turning
set to turn pens,
but not everyone has the space for a large tool,
or they just simply can't afford one.
Making pens is very simple, inexpensive, and doesn't
require much time.
I was able to make a pen in under an hour without
a lathe using the technique below.
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Lets start making those pens!
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Step 1:
Take a pen
blank, and cut it in half using your typical
miter saw and box. Or use whatever tool you have that can cut through
a piece of 1/2" material.
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Pen blanks are basically just a strip of 5" X 1/2" X 1/2" wood
or corian.
You can either cut your own out of 1/2" stock, use pieces of scrap
you have laying around in your shop, or buy
precut blanks.
The advantage of buying precut
blanks is that you have many varieties of woods to choose from that
you may have a hard time finding in your area. It also gives you a chance
to to experiment with different woods before you go all out and and invest
a small fortune on a wood you know nothing about.
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Step 3:
Glue the brass tube that comes with your pen
kit to the inside of each half of the blanks
using epoxy
glue.
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This step is pretty messy! It gets all over your hands and even
gets inside the tube,
so you may want to wear a pair of gloves.
As for the glue inside the tube, use a pen
mill to clean the glue out. A pen mill also squares off the ends of
your pen
blanks to ensure a perfect fit when it comes time to assemble your
pen.
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Step 4:
Insert a pen
mill into each of the blanks,
and turn clockwise.
Be sure to do both ends!
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Step 5:
Mount your pen
blanks onto a mandrel,
along with 3 bushings
(one on each end and one in the middle, separating the 2 blanks).
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I have the advantage of owning sanding
drums.
If you don't have any, you can achieve step 6 by hand, by using a sander,
or by using whatever tool you may have that can do the job.
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Step 7:
Mound your mandrel onto your drill press, and
use
a piece of sandpaper glued onto a piece of ply wood, to make the wood
flush with the bushings.
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This is what your pen
blanks should look like when your done.
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If you plan on applying a finish to your pen
(like lacquer, varnish, turning
wax, or even painting a design on it),
now would be the time to do it!
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