Aaaarrrrgh...pen blanks...

Re: Aaaarrrrgh...pen blanks...

Scott Greaves, Blackfoot Idaho

>Hi Bob,

Consider drilling them on the lathe. Hold the pen blank in a chuck, and spin it. Hold the drill bit in drill chuck in the tailstock, and advance it into the spinning pen blank by means of the hand-crank on the tailstock. You can also make a handle for your drill bit and just hand guide it into the spinning pen blank.

Scott.

Re: Aaaarrrrgh...pen blanks...

Peter Teubel

>Use your lathe. Chuck the blank on a chuck, put a drill chuck in the tailstock, and drill away. I use the quill advance on the tailstock (after everything else is tight) for the first 1 or 2 inches (which gets the hole running true). Then I loosen the tailstock and just push the whole thing into the blank...pulling it back every so often to clear the chips from the hole.

Re: Aaaarrrrgh...pen blanks...

BubbaBob

>Thanks guys. I kinda figgered a trip to Woodcraft for a Jacobs chuck was gonna have to be the way to go, but since WC is a 120 mi round trip I was hoping for a miracle answer. Oh well, looks like WC gets more of my money. On my way when the sun comes up.

From the mountains of N GA...

In my bib overalls,

BubbaBob

Re: Aaaarrrrgh...pen blanks...

Jim Rutten

>I got mine from harbor freight (there's a store close to me), but they list online for $9.99 with a #2 morse taper. When I got into the store they had them priced at around $4. It has worked perfect for me.

Re: Aaaarrrrgh...pen blanks...

Fred L. - North Carolina

>I have the same HF chuck with #2 Morse taper. It fits my metal and 2 wood lathes. Excellent chuck for the price.

My Harbor Freight chuck was $8.99 *LINK*

Russell Seaton

>It seems to work OK. Item 42340.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=42340


http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=42340

Aaaaarrrghhhh...WC Jacobs chucks...

BubbaBob

>...you people are telling me it should cost under 10 bucks? I just got back from Woodcraft where it was 34.95 plus tax...plus a 120 mile round trip...

From the mountains of N GA...

In my bib overalls,

BubbaBob

Re: Aaaarrrrgh...pen blanks...

Mark Kauder, Phenix City, AL

>Bubba - the the money you spent at WC for the Jacobs chuck, you could have bought a cheap benctop DP from Harbor Freight. Though not of good quality, it would have done what you wanted for the Pens, but been useful for other shop operations until you could afford a better DP. DAMHIKT

Mark

Ah well...bottom line is...

BubbaBob

>...now I have a way to drill the blanks...and have prepped 10.

10 blanks cut, drilled, and tubes glued in. Now if only the glue will dry...longest hour in a while, but I oughtta have a couple of pens done by dark...

From the mountains of N GA...

In my bib overalls,

BubbaBob

Another bottom line, damn this is...

BubbaBob

>...fun! Just finished my first three pens. Feel like I did when I first started turning bowls.

It's cool to do a start to finish in 30 minutes. I like bowls, but 4-6 mos start to finish doesen't feed my instant gratification genes...this does.

Thanks Joe P and Fred L...because of y'all, I now have another addiction.

From the mountains of N GA...

In my bib overalls...

Covered in Bloodwood dust,

BubbaBob

Yeah but...

Russell Seaton

>The Harbor Freight morse taper chuck is made in China. While the Woodcraft morse taper chuck is made in Taiwan I bet. I'm sure that is the reason for the 400% price difference.

Re: Yeah but...

walta100

>My harbor Freight chuck was not taped for a draw bar. After that I have decider there is no such thing as a bargain. Can�t use it to drive a pin chuck without a draw bar. After a long struggle I couldn�t drill more than 3/8 of an inch into that taper. It works ok but every time I pick it up I get a bad taste in my mouth.

Re: Another bottom line, damn this is...

Fred L. - North Carolina

>Congratulations! Yes it is fun. Some pens take even less than that, depending on what blank you start with. I made a few pens from 1/2" oak dowel picked from the bunch for best figure. Drill, put in the tube, and turn to shape.

My pen press was made from a discarded stand for a hand drill. The white parts are UHMW. There is a receiver hole for the tip so it does not slip away while pressing it.

Have fun!

Fred

Way to go, Bubba! Knew you could do it.

Joe Pack, New London, OH

>

Re: Yeah but...

Russell Seaton

>I'm not sure BubbaBob needs a draw bar for a drill chuck to drill out pen blanks. For some things the draw bar is needed or wanted. But for most drilling, its not. The older Sears lathe work arbors, and the current Lee Valley lathe work arbors are drilled for the draw bar. $10-12. Both are threaded 1/2x20. The common 1/2" drill chuck size. So you can get one of these arbors and use it for holding a grinding wheel or buffing wheel in your lathe, and then screw on an extra drill chuck and use the draw bar, drilled and tapped for 1/4x24?, to hold the chuck in the morse taper if you want. I've used my Sears arbor with a buffing wheel and it has stayed in the morse taper just fine without the draw bar.

For $8.99 the Harbor Freight morse taper drill chuck is a good buy. If nothing else its a place to start until a turner decides he/she wants a nicer drill chuck. A good buy for the beginning turner.

Re: Aaaarrrrgh...pen blanks...

Bill Grumbine, Kutztown PA

>Hi Bubba Bob

I'm coming in late on this, and my suggestion my be moot at this point, but if you are drilling with a brad point bit, you will see much better results by going to a parabolic flute bit. I used to buy mine from Berea Hardwoods in all the various sizes. They are not expensive, last a long time, and are relatively easy to resharpen.

When I first started with pens, I bought 10 kits and some pre cut blanks. By the time I got two or three pens actually finished, I figured there was no way I was going to make any money at it, since I kept on blowing up blanks. Then Jim at Berea told me about parabolic flute bits. You know the rest of the story.

Bill