An olive wood pen and a question

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
See more from MedWoodWorx

M

MedWoodWorx

Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2021
Messages
688
Location
Greece
This is my first attempt to make a pen that looks bespoke -ish. I know it sounds childish and immature but i have something greater in mind. Besides showing this i would like to ask your opinion about a good quality pen mandrel. I know that many of you are advocates of turning between centres but i also need a mandrel for other projects. So any feedback is much appreciated, i have to pay serious money to order pretty much anything from uk or the us since i cannot find decent toys eeh tools in greece. Cheers
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20220615_200625.jpg
    IMG_20220615_200625.jpg
    136.9 KB · Views: 181
  • IMG_20220615_190122.jpg
    IMG_20220615_190122.jpg
    159.9 KB · Views: 174
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Nice pen.
In terms of mandrels you can, of course, buy them but my advice would be to make your own. If you are using a wood lathe then it takes a bit of time and patience but it can be done using soft metals like aluminium and brass (my recommendation) and sharp tools (HSS or carbide both work just fine). You will use the same taps and dies that you would use for your pens, so you know they are going to work. I still use the brass mandrels I made on my wooden even though I use a metal lathe quite a lot now.
A good reason for making your own is because it gives you full creative control over your pens and you can make the mandrels to suit the pens you want to make rather than buying a mandrel that will dictate to you the size of threads you need to use in your pens and the internal dimensions too. For instance its a good idea to have the end of the mandrel register with the inside of your pen part as you turn it (or maybe against an internal step) as it offers rigidity for shaping. That then has an impact on the outside shape etc.
Cheers
Ash
 
Valleyboy said:
Nice pen.
In terms of mandrels you can, of course, buy them but my advice would be to make your own. If you are using a wood lathe then it takes a bit of time and patience but it can be done using soft metals like aluminium and brass (my recommendation) and sharp tools (HSS or carbide both work just fine). You will use the same taps and dies that you would use for your pens, so you know they are going to work. I still use the brass mandrels I made on my wooden even though I use a metal lathe quite a lot now.
A good reason for making your own is because it gives you full creative control over your pens and you can make the mandrels to suit the pens you want to make rather than buying a mandrel that will dictate to you the size of threads you need to use in your pens and the internal dimensions too. For instance its a good idea to have the end of the mandrel register with the inside of your pen part as you turn it (or maybe against an internal step) as it offers rigidity for shaping. That then has an impact on the outside shape etc.
Cheers
Ash
Click to expand...
Thank you for your advice, to be honest i haven't thought of that solution although it sounds a bit enormous and intimidating as a task for me now.
However i was talking about ordinary pen mandrels; i have seen one sold by beaufort inc called rotur deluxe and one made by axminster called evolution something. Has anyone used them? Any advice about similar products?
 
MedWoodWorx said:
Thank you for your advice, to be honest i haven't thought of that solution although it sounds a bit enormous and intimidating as a task for me now.
However i was talking about ordinary pen mandrels; i have seen one sold by beaufort inc called rotur deluxe and one made by axminster called evolution something. Has anyone used them? Any advice about similar products?
Click to expand...
Ah my apologies. I realise now you mean for kit pens.
When I made them I used the Beaufort ink version and it is very good, but I can't compare to others out there. I am UK based so I use Beaufort a lot and, even though I have no affiliation, I can highly recommend the quality of their products and customer service.
Good luck in your search.
Cheers
Ash
 
MedWoodWorx said:
However i was talking about ordinary pen mandrels; i have seen one sold by beaufort inc called rotur deluxe and one made by axminster called evolution something. Has anyone used them? Any advice about similar products?
Click to expand...
Mike, I have the Axminster compression mandrel and have been using it problem free for 5 years. It now costs £50 with free delivery ( UK )
If you want a good dependable mandrel, then I recommend that one.
I also agree with Ash that the Beaufort Ink products are first class, but have no experience of their mandrel.

Alan
 
thank you alan, well yes i can tell that beaufort ink products are of high quality.
As a matter of fact i found the axminster mandrel, sold as a kit in a greek shop which is a good deal. What got my attention however is that the rotur mandrel (sold by beaufort ink) has a collet to stabilise the mandrel and not just a tightening screw. Is the axminster mandrel equiped with a similar thing? i cannot tell from the photos i found online. Thank you again for your reply.
 
MedWoodWorx said:
thank you alan, well yes i can tell that beaufort ink products are of high quality.
As a matter of fact i found the axminster mandrel, sold as a kit in a greek shop which is a good deal. What got my attention however is that the rotur mandrel (sold by beaufort ink) has a collet to stabilise the mandrel and not just a tightening screw. Is the axminster mandrel equiped with a similar thing? i cannot tell from the photos i found online. Thank you again for your reply.
Click to expand...
Mike, the Axminster compression mandrel does not have a tightening screw, and looks fairly identical to the Rotur model.

Alan
 
I have thought about this issue before. This post describes my idea:
https://www.penturners.org/threads/warped-mandrels-grrr.162455/post-2055965

Summary (NOTE: THIS CONCEPT HAS NOT BEEN TESTED BY ME YET):
Buy an adjustable mandrel, like the one sold at Rockler. Buy some straight "D" size drill rod (which is the same size used on pen mandrels). If your mandrel starts showing runout, cut another piece of the drill rod and replace the bent one on the mandrel. True, there are no threads on the drill rod, but they are not necessary if you use a mandrel saver.

I have not implemented that plan yet, but intend to try it someday.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom