Checking blanks for "squareness"

[Woodchipper]

I had posted a setup to square blanks on a lathe, following suggestions and YT videos. However, I'm somewhat a perfectionist. How do the members here confirm that a plan is square? I have used calipers but feel that taking dim's on different places o n the blank isn't accurate. One must have the calipers in the exact place each time. TIA.

 

[KenB259]

I don't think it's all that necessary to check if you use a setup like you show. How can they not be square to the tube? That's all that is important.

 

[Woodchipper]

I don't think it's all that necessary to check if you use a setup like you show. How can they not be square to the tube? That's all that is important.

Thanks. I have one pen that has a teeny gap between the blank on one side and the upper assembly. Other two are perfect. Murphy's Law?

 

[KenB259]

Thanks. I have one pen that has a teeny gap between the blank on one side and the upper assembly. Other two are perfect. Murphy's Law?

Probably a fluke. I've been sanding mine for quite awhile and I don't have any issues.

 

[its_virgil]

Rick Harrell's offset sanding jig is spot on accurate.
Don

 

[KateHarrow]

Rick Harrell's offset sanding jig is spot on accurate.
Don

Listen to Don - he knows the way lol

 

[randyrls]

Thanks. I have one pen that has a teeny gap between the blank on one side and the upper assembly. Other two are perfect. Murphy's Law?

John; Some other thing may be causing the gap. I have in the past skipped a step and had to re-do a pen. There might be a burr on the inside of the brass tube. I always camphor the inside of the brass tube after trimming. Also some pen kits are known to have flaws with the pen kit. PSI "Faith, Hope, and Love" is known for having uneven center bands that keep the blanks from seating against the CB.

 

[Woodchipper]

All three pens were baseball kits. It might behoove us to check components for burrs, uneven edges, etc. I chamfer each end of the tube with a brass cartridge tool. I'm crediting this pen flaw to gremlins. I was going to disassemble the pen and lightly sand the blank but SWMBO vetoed that as it might cause more problems.

 

[JohnU]

I would guess the metal component that meets the brass tubes blank is not a perfect 90 degree, not allowing the pieces to seat all the way, leaving a gap. Sometimes platings build up and cause this. I always use either a tapered reamer tool or one side of an open pair of scissors inserted in the tube to remove excess brass from the inside edge of the pen tube at an angle before assembly. Fixes that gap problem every time. I had that issue too before Dick Sing taught me how to fix it.

 

[egnald]

Historically there have been some kits that exhibit this kind of problem because of the kit and not because of the blank. The twist version of the Faith, Hope, Love kit was one of them where the center band on the kit was not flat and square with reference to the centerline of the tube. It may have been corrected by now, but other than for specific and rare occasions I don't turn any of the "themed" pen kits anymore so I can't say.

Regards,
Dave

 

[Woodchipper]

JohnU, I chamfer the inside and outside with the RCBS chamfer tool.

 

[mmayo]

I don't think it's all that necessary to check if you use a setup like you show. How can they not be square to the tube? That's all that is important.

Be sure to soon the blank rather than keeping it in one orientation. It helps.

 

[MPVic]

I would guess the metal component that meets the brass tubes blank is not a perfect 90 degree, not allowing the pieces to seat all the way, leaving a gap. Sometimes platings build up and cause this. I always use either a tapered reamer tool or one side of an open pair of scissors inserted in the tube to remove excess brass from the inside edge of the pen tube at an angle before assembly. Fixes that gap problem every time. I had that issue too before Dick Sing taught me how to fix it.

Wished I had seen this tip a few months back, thanks so much for sharing.

 

[Dannv]

I would guess the metal component that meets the brass tubes blank is not a perfect 90 degree, not allowing the pieces to seat all the way, leaving a gap. Sometimes platings build up and cause this. I always use either a tapered reamer tool or one side of an open pair of scissors inserted in the tube to remove excess brass from the inside edge of the pen tube at an angle before assembly. Fixes that gap problem every time. I had that issue too before Dick Sing taught me how to fix it.

I use a deburring tool on every tube after squaring the ends. Makes a huge difference.