Closed End Pens

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crokett

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Dec 4, 2012
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Mebane, North Carolina
For several years I've been carrying a design around in my head for a closed-end pen. I'm wondering if anyone has tried these instructions:

http://content.penturners.org/library/te...andrel.pdf

and how well they worked. That is a neat trick, and I plan to adopt a similar concept for another project. I am also wondering about sourcing some drill rod and making my own mandrels that use a flat on the mandrel and a small pin to hold the blank in place.
 
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The referenced method in the library works just fine.

I have had great results with your method but with a suggestion.

Buy a set of Transfer punches: https://www.harborfreight.com/hand-...punches/28-piece-transfer-punch-set-3577.html.

Grind your flat section for the pin chuck for whatever diameter you need. And you still have very usable punches. Now for $10-15 you will have a set for just about any size pen tube you need.
 

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Sometimes I cheat, I drill all the way through and turn either on a mandrel or between centers. Then I make a cap with a tenon to fit the hole, or I make a short dowel and plug the hole. Contrasting woods can make it look segmented.
 
@mark james

Off topic, but .....
Mark, I continually marvel at your creativity ... those pens you posted above are absolutely beautiful ... thank you !! .
 
crokett said:
For several years I've been carrying a design around in my head for a closed-end pen. I'm wondering if anyone has tried these instructions:

http://content.penturners.org/library/te...andrel.pdf

and how well they worked. That is a neat trick, and I plan to adopt a similar concept for another project. I am also wondering about sourcing some drill rod and making my own mandrels that use a flat on the mandrel and a small pin to hold the blank in place.
Click to expand...
Hi Mark, I have been using pin mandrels for doing duck calls for several years now... I have several sizes including 3/4" x 6"; 5/8" x 6"; 1/2" x 5". They work absolutely great. For pens I believe that a 3/8" pen mandrel would be no problem... I would use about a 2.5mm pin or 3mm at the largest and plan to have the pin and slot about 3/4" long. The only thing to consider is that the mandrel should be a close fit to the brass tube so you don't get too much run out in your pen. The pin will force the brass tube up against the opposite side of the mandrel, so if there is too much play between the mandrel diameter and the brass tube this will show up as an offset pen barrel in relation to the pen nib. I think it is possible to make even a 7mm mandrel... I would use a commercial shaft from a pen mandrel and make the pin from 2mm drill rod. (I have purchased 2mm drill rod from Amazon.ca in the past). For my duck calls I don't do them blind ended but I do need to extend the throat of the call past the end of the mandrel to work on the inside surfaces of the mouth piece and the horn/stopper. I often use a center drill to put in a 60 degree centre on the mandrel so I can use a live center on it when I am roughing out the blank... once it is round it really doesn't need support from the tailstock live center. For a pen mandrel keep in mind to keep it just long enough to reach the bottom of the pen cavity, consider keeping the blank a 1/2" longer than you need it to be and either use a tailstock live center to support the blank for most of the work or use a steady rest to keep the pen mandrel from deflecting too much under heavy cuts. Light cuts should not be a problem and could be done unsupported. I hope this helps... I have thought about making a 7mm ( .246" actual diameter) pin mandrel myself as I have described above, to give it a go. I will give it a go in the next week or so and let you know how it works out.

DaveM
 
mclachlandg said:
The only thing to consider is that the mandrel should be a close fit to the brass tube so you don't get too much run out in your pen. The pin will force the brass tube up against the opposite side of the mandrel, so if there is too much play between the mandrel diameter and the brass tube this will show up as an offset pen barrel in relation to the pen nib.
Click to expand...

Dave; A few wraps of blue tape will tighten up the pin mandrel.
 
I use pin chucks for years and love them.
- A tight fit of the sharft is one key for accuracy, and I do not have confidence in commercial shaft v. Chenese tubes with slitghtly different ID within the same kit. I prefer to make the chuck myself, I make one for each tube I use - I have two slightly different for Sierras for instance.
- The second key for accuracy is that at the other end of my chucks is a MT#2, no need to have another chuck to chuck the chuck that washes out precision.
Accuracy is very good, I can take a barrel off the chuck, the chuck off the lathe, put eveything back and the barrel will turn as true as before.

Especially in thin diameters, it could vibrate a bit, so I use the tail stock almost until completion.

It is easy and quick to turn on the wood lathe, using a wood not too springy, I like boxwood or woods used for patio floor :

100_6462.jpg
 
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