Let’s talk about blanks

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Texatdurango

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A current thread about new postal rates and box sizes, especially the boxes getting shorter prompted me to post this.

For starters, it seems that the "typical" blank is ¾" sq by 5 ½" or longer and what was once called a jumbo blank (7/8" sq by 6" long) is becoming more and more common place and folks are using them for Cigar pens, Jr Gents, Barons and the like and turning away literally 1/3 of the blank!

While larger blanks are nice to look at and handle, they are a lot larger than they need to be for most kits. As an example, one of the larger kit pens I make is the Craft Supply "Emperor" and I use a standard ¾" sq blank that can be as short as 4 ½" and work just fine. Now granted, with a finished diameter of .670" there isn't much room for error but this is a lot larger than the average kit but the main point I want to focus on is the length.

In my opinion 5" is plenty long enough for any pen kit I can think of other than perhaps the teacher's pen and ¾" is more than adequate with a 5/8" blank working for most pens.

Even if you wanted to make two pens from a blank for a Sierra for an example, you could easily make two 2.2" blanks from a blank under 5".

So, does anyone have any compelling arguments as to why we need to stay with 5 ½" blanks especially if it means not being able to stuff a bunch in the new flat rate boxes coming out or is it time to downsize?
 
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I agree with Lou. I need the longer blanks for the closed-end pens, plus if I want to add a custom finial made of the same wood as the pen i need a little extra for that as well.
 
This is a good tread to start as this is vital information to me a vendor of pen blanks(not so much a pen turner,well the gift or two).I need the input on this subject so please everyone get in your two cents.Thank You,Victor
 
For most pens, a 4 1/2" blank is sufficient. Yes, closed end pens and custom finials require longer blanks.

I cut most of my blanks from boards, logs, and chunks. I like to minimize waste and minimize turning time, both of which lead to cutting smaller blanks and greater profits. That said, when I am cutting blanks to sell, I cut them at least 5" long and usually closer to 3/4" square. The average penturner is not equipped to deal with small blanks.

Edit: Regarding the teacher pen - I do not make these, but I think most who do make them use three different types of wood for each pen.
 
most of what I cut in my shop is 4 1/2 to 5"...cuts down on waste, and now that I drill them on the lathe, the accuracy allows a 5/8 - 3/4 blank where the 7/8 - 1" used to be my standard for offcenter drilling! 5 x 3/4 will cover just about everything I do and save the storage space used for all those little cutoffs I can't throw away!
 
AS others have said, 5" is enough for nearly any KIT, but not everyone is going strictly by the kits any more. Closed ends, nibless, and totally kitless pens are being attempted and achieved by members here. Some of these will require blanks longer than 5 inches. But these are the people that will most likely not flinch at an extra $5 in postage (or fewer blanks in the box) to accommodate the longer blanks they need.
 
I tryo to buy material for pens in a long and wide a section as possible. I never know what type of pen I might make - sometimes 6" is not enough for what I'm trying to do and othertimes all I need is an inch or less for a finial, centerband or other segment. I prefer to cut what I need when I'm ready. Would rather pay the extra postage than waste material or not have enough for what I want to do. If all I was making was a few standard kit pens, 5" would work for most, but that's not what I do.
 
This is a good tread to start as this is vital information to me a vendor of pen blanks(not so much a pen turner,well the gift or two).I need the input on this subject so please everyone get in your two cents.Thank You,Victor

The size isn't that important. I can make an El Grande from a 3/4" blank (with care).

Closed end, knot pens, or a custom finial needs the longer length though. I will sometimes cut my own blanks from 5/4 rough cut lumber
 
According to what has been posted so far, it seems like the majority needs the longer blanks, but just for a peek at the other side of the coin.... I just quickly went through the last 100 pens shown in the SOYP and they are all kit pens and all of them could have been easily made from 5" long or shorter blanks. I realize that there will always be reasons to go with longer blanks for those special pens but my thoughts were towards the average turner and 100 out of the last 100 is pretty average. Perhaps the majority is silent this time or they just don't care.

I recently started casting my own blanks and built my mold 5 1/2" long (I guess because everyone else does) but after turning a few of my own blanks already I noticed several 1" long waste pieces lying around. That's just wasted alumilite I could have cast into other blanks. I think I'll make a few new molds tomorrow, a 4 1/2" for kit pens and a 6 1/2" for my kitless pens which always take more. :wink:
 
I find the longer blanks useful when it comes to segmenting work.

As far as regular pens, yes a shorter blank will work, however you are then totally relying on the person who is cutting the blank as to which part of the blank you will use.
 
I generally cast blanks in two sizes. The ones I sell are normally 7/8 x 5 1/2" bec that will fit pretty much any pen kit out there. Of course if you are making a Euro out of a blank this size 2/3 of the material is turned of and goes to waste. When I cast blanks for pens that I am going to turn I cast a bit over 3/4 and only 4 1/2" long. That is plenty for the pen styles that I make. The smaller size saves some of the alumilite that just gets cut off or turned off but it does require a bit more care when drilling.

Eugene.
 
I find the longer blanks useful when it comes to segmenting work.

As far as regular pens, yes a shorter blank will work, however you are then totally relying on the person who is cutting the blank as to which part of the blank you will use.

I was just about to say something similar .. that I am limited by the cut.
And while I haven't been consciously thinking about it, I tend not to USE the
blanks that are smaller. They're probably fine, but I have so many blanks that
when I go for a blank, I just skip over the smaller ones to find a
blank that is big enough to let me see the pen before I start. It isn't
something I think about, it just seems to work out that way. And some of
these are blanks that I had cut myself. I've got many 3/4 5" myrtle burl
blanks I keep passing by ..
 
I prefer the longer pens. When I buy a blank I never know what it's going to end up being. It sits on my bench until the mood strikes me then it could end up as a closed end, kitless, or just a slimline. I also frequently cute the pieces for the tubes from various positions on the blank. I might like the grain in the center so I'll trim off the ends.

As for width 3/4 is fine for me. I already rough all my blanks to 3/4 round So I can drill them with my collet chuck.

If I see blanks for sale that are less then 5.25 I usually think twice before buying them. Doesn't mean I won't buy shorter blanks but I have to really like the wood. If the blank is less than 3/4 I don't buy them, intentionaly anyway. I have had a couple of times I didn't notice the size, and was quite agrivated when they arrived.

Ben
 
personally i think they should be left at 5 1/2 i know most blanks supplied would be exceptional quality but the odd time you may get blanks missing material at the ends or edges. do you really want to compromise on quality by stretching your turning to the limits.i know people who turn a lot of pens during the year may waste a lot of material but it can always be used for segmenting or centrebands
 
Not all of us pen turners are as good as others or as experienced, there for the 3/4" is needed for drilling(crooked hole) and still being able to use the blank. 5 1/2" is a good length, it has been a standard, that gives the turner a little leway in how they use the blank. Just my two cents.

Bob:biggrin:
 
I recently started casting my own blanks and built my mold 5 1/2" long (I guess because everyone else does) but after turning a few of my own blanks already I noticed several 1" long waste pieces lying around. That's just wasted alumilite I could have cast into other blanks. I think I'll make a few new molds tomorrow, a 4 1/2" for kit pens and a 6 1/2" for my kitless pens which always take more. :wink:

I've experienced the same thing. I pored my mold using actual blanks for the forms and ended up with a mold that is much longer than I need. However, my solution was not to make a new mold. I merely shove cutoffs into the end of my mold channels before poring the PR. This way, I can tweak the length of the material to suit my needs. This allows me to still use the mold when casting tubes because I use spacers at each end (and the middle) to center the tubes.
 
Pen Blank size

I have been selling pen blanks for a few years on eBay and always thought the preferred size was 6" X 13/16" sq. I just recently started posting here on IAP. Maybe I have to rethink my sizing especially if USPS changes packaging size. Never too old to learn something new. Thank you
 
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I think we are encountering a difficulty, here.

While we have MANY members who turn NORMAL KIT pens, there are some who CAN and DO turn LARGE pens and CLOSED end pens. These people tend to speak out more readily than our KIT pen turners.

Ninety five percent of the pens I SELL would come out of a 4.5" blank. AND these pens are priced to sell at craft shows (under $50, with a box). Yes, I make closed end pens that require a larger blank. But, they also START at $100. I make an occasional Emperor or Imperial, but they START at $200. My point is, I don't want to have EVERY blank priced to accomodate less than 10% of my needs.

I believe over 90 percent of the pens sold (or given away by hobbiests) are simple kit pens - made bushing to bushing with most of the kit parts still present (centerbands optional). This can easily be done with a 3/4" square, 4.5" long. As to the crooked drilling - I do that too!!!! But, the blank is only a little over TWO inches, how crooked can you be in that much length???

So, I will not be standardizing on LONGER blanks, I am attempting to make our blanks shorter and thinner so they remain affordable!!! Now that oil is plummeting, it's no big deal, but when it was $150 a barrel, I was hearing horror stories about the cost of manufacture of resins and how they could TRIPLE!!! That would make the average pen blank a little over $10 for 5 inches. So, every inch costs $2!!! Would this motivate you to find a more accurate drilling method??? It did me!!!

I will continue to offer ANY size you want. But the website will continue to show only the 5" blanks. IF you need something larger, I assume you are making the big pens and cost of the blank is no longer a vital concern. (That's what I do, and I turn several hundred pens a year -- in this case, "turn" means "sell". Well over 90% of which are stock: cigar, comfort, Jr. Gent or sierra - easily made from 5" of .75 material).

As to the flat rate box, it's about time!!!!! Our post office has refused to accept flat rate envelopes from me. It will be nice to have the same "competitive advantages" that other guys have had. I am amused when I RECEIVE boxes in envelopes, but my local postal service continues to say, "you can't do that". They DELIVERED it to me.
 
I like the longer blanks, simply because of the cut offs. We are adding key chains and book marks to our inventory and the cut offs go for those. But when we cast our blanks we cast at 5 1/4 for standard pens and 7 1/2 for dip pens. I hadn't even thought about the length needed for closed end pens, since I haven't turned one in over a year.
 
When I buy blanks (which is more often than necessary), I look for 3/4 x 5 1/4 as a minimum. My preference is for 5/8 or 7/8 square. I can get by on most kits with a little under 5" length, but I prefer the extra length for margin of error. If I were casting my own, I would use a 3/4 x 5 1/4 mold.
 
Not all of us pen turners are as good as others or as experienced, there for the 3/4" is needed for drilling (crooked hole) and still being able to use the blank. 5 1/2" is a good length, it has been a standard, that gives the turner a little leway in how they use the blank. Just my two cents.

Bob:biggrin:
This is a very good point.

The best thing about a longer blank is that it gives you some flexibility in how you are going to 'lay out' the pen. This is also true with a 'extra fat' blank. You don't have to drill the blank right down the middle. You can drill it off center and get a better final product.
 
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