Hippie3180
Member
Is there a secret to turning metal rings? I have some metal discs, and I'm trying to turn copper placed between my cap and finial, it's getting so darn hot. Any tips and tricks to this.
Metal rings
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jalbert
Member
Very sharp tools, light cuts are what works for me. Try turning it down to as close to the final diameter as possible before putting it on the pen.
Woodchipper
Member
Hippie3180, do you have any photos of this endeavor? I'm curious to depart from the factory rings, collars, etc.
Hippie3180
Member
So these are cut with a disc cutter, we don't have one, but you can find these on Etsy in all kinds of sizes and metals. They are a bit testy to deal with, obviously you have to drill a hole through them. We use a wood lathe and not a metal lathe so they are also a bit challenging to turn and hard on tools. We use carbide and things get super hot.
I've seen rings that folks add to their pens that were probably discs like this and because the material is harder than wood or Alumilite, the tool wants to skip over it in favor of the softer material, this makes the ring stand proud of your body, finial, or cap finial…so you have to make sure all are on the same plane.
We do it this way because we don't own a metal lathe and thought it might be a work around, but it really is a whole ordeal.
The example cap/ finial shown is just kind of a play, mock up situation, obviously not a genuine pen. Trying to figure things out.
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Hippie3180
Member
I guess ideally a metal lathe would be a better option. I'm not sure how to turn them down first really. I may just go with pick guard material to finesse up my pens instead.
Drewby108
Member
I'd suggest approaching this in passes from the side, opposed to just pushing the tool into the metal perpendicular to the work. Once the tool engages the metal enough to form chips, keep it moving. Rubbing is your enemy as it causes heat to build up.
Take breaks between passes, using air or water (not the safest, but I'd probably dab a wet rag to the spinning part if there weren't any major catches to grab the cloth) to help cool things down.
Finally, maybe look at a different source of metal. Copper usually isn't too difficult to cut (compared to other metals). I'm guessing those disks are stamped and as a result, likely work hardened. This makes it a bit more difficult for you.
Good luck
Take breaks between passes, using air or water (not the safest, but I'd probably dab a wet rag to the spinning part if there weren't any major catches to grab the cloth) to help cool things down.
Finally, maybe look at a different source of metal. Copper usually isn't too difficult to cut (compared to other metals). I'm guessing those disks are stamped and as a result, likely work hardened. This makes it a bit more difficult for you.
Good luck
Hippie3180
Member
The one pictured that we were experimenting with is copper, it got super hot. I'll try a different approach to see if it helps.
Woodchipper
Member
Don Kirk's book on modifying Slimline pens has information using metal from soda cans, credit cards, plastic bottle caps and plastic signs. Hippie, thanks for the reply.
Hippie3180
Member
Hmm, cans? Thanks for some ideas to try.
leehljp
Member Liaison
Are you talking about rings such as brass or aluminum/silver rings that are used as separators in some segmented pens?
Pens such as this:
Rings such as in the bottom of this photo:
I place brass sheets between 1/2" plywood plates.I screw it down all the way around. Mark out my spaces and drill with the size hole I want. Take the screws out and then cut rough round circles. That makes them deformed cutting them out, but I use a flattening hammer on an anvil to re-flaten them. Then when in a pen segment, I turn then round with a carbide insert.
Grizzly used to have a Hand Punch set that made different size rings. a smaller version of this:
www.grizzly.com
and similar to this one on amazon but made for punching thin metal and capable of punching rings out of thin metal sheets.
Pens such as this:
Imported Photo from leehljp
Imported Photo from leehljp. Please edit title and description.
www.penturners.org
Rings such as in the bottom of this photo:
I place brass sheets between 1/2" plywood plates.I screw it down all the way around. Mark out my spaces and drill with the size hole I want. Take the screws out and then cut rough round circles. That makes them deformed cutting them out, but I use a flattening hammer on an anvil to re-flaten them. Then when in a pen segment, I turn then round with a carbide insert.
Grizzly used to have a Hand Punch set that made different size rings. a smaller version of this:
Hand Punch - Grizzly Industrial
<h1>Grizzly T21321 Hand Puncher</h1> <h2>Punch holes in steel up to 3/16" thick.</h2> <p>This hand puncher is ideal for hobbyists or metalwork enthusiasts who work on projects with sheet metal up to 3/16" thick.</p> <p>It's a relatively inexpensive and easy-to-use tool compared to electric or...
www.grizzly.com
and similar to this one on amazon but made for punching thin metal and capable of punching rings out of thin metal sheets.
Hippie3180
Member
Ah ha! Yes, this might be the solution we've been looking for. We'll give this a whirl. Thank you!Are you talking about rings such as brass or aluminum/silver rings that are used as separators in some segmented pens?
Pens such as this:
Imported Photo from leehljp
Imported Photo from leehljp. Please edit title and description.www.penturners.org
Rings such as in the bottom of this photo:
I place brass sheets between 1/2" plywood plates.I screw it down all the way around. Mark out my spaces and drill with the size hole I want. Take the screws out and then cut rough round circles. That makes them deformed cutting them out, but I use a flattening hammer on an anvil to re-flaten them. Then when in a pen segment, I turn then round with a carbide insert.
Grizzly used to have a Hand Punch set that made different size rings. a smaller version of this:
Hand Punch - Grizzly Industrial
<h1>Grizzly T21321 Hand Puncher</h1> <h2>Punch holes in steel up to 3/16" thick.</h2> <p>This hand puncher is ideal for hobbyists or metalwork enthusiasts who work on projects with sheet metal up to 3/16" thick.</p> <p>It's a relatively inexpensive and easy-to-use tool compared to electric or...
and similar to this one on amazon but made for punching thin metal and capable of punching rings out of thin metal sheets.
rherrell
Member
Copper is a nightmare to turn, very "grabby", I avoid it at all cost. Try brass, the 360 alloy machines beautifully, stay away from the red brasses, they have a lot of copper in them.
Last edited:
Lew
Member
One of the problems you may be having is the use of carbide tools. I tried using my carbide and found they did not work well with metals. Using HSS traditional tools, I haven't had any problems. I have even used roofing steel and have not had any issues, but I only did that one time because the metal was so hard.
rixstix
Member
Have you tried drilling leftover blank pieces & parting off pickguard thickness washers to use as appropriate accents?
Hippie3180
Member
Perhaps you're right, I also think the gauge is too substantial, we could've gone thinner.
I think next we'll try making from sheets as Hank suggested.
Well now, this is something I did not know. Good to know, thank you.
leehljp
Member Liaison
Hippie3180
Member
I've seen this done, I have a wood lathe, I'm not sure how precise or small I could get them, but certainly an option.
There are lots of options I haven't thought about, now to try some of them.
rixstix
Member
I leave them the OD of the blank, glue to the finial tenon before turning the finial to size & then turn it as a single piece, clean up the tenon, then thread.
Hippie3180
Member
Makes perfect sense, I was just thinking if you wanted two on your cap for example, could you get them close to the same width, with out a metal lathe, and really I'm sure you could.