Pen blank corner trimming sled

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Raymond

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Joined
Nov 9, 2008
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17
Location
St. Louis
I'm trying to find a device that I saw for trimming the corners off of oversized blanks to reduce turning time and wear on chisels. It consisted of a narrow aluminum v-block onto which a square blank can be laid and the block slid along a bandsaw blade or a sanding disk to knock off some of the corner of the blank. With four passes, you could turn a square blank into an octagonal blank before mounting on the mandrel. I cannot find it now that I want to take a closer look at it. Has anyone seen this or know what I'm talking about?

Thanks.

Ray
 
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Here are three pix of what I put together to trim the corners of my blanks. It works very nicely. All I do is move the whole jig guided by the fence. But as always, you just have to be careful with your fingers. I've thought about adding some kind of a small clamp to hold down the blank but there's not much room to do that. The metal is some aluminum angle stock I had lying around the shop.

I have a Shopsmith with bandsaw attachment and use it for all of my pen work.
 

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@W3DRM:

That looks like it would work, but it's not the device I was thinking of.

ribanett said:
I use a corner cut-off jig made by Hut. Their product number is 0276. Works great for me.

Hope this helps
Click to expand...

That's probably about as close as I'll get. The one I'd seen was all aluminum. It had a v-channel like the HUT device but the base was also aluminum, a lot like one of those round stock centering jigs that let you drill into the side of a dowel. What I wanted to look at was how it was made to work with a table slot and if it was adjustable in terms of distance from the blade or sanding disk. But the HUT device would work.

@thewishman:

Routing the corners off may be an even better idea.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Ray
 
I would think that it would take considerably longer to set up a jig and make multiple passes than it would to just turn the blank from start to finish. I can see the benefit of such a setup if you are going to mount the blank in some device other than a lathe (e.g. pen wizard) as that would save the time needed to mount the blank on the lathe.
 
marcruby said:
If I think there's going to be a problem I round the blank a bit on my disk sander. Otherwise I just turn it round on the lathe.
Click to expand...

That's basically the plan. I thought that if there was an inexpensive little jig that would hold the blank on a 45 degree angle, it would be worthwhile. This problem came up when I was trying to make a Panache pen. The typical 3/4" blanks are just barely big enough for that pen IF you aren't off in drilling the blank AT ALL. If the hole is anything put dead center, there's not enough wood left. I found some 1-1/4" spindle blanks of the same wood but had to remove quite a bit of material and thought that if I was able to trim off the corners some it would speed things up on the lathe. Maybe not. It might take just as long to slice or sand off the corners as to turn them off. My purpose here was to give the alternative a try if I could find or make a suitable jig.
 
Trimming blanks won't save you any time, in fact it will take longer. It'll just create a mess in another part of your shop that will need to be cleaned up. Turners turn square things into round things so just be a turner and have only one mess to clean up.:wink::biggrin::biggrin:
 
Raymond said:
I'm trying to find a device that I saw for trimming the corners off of oversized blanks to reduce turning time and wear on chisels.
Click to expand...


Ray; Depends on how over sized the blank is. I just mount the blank on the mandrel and it goes to my belt sander. Dust collector equipped. About 1 minute and ready for the lathe.
 
I agree that knocking off the corners is not necessary - after all, what we turner do is make round stuff out of square stuff.

BUT, and maybe this is overkill/superstition/unnecessary panic on my part, I like to knock the corners off blanks that I've laminated (especially along the length). I have it in my head that knocking down the corners with a gouge puts a lot of stress on what will eventually become very, Very, VERY thin edge-to-edge glue joints. FWIW, I just freehand the cuts on my bandsaw, as I only knock down the corners a bit.

Your thoughts on my overkill/superstition/unnecessary panic are eagerly sought, thanks.

Cheers!

Gary
 
Hole off center solution

When I absolutely need the hole in the center of a blank I'll mount the blank in a 4 jaw chuck and drill it on my lathe. Takes a little more time but the hole stays centered on both ends.
 
To those who say it won't save time to round off the corners, You obviously have not turned much Truestone!

I started knocking off the corners of some of the Truestone I turn because it takes many minutes at the lathe and a few trips to the grinder to sharpen the skew or gouge.

Turning a blue lapis blank for example, I can probably save 15 minutes of turning and sharpening tools by spending 3 minutes at the band saw. Time isn't everything but some times turning truestone down to size is boring!
 
Raymond said:
.....This problem came up when I was trying to make a Panache pen. The typical 3/4" blanks are just barely big enough for that pen IF you aren't off in drilling the blank AT ALL.
Click to expand...

That doesn't really surprise me. Never done a Panache; but the CSUSA instruction sheet says the big end of the Panache is 0.788" so it is a good trick to get a pen out of a 3/4" blank. You might get one out of a 7/8" blank; but that is cutting it pretty close. The CSUSA catalog calls for a 1" blank for that kit!!:rolleyes:
 
Randy_ said:
That doesn't really surprise me. Never done a Panache; but the CSUSA instruction sheet says the big end of the Panache is 0.788" so it is a good trick to get a pen out of a 3/4" blank. You might get one out of a 7/8" blank; but that is cutting it pretty close. The CSUSA catalog calls for a 1" blank for that kit!!:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Well, Randy, one of the first pens I turned was a PSI Guardian. The catalog calls for a 7/8" or larger blank but they also show a completed Guardian pen next to their list of 3/4" Buckeye Burl blanks. I tried it with a random blank from my supply of 3/4" blanks and it was fine. Although some of those blanks are slightly larger than others. The finished pen is 5/8" diameter regardless of what the catalog says. :rolleyes:

Likewise, the first Panache pen I turned was made from another of those 3/4" blanks. Go figure. It must have been one of the larger blanks. I hadn't checked the instructions or measured the blank but it looked like it would work and it did so no problem. It was the second one (Tulip Wood) that wasn't quite big enough when I put it on the mandrel with the bushings. That's when I started measuring and checking and realized that I needed a 7/8" or larger blank for those pens even though I'd just successfully turned one, good trick or not, out of what was sold to me as a 3/4" blank.

Back to the original issue, yes, you can turn a 1-1/4" blank down to 7/8". That's what I've done so far. I just thought it might be faster to sand or slice off nearly 1/2" of each corner beforehand. Evidently, that's not the accepted way to do it.

Ray
 
Corner cut-off jig

I saw the Hut product others have mentioned. I hate o say it, but I didn't want to spend $25 on something I could make. Just take a 2x4 scrap and go to Lowes or HomeDepot and buy a 36" piece of aluminum angle. Cut off 12" and use some 1.25" dry wall screws. On your table saw, set your blade to 45 degress and cut off a portion of one corner. Set the aluminum angle on that cutoff corner and screw it down. I did drill holes for the screws and counter sunk them so the screw heads sat flush with the aluminum. Simple to make and it only cost me the price of the aluminum from Lowes.
 
Raymond said:
.....I just thought it might be faster to sand or slice off nearly 1/2" of each corner beforehand. Evidently, that's not the accepted way to do it.....
Click to expand...

There is more than one way to skin a kat!!:wink: If you want to trim corners and it works for you, then go for it. What others consider acceptable really doesn't matter!!
 
I have found several times when it was prudent to cut corners (so to speak). I do it when I have glued a piece on for a center band or other laminate. There have been times I wish I had knocked off some corners. I don't use a jig for it though, I just do it on a disk sander by hand held.
 
Safely Trim Large Blanks

I think this is what you may be looking for. I submitted this a couple of years ago.
The bottom plate is a "V" groove that I cut in - with a router [can't see it in this photo],
then I placed a 45 degree angle piece of aluminum in the groove for strength.
The black piece under the bottom plate is a strip of delrin [mitre guide] this fits
in my band saw mitre slot. Just don't add the mitre guide on the bottom plate if you
want to use this jig on a table saw. Just use your fence as your guide.

My purpose for this jig was and is SAFETY. SEE MY OLD POST FROM 7-15-2007, BETTER PHOTOS

IAP is a great place!
Bozz in Fair Oaks, CA
 

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That is a slick jig, Boss; but Ray said the one he was looking for was constructed totally from aluminum. I think I will make up something like that for my table saw.:biggrin:
 
Bozz said:
I think this is what you may be looking for. ...

My purpose for this jig was and is SAFETY. SEE MY OLD POST FROM 7-15-2007, BETTER PHOTOS

Bozz in Fair Oaks, CA
Click to expand...

Bozz, Thanks for sharing your holding jig. Like some, I like making jigs, it's part of the fun being in the shop. Heck, I'll find a jig I made 20 years ago and wonder what on earth I used it for!

While cutting the corners away from a piece of cheap straight grain wood probably won't call for a trip to the bandsaw, the 4 minute detour to the saw using this jig is cheap insurance especially when having three + hours invested in a 21 piece segmented blank! Good job!
 
Bozz said:
I think this is what you may be looking for. I submitted this a couple of years ago.
The bottom plate is a "V" groove that I cut in - with a router [can't see it in this photo],
then I placed a 45 degree angle piece of aluminum in the groove for strength.
The black piece under the bottom plate is a strip of delrin [mitre guide] this fits
in my band saw mitre slot. Just don't add the mitre guide on the bottom plate if you
want to use this jig on a table saw. Just use your fence as your guide.

My purpose for this jig was and is SAFETY. SEE MY OLD POST FROM 7-15-2007, BETTER PHOTOS

IAP is a great place!
Bozz in Fair Oaks, CA
Click to expand...
How do you trim the fourth side?
 
I have a 8" disk/belt sander. I take down the corners (and alot of the wood depending on the pen type) with the belt sander portion. This has saved me alot of time on the lathe since I start out with a roundish blank, and no jigs to build.
 
3D Design Plans Blank Trimmin Sled

Here are the design drawings in 3D for those interested in making their own sled:
My thanks to my good friend, Paul Torrigino, for making these fine drawings. Paul
is the former Art Director for Disneyland. He has created projects for Disney all
over the world.

IAP is a great place!
Bozz in Fair Oaks, California
 

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The only time I round or shave off a corner to a blank is if the blank is going to be troublesome.:mad: Like one of my laminate pen blanks that have small pieces glued together.

If I see that it could possibly be a problem. I just use the belt sander and sand of the corners.:biggrin:
 
Hey Boss:

You never responded to Rick's question about any special problem when trimming the fourth corner?? Any problem or does the 4th corner trim just like the other three?
 
Trimming the 4th side

Randy,

It's not really a problem. Cut four is just as easy as cuts one through three.
If you look at my diagram you'll notice that the pen blank rests securely in the
base plate as pressure is maintained by the top plate while the cut is made.

A very good question. One that I did not consider since I have had the benefit
of using the jig for the past couple of years -- so conceptually I can see how
this would become a concern.

DRAWING NOT TO SCALE - FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY

IAP is a great place!
Bozz in Fair Oaks, California
 

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Rounding Blanks

I have a small router with a 5/8 straight bit mounted on my cross slide and I can turn from 3/4 square to 5/8 round in one pass. This has cut my rough turning time down a whole lot.

Just my .02

Chris
 
Round off jig

Bozz said:
Randy,

It's not really a problem. Cut four is just as easy as cuts one through three.
If you look at my diagram you'll notice that the pen blank rests securely in the
base plate as pressure is maintained by the top plate while the cut is made.

A very good question. One that I did not consider since I have had the benefit
of using the jig for the past couple of years -- so conceptually I can see how
this would become a concern.

DRAWING NOT TO SCALE - FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY

IAP is a great place!
Bozz in Fair Oaks, California
Click to expand...

Thanks for taking the time to show this jig. It's obvious that a lot of effort went into this description.
 
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