Coming soon - hand turning pens, pencils and fountain pens. In the meantime please read latest issue of Model Engineers Workshop for my article.
Learning how to Hand Turn, Just in time for Christmas!
Christmas comes but once a year and I was looking for a project that would both be challenging for me, and produce items good enough to give as Christmas presents. Last year I made a pair of 'wobblers' for my son and son -in-law bringing expectations for future handmade presents. So this year I wanted make something that I could give, but to more members of the family.
I knew that Axminster tools have a good gift section; although aimed more at the wood turner than the model engineer (they do sell 3 Stirling engine kits though), so when looking through their website I came across their pens section and decided that these may fit the bill. However before committing myself to several kits (since I am looking at 15 plus!) I thought it would be wise to try a couple first to check out the quality I could achieve, since I have never turned anything 'freehand' before. The decision to go the pen route however was made easier because Axminster Tools have an excellent video of one of their staff turning, then assembling one of their pen kits. It certainly spurred me on to have a go at hand turning.
I decided to make it a little easier for myself by buying their blank turning mandrel, barrel trimmer, and specific bushing set for the pen I chose[picture 1] rather than make my own even though these purchases added to the trial cost. However I comforted myself with the fact that the mandrel could be used for some future project.
When the parts arrived I was very impressed with the quality. The pen kit [picture 2] was very well made, indeed the main components are gold plated. The acrylic pen blanks were quite colourful and the tooling of a good quality. However I did have one problem to address before starting, I didn't have a suitable tool rest for my Myford ML7, and so producing the tool rest became the first priority. I decided that a simple construction comprising of some scrap angle iron I had, would be the answer, since I didn't want to devote too much time making a fixture if I wasn't successful in making the pens.
Tool rest To make the tool rest the first task was to weld a captive nut to a piece of 30mm x 3mm steel. This forms the underside of the rest which was welded to the inverted angle iron, forming its base. I then squared off a piece of steel in the milling machine to form the main block before drilling and tapping a 8 mm hole centrally. The bracket that is secured to the Myford cross slide itself was made from a piece of 1.25" wide x 0.25" thick scrap steel.
The height of the tool rest was set after watching the Axminster video. Their tool rest height is set to the midpoint of the piece being turned. Once the bracket was made the whole assembly was attached [Picture 3] and a trial pen produced using it. Whilst the original tool post height did produce a nice finished article, I thought for comfort that the rest be lowered for future use. Once this modification was made the whole assembly was painted with Myford green paint left over from the refurbishment of my Myford ML7 earlier in the year.
The turning tools [picture 4] recommended in the video was a ¼" bowl or spindle gouge, ½" skew and a 1/8" parting tool which I managed to source locally. Armed with the tools required I set about making my first pen. I bought a couple of spare blanks to allow for mistakes, after all I have never turned anything freehand before. In the end they were not needed as I got on better than I had hoped.
Methodology for Turning the Pens.
Before starting I had a few thoughts about safety (they now call this risk assessment!) and decided I would wear my sleeves turned up and approached the material to turn cautiously but with a firm hold on the tooling. I also invested in the special cloth that Axminster sell especially for lathe work such as pen making so to make sure I wouldn't get anything (including an arm!) dragged into the machinery. In practice though I feel it is no more dangerous than operating any other form of equipment found in the workshop, and if treated with respect, it's just as safe.
Next I made a list of the sequence to follow in making a pen from a kit of parts. The first kit I used was the 'Artisan' click pen kit consisting of 11 separate parts.
The first task was to produce the blanks ready for turning. Now these can be either wood or acrylic, [picture 5] but for my first pen I used a white acrylic blank. In the kit there are two brass tubes and these are laid on the blank, making a mark approximately 1/8" longer [picture 6] than the tubes.One tip to ensure the pattern remains the same is to mark another line in the centre of the blank so after parting them you can still line up the pattern/grain.
I used a Proxxon bandsaw to cut my first blanks but any method can be used as long as it's square to the end. Next a hole was drilled in the centre of the two blanks, corresponding to the diameter of the brass tubes. Once drilled the brass tube was set in place using thick superglue [picture 7].
When the glue had set each end needed trimming so the acrylic/wood is flush with the brass tube [picture 8] and I used the tool purchased for this purpose, held loose in a chuck held in the hand. This is an important step since if the material is proud of the brass tube you may get a malfunction of the clicking mechanism (it happened to me on my 3rd pen) when it's assembled.
Both blanks were then put onto the mandrel, with their orientation lined up using the centre mark made earlier [picture 9] making sure the bushes were fully home. The rear of the mandrel was supported with a live centre in the tail stock. I will admit to some apprehension before switching the lathe on and picking up the gouge tool for the first, nervous cuts but in the end, like many things, the reality did not match the apprehension felt beforehand. Indeed it was both enjoyable and therapeutic, if messy. Once the square edges had been removed with the gouge chisel the tool was changed to the ½" skew chisel to complete the turning. The final stage on the lathe was to bring the two parts to a polished finish. I used a foam covered sanding block [picture 10] before graduating to wet 'n' dry paper in 180, 360, 800, 1500 and 2000 grades. The last two sanding operations were lubricated by using a spray polish, although Axminster sell a burnishing product ideal for the final polish, best done with the special safety cloth for use on lathes [picture 11 -the safety cloth].
Removing the two finished parts from the mandrel, it was over to the bench to assemble the pen. This is where the quality of the kit really showed itself, the parts were a tight push fit, but there is no fear of the parts coming loose. To help with the assembly I laid out the pen parts in their order [picture 12]. To make sure no damage occurred when pressing the parts together I made a pair of wooden jaws for the bench vice, although you can buy a special press for this job if you wish (or make your own).
The first stage was to press the pen tip into the barrel [picture 13], being careful to ensure the fitting and blank are in line. With a gentle approach, linked with constant alignment checks, this was soon completed with little drama. Next, the centre threaded joint was screwed together, then pressed into position. Once the part was fully home, the joint was unscrewed and the free part pressed into the top blank using the wooden jaws as before.
There were lessons learned during my embryonic freehand turning experience and you may find them of interest if you decide to have a go. At the beginning of each pen, sharpen both the gouge and skew chisels. During turning keep downward pressure on the tool against the tool rest. This pressure makes quite a difference when controlling the cut. The gouge tool is best held with the handle low and the tool face high when making the first cuts on the square blank. The gouge will remove material quite quickly so I only use it for the roughing stage, whereas the skew is a useful tool used with its front edge or even its whole blade width, to get a nice parallel cut. By moving the handle of the chisel low to high you can vary its cutting action and it's something you have to experience to understand really. A twist of the wrist when using the gouge tool can be useful especially at the end of cuts.
Finally, at the end of a session I clean the chisels and lightly oil with Camellia oil before storing them away. Whilst my tools may be cheap they are HSS, and therefore you can get a nice edge to them.
General observations on the pens made so far.
Remember to line up the blanks pattern when pressing in the centre screw joint. When turning to a profile remember the pocket clip and its clearance to the diameter of the pen. If it's too thick the clip won't sit right. The middle gold plated ring of the 'Artisan' pen can be inset (i.e. the body on either side can be thicker than the centre ring) but remember to take the edge off the gap, to save it being sharp. Also I wouldn't use white acrylic for a thin pen profile since the brass barrel can be seen through it, if you're not careful. Finally, different acrylic blanks can cut differently. Some 'mixed' bars have a normal feel during turning but then soft parts can be found during the cut.
My experience of freehand turning and pen making has been a bit of an eye opener for me. Normally I do not like wood at all. However when turning it I find the freedom of using the tools freehand, very satisfying. So much so that my thoughts are turning (sorry) to making a wood turning lathe in the future (I would love to turn a large wooden bowl) and I count my pen sessions as a real treat. Something I would never have thought of when setting out just to make a few gifts.
Finally, I have no relationship with Axminster tools other than that of a previous customer and I have no doubt that other suppliers can be found for pen kits and blanks.
Below is the text of my recent article published in Model Engineer Workshop.
