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Pen Plus

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173rdabn

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Nov 5, 2005
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I'm turning long spindle pens up to 8 inches in length and am having difficultly getting the drill to center the length I need to hold the ink cartridge.
I'm looking for Pen Plus which was mentioned in Small & Exciting Wooodturning Projects by James A. Jacobson. Andy Matoesian mentioned using it. It is attached to the lathe bed and has the height of the headstock. It will accommodate blanks from 5/16 to 5/8 inch square. It rotates and has a 5/32 inch diameter hole so that the drill bit can go through it and through the wood without coming out the side. It is supposed to be for sale in several supply catalogs but I haven't found it. Can you help me locate one? Thanks. Jim
 
I have not heard of the device you mention but Hut (www.hutproducts.com) has a system that attaches to the bed ways for drilling pen blanks. It appears simple and straight forward but I don't know how well it works. Frankly, I don't see how any device will help you drill a small diameter hole 8" long unless you are drilling very straight garinned material. A bit that long is going to deflect and follow the wood grain. You might try a brad point bit, very sharp, and drill halfway from each end. I have done this for long holes though not for pens. I have achieved surpisingly good accuracy though I'm not sure the tollerance is good enough for what is need to glue pen tubes.

Good luck!
 
Drilling deep holes

I assume that you are drilling a hole to take a Bic ball point pen insert?

Have you thought about cutting the length of the plastic down so the hole does not have to be so deep?

I found that just that helped the success rate of drilling the deep hole. Other things that I learned along the way was use a new or newly sharpened bit. Clean out the flutes often (if I rcall I could only get about 1/8" to 3/16" deep before I could feel the bit starting to bind. This many cleanings makes it a very boring job < Hah! get it boring!!>

Any way even with all of the precautions I still had the drill bit drift enough to come out the side.

I have one of the jigs that you are looking for. You are welcome to try it for the cost of the shipping.

Angelo
 
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