Pen Drilling Ideas

Mike Rathe

Member
Messages
22
Location
Columbia, SC
Ok so I dont wanna buy a pen drilling jig, those things run about fifty bucks, but after trying to drill them myself and ruining several nice pen blanks I need some help, what do you guys suggest when trying to drill the pen blank for the insertion of the brass tube!
Thanks
 
If you're using a drill press you could just put the blank in a handscrew like the ones shown here:

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Just be sure the blank is plumb to the drill bit and you should be good to go.:thumb:
 
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I just use a cheap little drill press vise similar to this one:

1e92671a-fbc7-463d-b07f-d22f4b83fa97_300.jpg

I put a thin piece of wood underneath the bottom end of the blank so I'm not drilling into the gap in the middle or the cast iron vise on either side...it also helps prevent blowout. I don't usually anchor the vise - I just position it by eye and hold it by hand. I do use a drill press. I don't think I'm good enough with a hand-held drill to do it without a press.
 
I had one from Rockler that was about $12 and made to attach to their drill press fence. Since I didn't have the table and fence at the time I used a pocket hole setup and screwed it down to a piece of 3/4 plywood.
 
I'd Buy the pen vise

I thought like you but broke down and bought the pen drilling vise when it was on sale for $40. If you have a bunch of pens to do it is a real time saver. You set it up on the drill press and can go through a bunch of blanks in a hurry because it self centers every time. I had a big order for pens for Christmas and it saved me a lot of time.

Just my $.02
 
I have the Rockler one. Works great as a drilling vise, not so good as an assembly tool. I had the jaw mar a nib when I tried it as a press. I just use a parallel clamp for a press. Rockler does on line coupons every so often so I got mine for way less than list.
 
Dale said, in part about pens, "I just use a parallel clamp for a press. "

You do what? :eek:
You once gave me a pen press that is much used and more so, appreciated. Howzit you don't have one of yer own? :huh:
 

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Dale said, in part about pens, "I just use a parallel clamp for a press. "

You do what? :eek:
You once gave me a pen press that is much used and more so, appreciated. Howzit you don't have one of yer own? :huh:

I've always had better luck with sneaking up on tranny depth with the clamp that the press. Nothing I hate worse than knocking a tranny back out. Plus I had a tendancy to crunch trannys with the press. Glad you enjoy it.
 
Hey Mike, sorry it took so long, it's been a bad week for me. My knee has been giving me fits, I'm finally able to walk on it again.

Anyway here are the pic's. The notches are 3/4", 7/8" and 1". You may want to add a 1/2" or 5/8" depending on what you work with, I have had to shim some smaller blanks that wouldn't tighten in the 3/4" notch.

If you have any more ?'s feel free to ask. Good Luck and let me see what you end up with. Tony
 

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I bought a special vise custom made for pen blanks (about $80). I love it since it is more accurate than any I've seen or read about, but still do about half my drilling on the lathe.
 
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