Ok guys and ladies, here's whats been getting my feathers in a ruffle this week.

 

Used to when I used the standard barrel trimmer from PSI, it would trim things up nice and neat with no troubles, then i started having trouble with the trimmer taking too much off one side of the blank while leaving the other side fairly flush (on the same end of the blank), and now I am having trouble with it taking the wood PAST the edge of the tube AND not making it square as well. What the heck is going on here, and what is a solution to this please????

 

 

Standard 3/4" barrel trimmer from PSI

 

Here we have a nice piece of Cocobolo that has been trimmed to meet the tube. Only problem is that the trimmer has trimmed the wood away from the side of the tube exposing it, rather than trimming it flush.

 

Not only is the trimmer trimming the wood away from the tube, but it is also trimming the tube lopsided. Here we have a finished pen that now looks like crud, because the trimmer is trimming one edge flush but then "dipping down" on the other side as shown here with the nib meeting wood nicely on one side but on the right, the wood is too low.

 

Now, I will say that the problem with the trimmer exposing the tube ONLY happens in the 7mm pens, but the lopsided  trimming happens on ALL pens now.

 

Thanks for reading. No more pens will be made by me until i can get these issues resolved, as I am not used to making "crud".

 

 

 

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Charles

It appears to me that the wood may be tearing out at the end.  The mill will only cut square when lined up properly.  I'm assuming you're using a 7mm tube and 7mm cutter?  If so, they should line up perfectly.

 

When you are close to the final cuts, slow down and use light pressure.

 

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Semper fi
www.swearingen-turnings.com

It appears as though you are using pen tubes or some sort of tube as a spacer to fit the various blank sizes.

Look in the spacer tube and see if the tubes are scored internaly.

I hate to assume anything but are you using a hand drill with the pen mill? If your spacer tubes are scored on the inside and your using a hand drill then you are not keeping the pen mill and drill square to the blank. Just my observation.

Also is your pen mill flutes square and sharp?

Many of the hardwoods when overheated creat a hardened coating due to the oils and resins in the wood. As Jason states use lite pressure.

Try it in a drill press.  I missed the part where you're using a hand drill; it's easy to let the drill wobble when using it.

 

 

 

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Semper fi
www.swearingen-turnings.com

Ah.

 

Try this, then.  Get a Jacob's chuck for the lathe.  They're about $20 at HF.  Mount the mill in the chuck and use the tail stock to push the tube into the mill.  Use a pair of pliers to keep the blank from spinning.

 

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Semper fi
www.swearingen-turnings.com

Ha!  Yeah, it keeps me out of trouble.  Most of the time.

 

For using your lathe to square the ends, mount a dead (or live) center in your tailstock.  Place the blank over the mill, hold it with pliers (protects your fingers!) and advance the quill on the tailstock.  Do it gently, so you don't damage the opposite end of the brass tube.

 

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Semper fi
www.swearingen-turnings.com

Charles I believe Jason is telling you to mount the pen mill in the jacobs chuck in the head stock and the live center or deadcenter into the tail stock, then place the blank on to the cone of the live center and advance the tailstock quill shaft while holding it with pliers with the lathe turning the pen mill. Advance the quill shaft gently so you dont flare out the tube. With the tube on the cone of the livecenter or dead center it will stabalize the blank and keep it true to the pen mill. This is assuming the tail stock is true to the head stock.

Oh, I'm sorry.  I'm a little slow today.  I forgot that the mill's guide rod will hit the dead center if in the tube.  Ignore my last...

 

 

 

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Semper fi
www.swearingen-turnings.com

The reason that the trimmer is exposing the barrel on a 7mm tube is because there a gap between the pilot and the trimmer head.  I usually don't worry about that because the small amount of brass comes off when I de-burr the tubes.  I use a de-burring tool to do that but you can do it with a craft knife. 

 

As to why your mill is not cutting square I can offer only guesses.  First is an incorrect sized pilot.  7mm pilot and 7mm I.D. should be correct but check to be sure that the pilot is a tight fit into the tube. 

Second dried glue in the tube. Please don't rely on the pilot to remove glue from the ID of the tube.  If you can get the pilot into the tube there is no way it can get all the glue.  Use a craft knife, brass tube brush, or a rat tail file to make sure ALL glue is removed.  This wont help with squaring the ends, but will help cure misalignment problems on assembling the pens. 

Third.  You are trimming WAY to much with the trimmer.  Cut your blanks to within 1/16th of the tube size.  That way you will only have a 32nd or so to trim on the ends.  Cut your blank ends as square as you can to begin and drill a straight centered hole.  The squarer you start the easier to square at the end. 

Is your mill sharp?  It appears to be by the amount of blank you are removing.  A touch up may be in order though.  Here is a link to touch up you pen mill. 

 

I hope this helps.

Another way around this might be to trim it down just proud of the tube, mount it between centers, and use a parting tool to square the ends.  You'll need a narrow (1/16") parting tool to keep from hitting the centers.

 

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Semper fi
www.swearingen-turnings.com

How are you cutting your blanks?  From your photo the blanks look to to be fairly square and straight sided.  I know you don't have a lot of room so would something like a miter box help you to get straighter cuts?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yea thats what i thought the tube is riding between the head and the shaft, the question is/was how to fix that

 

I don't think there is a fix for the tube riding between the pilot and the trimmer with 7mm tubes.  What little tube you expose can be removed when you deburr the ends.  I use one of these.

 

 

 

 

Remember you just want to trim just untill the tube is shinny.  If you trim to much on some kits, cigar lower, for example your nib will extend to far.

 

Oh and yes, its a brand new trimmer head.

I hate to say it but this may be your problem.  If you haven't changed anything else, and you have just now experienced failures it may be what is causing it.

 

I use a bandsaw to cut my blanks also.  I use a sled to square one end and cut it to match the barrel legnth plus 1/16th.  He is a picture of the one I use.