I really don't know how to start this other than to say that I was trying to turn a pen in curly maple. everything was going fine until i get near the end of the turning and about to get ready for sanding.

The front half appeared fine while the back half had ridges in it about like a dogs backbone with a few pits next to that.

I decided to go forward with the sanding, i got rid of the ridges, but the pits in that piece are still there, smaller, but there. is there anyone here that has made any turning out of curly maple? Is there any way to avoid the pits?

 

It's probably a problem with tool sharpness but i tried sharpening them last night.

 

Thanks all.

 

 

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Charles

Welcome to curly maple Charles. It happens. Tools must be sharp and take a fine cut. Some curly is worse then others. Just the nature of the beast. I work with it everyday and sometimes the best plans will not work. Don't be discouraged. I can always send you more.

 

Interesting story, had a guy and his family drive up from Chicago today for my scrap wood. I think I made him a happy guy. Filled the back of his jeep with wood. Makes my day when I can help somebody like that. bob

 

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Bob Kloes
www.bobkloes.com

Very nice looking pen Charles.

 

Looks like you were getting a little chip out from the curly maple. Real sharp tools and a very light touch will help that. It is as Bob said the nature of the beast though.

 

 To help with the clip, I keep a round file and have to touch them up sometimes a little to make it easier to press them in. Are you using a pen press?

 

I got you address and will put you a box of blanks together this week and mail them to you.

 

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John Moody
John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

I would suggest if you are not able to get the clip to fit, that you return the pen kit for a replacement. If you mail ordered, then maybe try another source in the future. Not much use for a pen without a clip.

You can purchase a kit that allows you to disassemble pens. After you see one or get one you will see how to make other pieces to do other pen styles. I used some nails that I modified to punch out transmission and other parts of the different kinds of pens.


Charles Nicholls said:

Hi John, Yes I do need to get me a very small round diamond file, It would make it much easier to work around some things. Yea I'm using PSI's V4 press.

No rush on the blanks, I'm not out of wood yet

 

Leo, The kits in question are the gold fancy slimline kits and thankfully it is not happening to all of them. I actually got this batch from a guy on eBay that was selling out his slimline stock to switch to a Patrizio, as he said they looked better and seemed to be easier to put together. Also, the pen looks great laying on a desk, clip or not

On the subject of Patrizio pens, I turned my first one today, and was not satisfied at all with it. Apparently the wood was not trimmed straight even though I used a barrel trimmer to even up the ends, so when it was put together of course it looked like crud with the gaps between parts.

 

Question for all the pen turners here. What do you use to take a pen apart if you ever have to? I simply use my hand to hold the pen, a dis-assembly punch and a  hammer. I usually have a problem with either the nib or the mechanism not wanting to come out of the tube, and wind up throwing one or the other away simply because it wont budge.

 

Thanks all!

 

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Charles

You have received some good advice so far.  I will attempt to build on it.

As the rest said try to avoid pits with sharp tools and light cuts.  If you do get them don't try to sand them out.  Fill them with tiny drops of thick CA.  Once filled and cured shave them down with a sharp gouge and level them with a sharp skew placed on its side like a scraper.  You will get thin wisps of CA.  You will be able to tell when you get them smooth. 

 

The ridges you are getting is either from dull tools or a flexing mandrel.  Usually dull tools cause the mandrel to flex because you have to press so hard.  I always sharpen just before I make the final pass.  The sharp skew used as a scraper helps to remove the ridges too.  I put pressure on the back side of the blank with my fingers to help counter act the pressure from the skew.  I rarely use a mandrel now so flex is limited.

 

Clips not fitting is usually plating build up in the hole or on the cap.  A couple swipes with a rat tail file will fix it.  I use a cone shaped stone from my Dremel set chucked in an old drill chuck to hand ream it.  Lower priced kits usually suffer from this problem.

 

For disasembly I use a transfer punch set from Harbor freight.  Pen State makes a special tool to hold the barrels.  It looks like a set of vice grips.  I do it like you though.  I hold it in my hand and knock out the components.  I do use an old piece of rubber origionally used to grip a jar lid to add extra grip.  I do this for the nib end.  Once the nib is out, the transmission can be placed in a carefully drilled hardwood block and knocked out. 

 

Hope this helps.

Greg