Wednesday's Wisdom for Woodturners

Happy Thanksgiving!

Last week I started making a set of jaw inserts to hold pen blanks- for more accurate pen blank drilling. You remember the old saying- “The best laid plans of mice….� Yep, Old Murphy strikes again.

Beautiful, isn't it?! Only problem is, I failed to read, thoroughly, Mr. Smith’s entire article before plowing ahead with my inserts. Seems his chuck was larger than mine was. So, even with my chuck fully open, insert opening is too small (just a little under .5â€). I suppose it will work for smaller blanks.

Undaunted by this setback, I decided to make a different style of holder- again from one of Mr. Smith’s articles. However, this time I made sure my chuck and holder would accept a standard size pen blank.

I made this one from salvaged ½†plywood. The silver “dots†are rare earth magnets. The magnets just hold the inserts onto the lathe chuck while getting everything in place.

These inserts worked perfectly. The drilled hole stayed on the center axis of the blank. I got so excited with everything; I forgot to take pictures of the blank and turning the pen. The customer picked up even before I had a chance to get a picture of it, too! It was a Woodcraft chrome Continental fountain pen (#153870) with Cocobolo wood. http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2084521/37189/Continental-Fountain-Pen-Kit-Chrome.aspx

Here is a link to these inserts: http://www.davidreedsmith.com/Articles/WoodAuxJaws/WoodAuxJaws.pdf

I am still trying to wrap up the Christmas presents.  All done except for the little girls next door and they are getting the “Pencil Bookshelf†from last month’s Woodcraft Magazine. There isn’t much turning involved with that project but I’ll try to remember to take some pictures.

Safe Turning!

Lew Kauffman-
Wood Turners Forum Host

Time Traveler and Purveyor of the Universe's Finest Custom Rolling Pins!