Drilling Pen Blanks

I use the drill press. Using an awl I make a mark as close to the center as possible. It's going to be turned round so exact center isn't that important if the blank is large enough. I hold the blank with with a wood clamp. The tubes (Slimline) are 2".

Fair warning, I haven't turned enough pens to be classified as real knowledgeable but they do seem to be turning out just fine.

Stuart Johnson Red Oak, Texas

Slim Line tubes are about 2-1/8 here. I do have some shoreter tubes, but the slim line don't retract fully if I use them. But that's not the real problem.

I too have one of those table DPs, the elchepo that don't have even 2" of quill. I've notched my wood handscrew so the pen blank is held vertically. I drill about as far as I can go - clearing frequently - then raise the handscrew and insert a 3/4" piece of wood under it, all this with the drill press still running. This lift now allows me to finish drilling through the blank. Do it quickly so as to not overheat the drill in the blank. Yup, it's inconvenient, but till I sell enough pens to buy a REAL drill press it will have to do.

mike

Tom, I got involved with the Freedom Pen Project and recently turned about 60 pens. I spent the money at Woodcraft and bought the pen drilling vise. You set it up by putting the drill in the drill press, closing the vise up on the bit, then clamp the vise to the drill press table. The vise jaws move equally apart so that the center is always lined up with the bit. No marking, no changing for different size blanks, no moving for out of square blanks, it's a beauty!!!!!! High drill bit speed and slow feed rates worked the best for me. No scrap with 120 drillings!! Some of them are 1/2" square.

Assuming you need to cut the full-size blank for top and bottom pieces....

Hold (1/2) blank in 4-jaw chuck.

Have drill in Jacob's chuck in tailstock. Don't use the quill. Just grab the tailstock and push it towards the blank using hand pressure.

(Bill Cherry taught me this).

Tom, You've gotten some good advice. If you still find that these don't work for you you can buy pre-drilled pen blanks from places like Packard Woodworks and Penn State Industries. They're pre-drilled and already round to give you a headstart. Just another idea.

-Jim Gott- San Jose, CA

Exactly how I do it. Having the backer board under it helps with blowout. Just make sure it's square with the drill press and you have your clamp on the blank tight. For some reason, I've never had the problems with blowout, breakthroughs and heat that many others have had with drilling. No idea why. Must be something different though.

I only do a few dozen pens/pencils a month now but I'm well over the 2500 mark. Certainly not even close to the number of the people that do this for a living.

- Andrew