Bob Nickell, Gerald Chandler: June 22, 2013
Pen Turning: Bob Nickell
The lathe is faster for drilling blanks than a drill press. Bob uses dental wax to plug the ends of the brass tube and epoxies it into the blank. The blank is trimmed to length using a barrel trimmer
Bob mounts the blank between a cone dead center at the headstock and a cone live center on the tailstock. That way if there is a catch, the barrel is not damaged as it would be if he were using a mandrel and bushings. He checks the diameter with calipers.
Bob's favorite finsh for pens is CA glue. After sanding to 600 grit, he applies 5-10 coats of CA glue using a lint-free applicator that has been dampened with linseed oil. He sometimes uses 3 coats of Hut Crystal Coat on wood and always uses Flitz polish for brass barrels.
The lathe is faster for drilling blanks than a drill press. Bob uses dental wax to plug the ends of the brass tube and epoxies it into the blank. The blank is trimmed to length using a barrel trimmer
Bob mounts the blank between a cone dead center at the headstock and a cone live center on the tailstock. That way if there is a catch, the barrel is not damaged as it would be if he were using a mandrel and bushings. He checks the diameter with calipers.
Bob's favorite finsh for pens is CA glue. After sanding to 600 grit, he applies 5-10 coats of CA glue using a lint-free applicator that has been dampened with linseed oil. He sometimes uses 3 coats of Hut Crystal Coat on wood and always uses Flitz polish for brass barrels.
Bottle Stoppers: Gerald Chandler
After drilling and tapping the blank for 3/8 x 12 threads, the blank is screwed on to a 3/8" bolt held in a Jacob's chuck in the headstock.
After the stopper has been turned to the final shape and sanded, Gerald decorates the top using a steel or copper wire to burn rings.
Gerald turns a slight recess in the bottom of the stopper to hide the joint between the cork and the stopper. Any food-safe finish can be used on the stopper.
by WVWA, a chapter of the American Association of WoodturnersReturn to the Events page