Parting For Pen Cap?

[dale]

Guys:

If you have to part off a bit from the end for a pen cap, do you part before you finish, or finish first? I seem to be getting more of a gap than I want, and I'm not sure if it's because I'm going in the wrong order, or I'm just really bad at this.

[DonHo]

I'm sorry but I don't understand the question. I have only turned pens using a mandrel and bushings. I turn the pen blank down to the size of the bushings. I don't know what you are refering to when you mention "parting off".

DonHo

[dale]

I've been making some of these, and I have to remove about 3/16th from one end of the blank that will be the cap; two decorative bands go into the empty space between what's left of the blank and the screwy (threaded) part of the cap.

I'm not sure if I'm not parting squarely, or if I'm doing OK with that part but get a rounded end after applying several coats of BLO/CA. The decorative rings aren't sitting snugly up against the blank like I would like them to, so I wondered if I should try finishing before parting, but didn't know what effect that would have on things.

[final_t]

I understand what you're talking about. I make a lot of these kinds of pens, and have this down pretty cold.

(For the others that don't know, for these kinds of pens and a few others, you have to take off the 3/16" mentioned down to the brass tube in order to mount the center ring combo part - instead of it going into the tube, it goes outside on it).

I may be telling you stuff you already know.

You will need a parting tool. I use either the Sorby thin kerf tool, or else the
1/8" tool from the 3 piece pen turning kit - woodcraft sells both. This will help with the "squaring up" problem. If, after this, you find that the shoulder is not square when you put on the center band, check your mandrel. I tend to undercut mine just a frog hair so that there are no gaps.

The *critical* tool is actually a good set of calipers. You will need this for both the problem you're having with the center band, and with the diameter of "tube #1 matching the center band" according to the instructions.

What I do, when parting the piece, is turn to where I like the shape and taper into the bushing. Part the thing off, then stop the lathe. Measure the outside diameter of the center band, and compare it to what you have for the parted off bit where these two will meet. It helps a lot if you re-zero the calipers to the size of the band, so you know exactly how much to take off. Sneak up onto this, and leave some for sanding and such.

Now, the other critical point is the "tube #1" stuff. Again, use the calipers on the *INSIDE* bit of the center band where the tube #1 would go into, and work the same process. Here, a little bit less is not a problem, but not enough is.

And practice, practice, practice! Also keep an eye on Bear Tooth Woods for sales on these kits if you like'em - they are the same ones that Woodcraft rebrands.

[dale]

That's very helpful; thank you. I'm embarrassed to say it, but it looks like a good starting point for me would be to move the tool rest back a little so that the parting tool can rest on the part that's still perpendicular to the cutting edge. D'oh! Now, I'll have to see if I can find my calipers...