This is a simple turning project for making thoughtful gifts. The process is similar to the rotation of a pen-you drill holes in a pair of blanks, then use a spindle to rotate them, and then insert a brass tube into the hole. However, you do not need to install a pen holder, but a
perfume nozzle (can be used as a kit).
In addition to the basic turning tools, you will also need a mandrel, a bushing of the appropriate size for the perfume nozzle, and a dresser. Pen turning blanks of various wood and other materials can be purchased online and in woodworking stores. You can easily make your own blank by grinding the blank into 7/8" x 7/8" and cutting it to length. This item requires two such spaces, one is 1" long and one is 2-15/16" long.
Drill the center hole
Drilling an accurate hole in the center of the blank is the most critical part of the project. You can use a drill press and centering vise to drill these holes, but by drilling on a lathe, I got the best results. Drilling on a lathe is different from drilling on a drill press because the drill bit does not rotate. Instead, you advance the drill bit into the rotating workpiece. During this process, you will need to roll the chuck and key chuck.
First mark an "X" at one end of each blank to find its center. Cover the other end with tape to prevent the drill bit from being blown off. Center the blank in the rolling chuck by ensuring that all four jaws are engaged. Then turn on the lathe and mark the center at the end of the blank.
Install the drill chuck in the tailstock, and install a 5/16-inch drill bit (install the drill bit as deep as possible into the chuck), and make sure that the chuck is also firmly seated. Then check the alignment. Since the drill and chuck will extend approximately 6 inches beyond the tailstock, it is not uncommon for the drill to sag. If the drill bit is even slightly lower than the center, the chuck must be raised when drilling to center the drill bit correctly.
You should also plan to stop drilling every 1/2 inch or so to remove chips. When chips start to accumulate around the outside of the hole, or the lathe gets stuck or starts to squeak, it's time to stop. Be careful when retracting the drill, as the pressure from internal chips may damage the hole.
Tip: After removing the chips, be sure to re-insert the drill bit into the hole before turning on the lathe to avoid jamming the edge and damaging the hole.
When drilling a long blank, you must also stop reinstalling the drill bit so that the extended range of the drill bit is sufficient to penetrate the entire drill bit. When the drill is near the end, slow down to prevent it from blowing out. It is a good idea to mark the length of the two blanks on the shaft of the cutter head so that you know when to slow down. You can also avoid bursting by drilling holes in the middle of the ends-this method is particularly useful for brittle or powdery materials.
Prepare the gluing by sanding the rough brass tube with 220 grit sandpaper for better adhesion. Apply medium-viscosity CA glue or 5 minutes epoxy resin on the tube and screw it into the hole, which helps to evenly disperse the glue. Make sure to place the tube in the blank at both ends. After the glue has solidified, use a roller finisher to square the ends of each blank and remove any wood that extends outside the tube. You can operate the trimmer manually, but it is faster and easier to install it in a rolling chuck.
Install two blanks and three perfume nozzle bushes on a mandrel with a Morse taper. Insert the spindle into the headstock and lift the tailstock to support the other end.
Use a rough planer to turn the blank into a cylinder. Then switch to detail/spindle drilling to create contours, making the pen attractive and comfortable to hold. There is even room to add a little bit of decoration. Tilt the end down to meet the bushing to complete the work so that the rotating part matches the cap that comes with the pen spray gun kit.
Grind and finish the workpiece while it is still on the lathe. First use 180 grit sandpaper, up to 600 grit. A three-layer lightweight coating sanded with 600 grit sandpaper will provide adequate protection. It is best to wait twelve hours between each coat. Oily woods, such as cocoa polo, bocotte or ebony, only need wax.
Assemble the pen
Determine how to position the two parts by studying the grain: check the ends of the bottle cap and the barrel to find the best match. Then assemble the pen. The perfume nozzle kit includes end caps, pen nibs, containers, ceramic nozzles and O-rings. The nib and one of the end caps are threaded, so the barrel and cap will be screwed together. Make sure to install these parts so that the cover and barrel are positioned at the best angle.
Use pliers or a vise to press the metal part onto the turned part. Insert the oil storage tank into the barrel and press its end cap and threaded pen tip. Then install the ceramic applicator and complete the pen assembly.
To fill the pen, simply dip the applicator into a bottle of your favorite perfume. Every time you refill the pen, immerse it in alcohol to clean the tip of the applicator.
Beyond solid wood
Pen turning blanks have a variety of amazing alternative materials, including laminated wood, resin-infused wood, black palm, corn cob, denim, acrylic, inlaid acrylate, polyester, polymer clay, acrylic, artisan glass fiber, carbon fiber, Laser cut inlays, antlers, buffalo horns, and even rattlesnake skin.
Most of these materials need to be processed slowly and very shallow cuts are made with very sharp tools. Vigorous cutting is likely to cause chips to fall off, which may be difficult or impossible to repair. Sometimes, I use a carpenter's scraper for the last cut, so as not to cut out chips that would damage the workpiece. Some materials are somewhat chalky-using glue before cutting will help fix the surface.
The plan is to polish the replacement material to 600 grit, and then use two types of polishing agents developed for plastics to remove scratches-heavier scratch removers and excellent scratch removers.
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