new pen turner

[tody Brock]

I am finally getting everything that is needed to turn pens. I was wondering, do I need to actually use a 7mm drill bit for slimline pens and a 10mm for cigar or will a 9/32 and 25/64 drill bits work just as well.

[Brian Effinger]

You could try the imperial drill bits, but they may be a little too loose to glue in the tube. I'd try it on a scrap of wood first. I think that you'll find 9/32 is too loose for the 7mm pens. The 25/64 is pretty close though, and may work.

[Bill O'Conner]

Yes you do need the 7mm and 10 mm and I would get them in a brad point helps keep the hole strait and true.

also a little tip I would skip the slimlines and do a sierria or other larger single blank pen, only 2 bushing and most are strait pens and they show more wood grain. In my opion I think the slimline are just to small. and you can get extra tubes for most kits and if you screw up a blank just tube up an other blank, extra tubes(package) will be about the same price as a slimline kit.

any questions just PM me I'll try to help

Bill

[Paul Fitzgerald]

Yes you do need the 7mm and 10 mm and I would get them in a brad point helps keep the hole strait and true.

also a little tip I would skip the slimlines and do a sierria or other larger single blank pen, only 2 bushing and most are strait pens and they show more wood grain. In my opion I think the slimline are just to small. and you can get extra tubes for most kits and if you screw up a blank just tube up an other blank, extra tubes(package) will be about the same price as a slimline kit.

any questions just PM me I'll try to help

Bill

Edit: Doh! I didn't even answer the OP's question. Sorry 'bout that. Yes, I would certainly recommend using the correctly sized drill bit as prescribed in the kit instructions.

The following is my opinion. YMMV.

I've only done a few dozen pens, but I tend to agree with Bill. The Sierras (or Gatsbys) are great pens and I feel they're a bit easier for the beginner than the Slimlines. Sure, the kits cost more. But I feel there are a number of advantages:



There's more wood to work with on the Sierra, as they're bigger around than the Slimline.
You generally get two pens from each blank, as they use a single tube rather than two tubes with the Slimline.
The tolerances aren't as tight as with the Slimline, meaning that if you turn the blank a bit too small or a bit too large, it won't show as badly as it would on a Slimline.
The quality of the Sierra kit is better than the Slimline.



But I may be biased. :D The Sierra/Gatsby is my favorite kit.

Paul

[Brian Brown]

do I need to actually use a 7mm drill bit for slimline pens and a 10mm for cigar or will a 9/32 and 25/64 drill bits work just as well.

I would use the right size bits. Even with gap filling glues, there is a greatly increased chance of the tube popping out. Also it is a good practice because when you change to other pen styles, some have a very thin wood shell left around the tube when it is finished, and a "too big" hole might make an unwelcome appearance.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Yes use the proper size bits. I can tell you from experience.

[John Grabowski]

Use the right sized bits...They are a good investment...Cheaper to buy the right bit than always wasting time mixing epoxy to fill the gaps and then waiting for it to cure. If you use the correct bit, you can use CA and turn more product.

Time is money and money is money. Its an important question to raise before embarking.

JG

[Nigel Tracy]

I'm sure it's a case of "once you use the proper bit you can't go back" but I'll say that for my first few pens I used the imperial bits (9/32 i believe instead of the 7mm) and used 5 minute epoxy with good success.

I say if you're eager to try out turning a pen and you only have a 9/32 bit on hand, go for it. Like I said it certainly worked for my first bunch of pens without issue.

The proper bit and CA is quicker (no epoxy to mix), and cleaner too--since you aren't filling a slight gap with epoxy that sometimes gloops out the end of the blank.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I tried using the non metric bits and they absolutely do not work. Buy the proper bits, preferably brad point as mentioned before. Even if the brad point is 10 bucks and you can get a standard for a $1.25, spend the extra money. All it takes to ruin a blank is the bit to wander and gouge out your blank.
I would also reccomend the PSI pen mandrel. Variable length and fast to use. Check it out.