Churchill pens

[Mike Minto]

Hey, pen turners - a question or two for ye. First, anyone here turn the 'Churchill' pens from Arizona Silhoutte (or anyone else, for that matter)? Any hints/tips? My main question is this, however - will the largest 'fitting' in the pen mill kits available online work with this moose of a pen, to trim barrel ends? Thanks for any help. PS now I have to get 2 new drill bits!

[Graham Sugar]

Hi Mike
I dont think so, as I turn several of the larger pen kits and I have had to turn a mandrell for the pen mill to suit most of them
Regards
Graham

[Jim McFarland]

I've never turned a Churchill but I've done several of the Cambridge pens and IIRC they use same bushings/mandrel (B mandrel by the way -- different than most kits). I use pen mill sleeves on a standard pen mill shaft and Arizona Silhouette sells them:
http://www.arizonasilhouetteinc.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=71&products_id=1714

John at Penturner's Products sells 6" lengths of Delrin rod which are great for making your own pen mill sleeves:

http://penturnersproducts.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=16&products_id=147

I also recommend the center-to-center bushings John sells for Cambridge/Churchill pen kits -- much better IMO than using a mandrel.

Also, for the cap, be sure to use the 13.3mm bit rather than the 33/64" recommended by Berea instructions. Bill at AS does advise the 13.3mm.

One more thing: also recommend kits with the metal nib couplers -- some of the kits have plastic couplers -- all Bear Tooth Woods kits have the metal couplers and BTW also sells replacement couplers:

http://www.beartoothwoods.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=802

[Dan Forman]

Not much to add, other than this and it's brother El Grande are my two favorite kit pens to write with. Big, but not too heavy, and I like the contoured section (the part you grip). The cap will post, but it throws the whole thing way off balance, so just set the cap down to enjoy the writing experience.

Dan

[Mike Minto]

guys, thanks - i'll look into those sources and get myself up to speed on this kit that is new to me. i like the larger pens - aside from holding better in the hand (again, to me) but the larger wood gives me more to look at. (dan - what happened to your hair?:p