African Blackwood Burl Vertex Pen

[Peter Hay in Aus]

My very first departure from Slimlines made from Blackwood Burl ( I know you cant see the Burling but it is there trust me)

I made a Pen Mill to cut hexes from a mini metal lathe fitted to my Chinese Mill Drill using a small finishing Router from a mount on the Quill with the modified lathe that has a 72 tooth gear for indexing mounted on the X Y table. At 76 years my idea of fun.

Enjoy. Peter.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Peter - that sure is one good looking pen! Love the black on chrome! Very nice work! Glad to hear you are having fun!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Peter that is a great looking pen. Well done.

[David E Keller]

I love it. The hex shape of the blackwood really sets it apart. I hope I get that pen in the pen exchange:D

[John Keeton]

Peter, now that one is unique!!! I don't know much about the pen kits, but did you put the facets on the kit as well, or just the blackwood?

[Donny Lawson]

Neat looking pen. I would like to see a how you make those.
Donny

[Allen Neighbors]

Please say, again, all after, " I made a Pen Mill...." I got confused after that... :D
Really nice pen... a real Man's Pen!! Glad you're having fun.

[Peter Hay in Aus]

:DJohn the name of the Penkit is as is Vertex as sold by PSI..Donny here is how I made the Pen on my Pen Mill and lathe. Allen an explanation.

I made an outrigger clamp in 1/2 inch aluminium clamped to the Quill of the mill. The normal milling cutter is removed for easy use this way. Fitted a Makita finishing Router 30,000 rpm clamped in place on the right of the Quill.
Using a small Clisby Metal Lathe modified with a fixed 1/4 inch drill chuck to the head stock shaft, built a frame onto the head stock to fit a 72 tooth gear to create an indexing tool held in place by a small matching gear.

So now I have used a conventional mandrel 1/4 inch for Slimlines half at a time. (for the Vertex 3 inch long had to adjust and modify again to hold the 3/8 inch tubed blank. Note carefully I sleeved the tail stock to recess the mandrel as a snug fit in the brass sleeve to hold the mandrel in position) I lock the pen blank onto the shaft of the mandrel to stop radial twisting. I have a thing about live centres and mandrels and always sleeve into a live centre normally by about 3/8 of an inch believing that 60 degree entry into a mandrel as rubbish.

The brass knob on the top right was a flight of fancy,then I made an aluminium thick turned piece to shift the mandrel around connected to the headstock shaft.

With the small lathe bolted to a thick piece of aluminium for a base it sits on the table bolted either end. So now I have up and down movement of the Router as well as the X and Y axis on the bed giving all the move controls needed. Since this pic I installed a digital read out on the up and down movement for accuracy.

Bet your sorry now you asked. Regards Peter.

[Norm Zax]

Thanks for showing! Beautiful pen and nicely accomplished!

[James Combs]

Please say, again, all after, " I made a Pen Mill...." I got confused after that... :D
Really nice pen... a real Man's Pen!! Glad you're having fun.


:DJohn the name of the Penkit is as is Vertex as sold by PSI..Donny here is how I made the Pen on my Pen Mill and lathe. Allen an explanation.

I made an outrigger clamp in 1/2 inch aluminium clamped to the Quill of the mill. The normal milling cutter is removed for easy use this way. Fitted a Makita finishing Router 30,000 rpm clamped in place on the right of the Quill.
Using a small Clisby Metal Lathe modified with a fixed 1/4 inch drill chuck to the head stock shaft, built a frame onto the head stock to fit a 72 tooth gear to create an indexing tool held in place by a small matching gear.

So now I have used a conventional mandrel 1/4 inch for Slimlines half at a time. (for the Vertex 3 inch long had to adjust and modify again to hold the 3/8 inch tubed blank. Note carefully I sleeved the tail stock to recess the mandrel as a snug fit in the brass sleeve to hold the mandrel in position) I lock the pen blank onto the shaft of the mandrel to stop radial twisting. I have a thing about live centres and mandrels and always sleeve into a live centre normally by about 3/8 of an inch believing that 60 degree entry into a mandrel as rubbish.

The brass knob on the top right was a flight of fancy,then I made an aluminium thick turned piece to shift the mandrel around connected to the headstock shaft.

With the small lathe bolted to a thick piece of aluminium for a base it sits on the table bolted either end. So now I have up and down movement of the Router as well as the X and Y axis on the bed giving all the move controls needed. Since this pic I installed a digital read out on the up and down movement for accuracy.

Bet your sorry now you asked. Regards Peter.


Ditto on Allen's "say again". It must be the Aussie accent:rolleyes::D Still didn't catch it all even on the second round.:confused: However, the photo was a big help. It cleared up a lot.;)

Great looking pen Peter.

[Karl Card]

My very first departure from Slimlines made from Blackwood Burl ( I know you cant see the Burling but it is there trust me)

I made a Pen Mill to cut hexes from a mini metal lathe fitted to my Chinese Mill Drill using a small finishing Router from a mount on the Quill with the modified lathe that has a 72 tooth gear for indexing mounted on the X Y table. At 76 years my idea of fun.

Enjoy. Peter.

the burling.... may not see it but I bet your tools knew it was there...lol

[Peter Hay in Aus]

African Blackwood is tame and easy compared with Ebony no where near as brittle and unpredictable drills well cuts beaut finishes well, no problems.:D

Regards Peter.

[Paul Douglass]

Peter that is the finest Vertex I've seen and I've made a couple. I though about a hex blank for one or a partially hex one but don't know how I would go about it with my limited equipment. Now I know how it would look I have to come up with something to work it with. Great pen.

[Billy Tallant]

Great looking pen!