Starting to wonder....

[Bonnie Campbell]

How many things can go wrong making a pen! :eek::o

Busted out four blanks drilling (done incorrectly). Finally got two osage pieces drilled. Got them just about turned down to size when the wood busted off the small tube. Oh well..... Decided it was a 'learning pen', so glued the cleaned up tube in a piece of lace wood. Soooooo, get that turned down and put a finish on it all. THEN I realize I didn't cut the tenon wood off :( So, back to the lathe to turn it off. Busted THAT piece of wood off the tube (the osage). So I'm down to lace wood on the bottom, nothing but tube above. Back to my blanks. Found another piece of lace wood, drill it correctly this time :rolleyes: Turned it this morning. Cut the tenon this time.... Go to assemble it and find out I made the bugger to thick to click. So, rasped and sanded it down to size. NOW it'll work. Looks terrible, but learned a lot on it.

Classic American Click (AKA: "Gangster" pen, Bonnie Parker filler)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/annieoakley/Crafts/AmerClickFirst.jpg

[Paul Heely]

If it makes you feel any better Bonnie there are still lots more things that can go wrong :D

I'm sure you learned a lot and most importantly you didn't give up. Your next one will be easier and better and then the one after that and so on. Hang on to this one so you can see how much you've progressed.

Good luck, keep turning and posting pics.

[Bonnie Campbell]

And I didn't mention having to disassemble the clip end twice..... I have found another use for the pen tube insertion tool ;) And who said I didn't need one! lol

Don't worry, this pen is mine to hide in my purse. Now I just need to get the 8 ordered ones done :eek:

[Paul Heely]

Seeing as you have 8 more to do I think I was mistaken. There is nothing else to go wrong, everything that can go wrong has and the other pens will have no problems. ;)

[Mike A. Smith]

Bonnie, it sounds like you have your problems worked out, but I thought I would pass this on for what it's worth...

I ordered some snakewood to make a couple of special pens for LOML. There was an insert in the package warning against using a brad point pit to drill it because the point would cause the blank to crack when it came out the other end. The reason given was the wood was very hard. I haven't turned OO before but from what I've read on here sounds like it might have the same problem. Of course I only have brad points in the correct size, so I plan to cut the blank long, drill it deep (but not through) and then cut it to length.

[Harvey M. Taylor]

Yessirrebob, some days you are the dog, other days you are the fire hydrant,damhikt, Max

[Nancy Laird]

Bonnie, you've made a good start with the first finished one under your belt, and you've finished a pen that you can carry. Just hang onto it and in a week or so, you'll see how far you have progressed. I really like that style of pen, but I haven't made any clickers. I think I'm gonna have to order some!!

I have heard the same thing about drilling blanks with a brad-point bit--don't do it. Are you drilling on the drill press or....?

Nancy (137 days)

[Bonnie Campbell]

Seeing as you have 8 more to do I think I was mistaken. There is nothing else to go wrong, everything that can go wrong has and the other pens will have no problems. ;)

Thanks for straightening that out Paul! lol

Isn't that what they sell for pen blank drilling? The brad points? Whatever woodcraft sells. Oh, I don't think the bit was my problem. Jury rigging clamps to hold it on the drill press was... Then I had that LITTLE problem of not knowing how to use the drill chuck on the lathe..... Once I was kindly told how to use it I could drill a straight hole into the blank. I'm hoping if I drill slow enough my osage will hold up. I've got 4 of them to make, two clicks and a couple havanas :rolleyes:

Good thing I finally looked close at my other click kits. One was missing a tube. I'll say this for Woodcraft, they said they'd send me another whole kit, no problem. Now THAT'S my kind of business.

[Barry Elder]

Hi Bonnie,

Have used 3 or 4 different kinds of drill bits on pen blanks and the only ones that worked well were the ones that were sharp. Couldn't afford a fancy vise so a friend sold me an 8" Jorgensen hand -screw clamp. It works fine. Be patient when you are drilling and keep the chips out of the hole.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Another thing Bonnie that might help when drilling is to cut your blanks 1/2" longer. Put a piece of masking tape for just a little over the depth you need to drill on your drill bit. In other words if your blank is to be cut 1 3/4" long I make mine 2 1/4". I always mark my drill bit to where I stop 1/4" from the end. Then before I glue the tube in I cut the blank on the end the drill didn't come thru to length and you have no blow out. Just a trick I got from a kind gentleman on another forum. Haven' t blown one out since no matter which bit I use.