[Woodworkers] Pen stuff

[Roy Shrove]

Tom,

As you get into Pen Turning there is another critical diameter you will
need to be on the watch for. The *diameter *of your mandrel bushings. As
you use them, it is VERY VERY easy, especially when you are relatively new
to pen turning, to "accidently " allow your sandpaper to slightly overlap
the gap between the wood and your "Target" size represented by the various
mandrel pieces. Because your fingers are sooo much more sensitive and
accurate than your eyes, you will be able to feel the size variance between
the wooden parts and their adjoining bands, decorations and what not in
even small micron level differences.  I found out that a good "Rule of
thumb" is to measure your various mandrel pieces as soon as you take them
out of their micro-mini 'Ziplock Bags" the first time then note the various
sizes in your preferred number scale (i.e. Inches, Millimeters, Microns,
Hairs of the dog, whatever makes it easy for you.)  For myself, I .created
a 3-ring binder with all of the various manufacturers' instructions and on
each corresponding sheet, I wrote the original sizes down on the
illustration of the instructions where it shows the order of placement of
the mandrel pieces. It became rather tedious to create, but that documented
notebook of instructions saved my butt more than once - not to mention
several pieces of irreplaceable wood I had been hording for that "Special
Project"   There is even at least one company (PennState maybe??) that
sells phenolic mandrel blanks you can use to create/re-create that one
special mandrel that is too small from accidental "overuse". I just used a
set of cheap Harbour Freight digital calipers to make my measurements -
worked like a charm and I never had to worry about too small mandrels in
the middle of the night when I was finishing the last of <insert ## here>
of those special hand-made pens that SWMBO needed first thing in the
morning for some white-elephant gift exchange or some such nonsense.
(DAMHIKT!!)

Good luck once again Tom and hope this helps and good luck with your new
addiction!!.

Roy

On Wed, Aug 22, 2018 at 2:46 PM Tom Lovelace via Woodworkers <
woodworkers at lists.sawdusters.org> wrote:

> Steve: I wondered about the oversized center band. Will check the other 9
> slim-line kits in the shop in a little while.
> Thanks !
> TomL
>
> On Aug 22, 2018, at 11:37 AM, Steve Bigelow via Woodworkers <
> woodworkers at lists.sawdusters.org> wrote:
>
>
> The center band -- you may have used the wrong bushings here as the wood
> should be the same diameter as the center band, or very close to it.
>
>
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