First Pen, First Problem

[szeryyy]

Hello,

 

Here's my first attempt. The pen is not ideal, but at least fully functional. I do not have a lot of tools yet, so I have to improvise a little.

 

The biggest problem is with centering the drilling hole. I set the center and use center drill. Anyway, the wall thickness is different (see photo, you will see that section on one side of the wall is thicker and the other thinner). And when you screw section to the body you will see that they are not aligned. I'm not sure what the problem is, poor chuck quality? Unstable table creates vibration ?

 

Best regards

 

http://images68.fotosik.pl/392/c80eaf0c798c9b70m.jpg http://images69.fotosik.pl/393/d8d9211ca6580bdam.jpg http://images68.fotosik.pl/392/77a73735ceeb5bcdm.jpg http://images67.fotosik.pl/394/cc6b8d4d61c5f8dbm.jpg http://images69.fotosik.pl/393/e30be886b032c7f7m.jpg http://images69.fotosik.pl/393/2d74a1c7b9a8b8f1m.jpg http://images67.fotosik.pl/394/bb4f2c51ea67c7fam.jpg http://images68.fotosik.pl/392/e26223d23acedf85m.jpg http://images69.fotosik.pl/393/d2384da0e861dceam.jpg http://images68.fotosik.pl/392/a0a398284678115bm.jpg http://images69.fotosik.pl/393/ae6b34c47a7e2409m.jpg http://images69.fotosik.pl/393/928620fb9429466bm.jpg

Edited November 24, 2014 by szeryyy

[KaB]

if this is your first attempt, WOW! Wonder what your 10th will look like.

(sorry to be of no further help)

[darrin1200]

Would need a little more information. Such as type of lathe, type of chuck and even the procedures you are using.

 

It looks like you have some form of misalignment happening in your lathe.

 

If you drill first and then turn, without removing the blank from the chuck, then it could be a tailstock misalignment. The hole is being drilled at a very slight angle, which means when you turn the outside one wall is thicker than the other.

 

If you are drilling and turning in separate steps, or even just taking the blank into and out of the chuck, it may not be going back in perfectly aligned to the same spot. A paper thickness difference doesnt seem like much until you get down to dealing with hundredths of a millimeter. Not going back in the same spot could be you, or it could be the quality of the chuck.

 

Not a lot of help, I know. I shouldnt be one to talk, I haven't completed a whole pen yet. So far I have only been experimenting with some

threading.

 

Darrin

[Rich L]

Exactly what do you mean by "set the center?" If you're using a lathe, your center should be set unless there is a mis-alignment which you need to fix. If you're using a drill press then that's a whole 'nother problem. If your drill bits are too long (as in using, say, a "taper" length drill) your drill will usually wander. If your chuck (lathe presumed) is bad somehow or bell-mouthed, then your stock could be slipping and getting canted.

 

Need more information about your process.

 

Cheers,

Rich

Edited November 24, 2014 by Rich L

[duncsuss]

The biggest problem is with centering the drilling hole. I set the center and use center drill. Anyway, the wall thickness is different (see photo, you will see that section on one side of the wall is thicker and the other thinner). And when you screw section to the body you will see that they are not aligned. I'm not sure what the problem is, poor chuck quality?

 

I had a similar problem when I first started making sections. You don't describe the order of steps you took, so I don't know if your problem is caused by the same thing my problem was caused by.

 

Anyway -- the reason I had the problem is that I drilled all the holes from the nose of the section, and the drill bit wandered slightly by the time it reached the end where the tenon is formed to connect into the pen barrel.

 

The solution was simple: drill into the tenon immediately after threading it (without taking it out of the chuck, so there is no chance of misalignment.)

 

Now I start by making the tenon, and thread the tenon to match the barrel.

 

I put a threaded collar onto the tenon, then drill in the correct distance for the nose of the ink cartridge/converter.

 

Then I part off the section from the rest of the material, and flip it around into the collet chuck. Drill the holes for the nib housing rim, housing body, and housing threaded area, then tap the threads.

 

Any misalignment is now hidden deep inside the section.

 

HTH

[Scriptorium Pens]

I use the same method as Duncan. That should solve your problem, as long as the blank is perfectly round and seated in the chuck properly.

[ChrisN]

Another +1 on Duncan's method. I do it mostly the same way, except I drill the whole way through the section with the appropriate drill bit for the feed holder threads.. That makes for better alignment when drilling the holes from the opposite end.

[szeryyy]

Thank you all for your help.

 

I'll try again with your tips. I hope it'll work fine. If not I'll make some pictures of my equipment and preisely describe all steps I do.

 

Once more many thanks and best regards from Poland.

[szeryyy]

Sorry for my long absence.

Second attempt. This time with clip.

I applied your tips and it is much better. Although it seems to me, that is not perfect yet. I’m still waiting for collets and collet chuck (delivery moved from November to the end of December: /). I hope, with this stuff deviation will disappear.

 

http://images66.fotosik.pl/413/f3bb256c8fc64833m.jpg http://images68.fotosik.pl/413/9bd148a8006b950cm.jpg http://images70.fotosik.pl/413/8d547e977c6c735em.jpg http://images69.fotosik.pl/414/c1f8b2062270b532m.jpg http://images68.fotosik.pl/413/2d483b1eb1a9fb4bm.jpg http://images67.fotosik.pl/415/49bf76c8bc219bcem.jpg http://images66.fotosik.pl/413/667dc0f112c8a5f1m.jpg http://images69.fotosik.pl/414/a30af400a2012406m.jpg http://images66.fotosik.pl/413/9a8e70d6623a2095m.jpg http://images66.fotosik.pl/413/2a7364bc43158f7bm.jpg

Edited December 8, 2014 by szeryyy

[deepak23]

Suggestion based on engineering principles...Do a rough cut on the OD. Drill bore using 3-4 steps at slow chuck speeds. Center again using a scriber or the tool, with respect to the ID. Then do the final cut on the OD. Final OD polishing at higher speeds.

HTH.

[duncsuss]

Suggestion based on engineering principles...Do a rough cut on the OD. Drill bore using 3-4 steps at slow chuck speeds. Center again using a scriber or the tool, with respect to the ID. Then do the final cut on the OD. Final OD polishing at higher speeds.

HTH.

 

Deepak, while your approach is sound in principle, I believe it will run into trouble when you try cutting the external threads around the tenon that attaches to the barrel.

 

I've tried it several times -- once the hole is drilled through the tenon, it will snap off when cutting the threads. There simply isn't enough material in the wall to deal with the forces created when threading.

[______Zaphod_Beeblebrox]

Very nice for your first pen!

[deepak23]

 

Deepak, while your approach is sound in principle, I believe it will run into trouble when you try cutting the external threads around the tenon that attaches to the barrel.

 

I've tried it several times -- once the hole is drilled through the tenon, it will snap off when cutting the threads. There simply isn't enough material in the wall to deal with the forces created when threading.

Yep, that could be an issue with brittle materials due to the radial load from the tool. Maybe a die would be a better option for cutting threads in such cases??

[Inspector]

Cutting the threads with a die actually makes threading more difficult than cutting threads with a lathe. With the lathe there is only one point where the cutting forces are generated and they can be minimized by taking light cuts. With a die you have multiple cutting edges (3,4, or 5) exerting force on the part and that force increases as the die cuts further along because each edge has more length engaging the material.

 

Pete

[duncsuss]

Yep, that could be an issue with brittle materials due to the radial load from the tool. Maybe a die would be a better option for cutting threads in such cases??

 

I'm sorry I didn't make it clear: I have only used taps and dies for threading (since I have a wood lathe, not a metal lathe). Pete is correct that single-point threading on a metal lathe to cut threads on the outside of a thin-walled tube is much more likely to succeed than using a die.

 

I went back and re-read the entire thread -- Szeryyy did not specify whether it's a metal lathe or a wood lathe being used.

[visvamitra]

@szeryyy - stunning work. Are you active on polish forums? I keep my fingers crossed for you and your projects!

 

Lukasz