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The following pages provide a step by step turning and assembling a simple pen. This isn't intended as the definitive guide to pen making. It just provides an example of how to make a pen. For more details or information, I recommend buying a book, or a video. There are tons available. You may even be able to borrow them from your local library!

Through out this demo, if you see terms you don't recognize, refer back to the itemized list of pen making tools. If you see items you need, go to the Resources page, to see where you can buy them. Finally, if you have questions, contact me at:


FIGURE 1		FIGURE 2		FIGURE 3

Figure 1 shows an example of a pen kit and a blank. This kit is the simplest of all kits: the slimline twist kit. The blank is Maple Burl. Carefully look the blank over, looking for interesting grain patterns, flaws, cracks, etc. Lay the brass tubes on top of it, and determine the best placement (See Figure 2). Use a marker to indicate the cut lines. Write anything useful you can think of to indicate the two halves go together (ie, put a letter on both halfs, indicating they go together. Of course, make sure to use different letters for each blank!), the type of pen you plan to make, which half is the top and which is the bottom, the orientation, etc. Remember, you may remember all this now, but if you're prepping several blanks at once, or you don't get around to turning the pen for a few days, or even weeks, you may not remember any of it. Better safe than sorry! When you're finally confident you've marked it to suit you, cut the blank in half. Don't cut off the excess at the ends yet. Better to wait until after you've glued the tubes in place.

Figure 3 - Clamp the blank in a vise of some sort, being certain it is perfectly vertical, and plumb to the drill bit. Identify the center of the blank, and using a sharp drill bit, and a slow drill speed (approx 700 rpm), proceed to drill the hole. Every inch or so, withdraw the bit, and allow it to clear. Chip buildup in the hole produces heat, which can damage the bit as well as the blank. Slow and steady is a good rule here! Also be careful when the bit breaks through on the bottom of the blank. If not careful, it can split the blank. Best to use a backing block underneath the blank, to prevent breakout.


FIGURE 4		FIGURE 5		FIGURE 6

Using a small piece of 220 grit sandpaper, rough up the surface of the brass tubes (see Figure 4). This will help with the adhesion of the glue. Being very careful not to get glue on your fingers - or anything else, for that matter, apply a generous amount of superglue to the tube (Figure 5). Some pen makers make parallel lines up the length of the tube. Some do circular lines around the circumference. Remember, the important point is to get a consistent, thorough coat of glue over then entire tube when it's done. Whatever method you come up with to accomplish this is fine. Quickly, before the glue can dry (remember, superglue dries VERY quickly!) insert the tube into the blank, pumping and twisting it several times, to ensure the glue is spread evenly over the entire length of the tube (Figure 6). Use a piece of paper towel to wipe off any excess glue, then set the glued blank aside on a piece of waxed paper, to dry. NOTE: Figure 5 and 6 show using a Pen Insertion Tool, which helps keep your hands separated from the glue. I highly recommend wearing Latex gloves during this process, regardless of whether you use an insertion tool or not. Superglue can glue your fingers together very quickly! Make sure to have a bottle of debonder handy, just in case. Believe me, I've had to use it several times - including to separate the insertion tool from the blank!


FIGURE 7		FIGURE 8		FIGURE 9

Allow at least 30 seconds, to a minute for the glue to dry. I recommend a couple of hours, to be safe. If in a real hurry, spray accelerator into the end of the blank, so that it hits some exposed glue. Accelerator will cause the glue to harden almost instantly. However, I've had experience where it can make some plastic blanks brittle. The heat generated from curing seems to affect the plastics. I try to avoid the use of accelerator unless I'm in a real hurry.

Mount the blank in a vise, and use a Pen Mill (Figure 7) to square the ends of the blank to the ends of the brass tube. If milled correctly, the end of the brass tube should appear shiny, and the wood should be perfectly flush and square with the end of the tube. Using the correct bushings for the pen kit, mount the blanks on the mandrel following the instructions that come with the pen kit. Be sure to put the bushings in the right order - on some kits, the bushings are different sizes for the different parts. Typically, the cap bushing (the one for the top of the pen) is larger than the others. Also, make sure to align the blanks in the right order, putting the centers together, and the top end towards the headstock (Figure 8). Tighten the thumb nut just tight enough to prevent the blanks from turning. Over-tightening can ruin the mandrel, and bow the mandrel, resulting in oval barrels, once they've been turned. Insert the mandrel into the headstock spindle, and advance the tailstock to make contact with the mandrel. Again, don't over tighten. The tailstock should only press against the mandrel hard enough to make it spin smoothly. Over tightening will have the same affect as over tightening the thumb nut. Move the tool rest to within 1/8" of the blank. Turn the lathe by hand, to ensure the blank doesn't make contact with the tool rest. Set the lathe to a safe speed, and turn it on. It's always better to start with a slow speed at first, then increase the speed once the blank has been turned down, than to use too high of a speed to start.

Once you're confident that everything's ok, begin roughing the blank (Figure 9). Most turners start with a roughing gouge, and use it to knock off the corners, and bring the blanks down to round. I often use a bowl gouge. There are few hard and fast rules that apply to pen turning. It's mostly what works for you. Pen blanks are small, so you can get away with using smaller tools. It isn't like turning a large bowl, where the mass of the item being turned is great, and a big heavy gouge is needed to resist that force. The important thing is to use sharp tools in the right manner. I often say, you don't have to have expensive gouges. You don't even have to have good ones. But they do have to be sharp! I make a lot of my own gouges - as do most other wood turners. You can make them from old screwdrivers, files, Allen wrenches, and scrap pieces of hardened metal. As long as they're sharp, and you use them correctly, they will work as well as the expensive name brand ones.

Step By Step Pen Making