# How do you cut your blanks?



## Fish30114 (Nov 25, 2014)

Just what the title says, how do ya'll cut your blanks? I have been using my power miter saw with a fiber blade, but that blade deflects and I get a wonky cut on the blank. I went to the fiber blade for the thinner kerf-just wondering what others are doing to get a precise clean cut on their blanks.

Thanks for any feedback/advice.


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## Jim Burr (Nov 25, 2014)

Band saw and table saw.


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## RKB (Nov 25, 2014)

Miter saw with fine tooth carbide blade, Freud brand.


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## Edgar (Nov 25, 2014)

Band saw


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## mchech (Nov 25, 2014)

Scroll saw or band saw.


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## 79spitfire (Nov 26, 2014)

Band saw, need a new blade, but truthfully, as long as I don't try to rush it it turns out fine.


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## butchf18a (Nov 26, 2014)

Band saw, 90% of cuts; table saw with Freud Diablo 7" 40 tooth blade, for segmentation work.


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## Sataro (Nov 26, 2014)

Band Saw


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## Cmiles1985 (Nov 26, 2014)

One more for the band saw here.


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## Skeleton2014 (Nov 26, 2014)

12" band saw w/miter gauge 
Jeff


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## wood-of-1kind (Nov 26, 2014)

Mitre saw with custom made jig to hold blanks from becoming a launched rocket.


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## randyrls (Nov 26, 2014)

Table Saw with a clamp hold down to get perfect length blanks.


View in Gallery


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## GaryMGg (Nov 26, 2014)

For cutting to length, I most often use the table saw with a sled.


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## Nikitas (Nov 26, 2014)

I use my table saw with a sled to get great cuts...


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## paintspill (Nov 26, 2014)

lucky enough to have found this mini table saw and made a sled for it.


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## southernclay (Nov 26, 2014)

Band saw with sled when I can but its loud so usually use miter box and hand saw. Most of my work is done when wife and kids go to bed.


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## terry q (Nov 26, 2014)

For flat Boards I use the table saw.  Large and irregular pieces use the band saw.  cutting to length I have a sled on my tablesaw.


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## Akula (Nov 26, 2014)

Scroll saw because it's setup and close


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## t001xa22 (Nov 26, 2014)

I use a miter saw with a plywood/veneer fine-tooth blade for initial cuts. I made a special back fence that closes up the gap to within the width of the blade.


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## Jim Smith (Nov 26, 2014)

Band saw for me.

Jim Smith


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## Swagopenturner (Nov 26, 2014)

Band saw with a carbide blade.  That way I can cut anything including Desert Ironwood and Tru-Stone.  I also always cut a little oversized just in case!


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## Fish30114 (Nov 26, 2014)

Great feedback folks--well I don't have space for a table saw, so I guess it's a new blade for the Miter Saw. I will be getting a metal cutting bandsaw that's wood capable after the 1st of the year, so maybe that may get a try as well. 
I went to the fiber blade for thin-ness as I mentioned, but also a little bit because of the cost of something like a Freud thin kerf blade. Any recommendations on a less expensive blade with a really thin kerf?
My miter saw is a 10" with a 5/8 arbor.


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## DLGunn (Nov 26, 2014)

Are you just cutting to them to length? Of are you doing some segmenting? I am confused by the need for the thin kerf.

Also, as mentioned, a hand saw and a miter box is very easy to use. That is what I use when I make cuts for segmented blanks.


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## Talfalfa33 (Nov 26, 2014)

I have a small 6 inch metal chop saw that I run a 6 1/2 inch diablo 24 tooth blade. I also fabricated a tube length gauge with stop for cutting the blanks 1/16 longer than the tube.


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## Cmiles1985 (Nov 26, 2014)

On my table saw, I use an Irwin 60T thin kerf blade. It was about $40, and worth every penny. With any saw, it's the blade that makes it. I would imagine that the Freud blades are substantially better, but you're going to pay...


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## jttheclockman (Nov 26, 2014)

Fish30114 said:


> Just what the title says, how do ya'll cut your blanks? I have been using my power miter saw with a fiber blade, but that blade deflects and I get a wonky cut on the blank. I went to the fiber blade for the thinner kerf-just wondering what others are doing to get a precise clean cut on their blanks.
> 
> Thanks for any feedback/advice.




Had to jump in on this. I stopped by the site to answer a PM and took a look around while I was here to see what was going on and noticed this thread. Like some times misinformation gets posted or incomplete info gets passed on. Well Don the question you started asking is one of those that if you ask 100 people you would get 100 different answers so not sure how this helps you. But with that said let me add a few things and also point a few things out. 

First it does not matter one little bit what you use to cut your blank as long as it cuts. You can use a bandsaw, table saw, scrollsaw, miter saw, knife, hand saw. The thing to be aware of is you have enough material to make the kit you are doing and the lengths vary. But when cut and drilled and glued to the tube each and every blank needs to be trued on the ends to the tube. Now how close to the exact tube length you make it is again subjective. Everyone has their own method of trueing the ends but again I will say this every and I mean every blank needs to be trued. 

Now we are not getting into segmenting because that is a whole other topic and not what you asked. So using a thin kerf blade is not a necessity. A carbide blade is not a necessity, a metal blade is not a necessity and so forth. Use the proper blade for the tool being used. I read people talk about using mitersaws, well info that is left out is you should use the proper blade designed for mitersaws and that is not the same as a tablesaw blade. These blades have a negative hook to them which prevents climb when using a mitersaw. You do not want to use that blade on a tablesaw because you want the blade to push the material down on the saw and not up. Also mentioned using carbide bandsaw blades. Well to me that is a waste of money unless you are doing resawing. I use a carbide blade for resawing. I use a metal bandsaw blade for cutting nonferrous metals and also hard exotics. Alot cheaper than carbide. Again how many teeth are in the  blade does not matter unless you are doing precision woodworking and cutting blanks is far from being precision. Now do not get me wrong some blanks are so tight to the exact lengths that a thin blade maybe necessary to maximize the blank. Have to make that call on your own. 

You mentioned you are getting a metal cutting bandsaw. Are you talking about a Kalamazoo???  If so why???  A more useful bandsaw would be a wood cutting saw with a metal blade unless you are a plumber or electrician that needs to cut metal conduits and plumbing pipes. I won't go into brands because again a very subjective topic and again it depends on what you are using it to do. 

As far as thin kerf blades go there is no thinner blade than the Diablo Demo Deamon. It is a 7-1/4" blade with 24 teeth. It is designed for the construction industry for ripping and demoing things. The blade is designed to cut thru metals and stay sharp. 1/16" kerf. Any Home Depot carries it for around $17. I use it for segmenting. It is not designed to be used on a mitersaw so do not try it. I use it on my tablesaw.

Hope this helps some and do not be afraid to check out he search feature here and you will see this question has been asked and answered many times and there may even be more info in there that might be helpful. Good luck and have a great day.


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## papaturner (Nov 26, 2014)

Table saw with sled.


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## Waluy (Nov 26, 2014)

Bandsaw with a miter sled


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## designer (Nov 26, 2014)

Band saw and a Nobex Champion Pro miter box with a Japanese blade.  Both can be used for segmenting too.  Miter box kerf is .030.


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## Sandsini (Nov 26, 2014)

I use a bandsaw with a home-made sled, however I am frustrated by the blade wander, which really limits its use to length cutting rather than segmenting. I think I will need to get a small table saw (space is a problem) to solve the segmenting issue.


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## gbpens (Nov 26, 2014)

Carbide teeth on any saw; cutoff, table and band saw.


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## Fish30114 (Nov 26, 2014)

Jttheclockman, I appreciate all feedback, I don't have a specific reason for wanting a thin kerf, just want to conserve as much blank as I can I suppose. My miter saw is a 10" with a 5/8" arbor so that diablo demo deamon won't cut it for me (pun intended) I am not into segmenting yet, so just cutting blanks to tube length then truing them up with a pen mill, which I am headed toward truing them up on the lathe used as a disc sander... I suppose at this point reading all the feedback, I just need tips on which 10" power miter saw blade I should be looking for. 

The reason I am getting a metal cutting bandsaw (actually a variable speed) is because I am a developing knifemaker, so cutting steel is a necessity. The saw I am considering is wood & metal capable... so thanks everyone for the feedback, Oh and BTW I did try the search feature with several different wordings and was unable to find anything--I generally have poor luck with the search feature here.


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## jfoh (Nov 26, 2014)

To cut blanks to length I use a band saw with a jig to hold the wood and trim to perfect length plus 1/16".  The extra amount can be easily adjusted but that works for me. 

For segmenting I use my table saw with a series of jigs to make all the cuts as repeatable as possible. The jigs hold the wood, keep the blank aligned for the cut and most importantly my fingers out of the way. The devil is in the details as they say and in segmenting making every cut exactly like the last keeps all the lines and all the inserted segments exactly as they should be. My blade of choice is a 1/16" carbide blade that gives perfect cuts with no tear out. I set the cut to end 1/16" short of cutting the blank through. This keeps the blank from shifting when gluing the inserts. You just need to start out with a square blank and keep the blank square. 

But to be honest you can cut a blank any way you want. Just keep your fingers out of the teeth and go slow. Easier to trim twice than to make a series of oops repairs.


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## 79spitfire (Nov 26, 2014)

Sandsini said:


> I use a bandsaw with a home-made sled, however I am frustrated by the blade wander, which really limits its use to length cutting rather than segmenting. I think I will need to get a small table saw (space is a problem) to solve the segmenting issue.



I have a Ryobi band saw that has the same problem. It becomes more acute as the blade gets worn. When the blade is fresh and new it cuts nice and strait.


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## ofd8001 (Nov 27, 2014)

First, I'm a new guy to pen turning, so I'm still experimenting, but here is what works so far:

For two piece pens, I'll use a compound mitre saw to cut the blank in half.  Then with a little jig I made appropriate for the style pen, I'll cut the halves to a closer size on the band saw.

Then I'll insert the tubes favoring the mitre saw end and finish them up with a barrel trimmer or rotary sander.

It's probably a little more work than necessary, but I'm happy with the results.


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## jttheclockman (Nov 28, 2014)

Fish30114 said:


> Jttheclockman, I appreciate all feedback, I don't have a specific reason for wanting a thin kerf, just want to conserve as much blank as I can I suppose. My miter saw is a 10" with a 5/8" arbor so that diablo demo deamon won't cut it for me (pun intended) I am not into segmenting yet, so just cutting blanks to tube length then truing them up with a pen mill, which I am headed toward truing them up on the lathe used as a disc sander... I suppose at this point reading all the feedback, I just need tips on which 10" power miter saw blade I should be looking for.
> 
> The reason I am getting a metal cutting bandsaw (actually a variable speed) is because I am a developing knifemaker, so cutting steel is a necessity. The saw I am considering is wood & metal capable... so thanks everyone for the feedback, Oh and BTW I did try the search feature with several different wordings and was unable to find anything--I generally have poor luck with the search feature here.



Don

Let me first say and say it once again it does not, does not, does not, matter what blade you buy for cutting blanks.Blanks are small bits of wood. You do not need a perfect clean cut on the ends because again they will be milled and trued to the tube. So buying a precision blade for cutting blanks is a waste of money. tell me you are doing woodworking and other fine carpentry work then cuts do matter. Doing segmenting work you again would want a better quality blade. Buy any thin kerf blade that is designed for the type saw you have. All miter saws are not the same. A sliding miter saw is not the same as a fixed based saw so when people use general terms it is very difficult to answer questions. I get the wanting to conserve as much material as possible. If that is the case then use a bandsaw and stay away from a miter saw. The only thinner blade than a bandsaw blade is a scrollsaw blade. Here is a site that explains the different blades and their  uses  very well. Saw Blades 101 / Rockler How-to There would be too much info for me to type so I post a link. Makes good reading. By the way you can not go wrong with the Freud line of blades. Now you can get into many different types of blades for the different types of woodworking and you can spend lots and lots of money but you get what you pay for. 

Again you talk about a metal cutting bandsaw but you did not answer my question if it is a Kalamazoo you are talking about or a typical bandsaw with a metal blade. Which to me would be the more logical saw to buy and more versatile. Cuttting metal on a wood bandsaw is nothing new. but they make strickly metal cutting bandsaws that cut at a slower rpm. Again the proper blade is needed as with all cutting tools. 

As far as the search feature goes here, there are 2 ways of finding past threads. Use the Search box on the right side in the blue header or use the Google search on the left side of the page which is a more exact search tool.

Good luck in your search and happy tool shopping. We can never have enough tools.


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## KenBrasier (Nov 28, 2014)

Chainsaw..... Nah just joking..Bandsaw.


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## smik (Nov 28, 2014)

Miter saw or when I think I need some extra exercise a hand saw.


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## Fish30114 (Nov 28, 2014)

Well, I am looking at a Grizzly metal and wood capable variable speed bandsaw. I'm several months out from that purchase though, so I will probably get a new blade for my Miter saw, it is a Delta 10" fixed position multiple angle capable power miter saw. It takes a 10" blade with a 5/8" arbor. So far I have been using a fiber blade, but this one is very thin (.040 thick) I think, and it deflects when going through a blank, so it is giving me wonky ends where I cut them off.  I realize that this all gets sorted out when you use the pen-mill to square the blanks up to the tubes, it's just a peeve of mine, I like square cuts!  I suppose I'll be trying a few different blades for the saw I own, until the band saw gets here.


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## TonyL (Nov 28, 2014)

Hi Don:

Assuming your question was: How do you cut your blanks?"

I use a miter saw with a carbide blade or a table saw with a carbide blade and sled equipped with hold-down clamps.

If you are asking: "What is the best way to cut blanks?" I don't know. 

Thanks for asking your question; I enjoy learning how others do things.


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## Curly (Nov 28, 2014)

If by fibre blade you are speaking of fibreglass reinforced abrasive discs, those are made for cutting metal, not wood or plastics. That would explain your "wonky ends". Those discs work by shedding abrasive particles as they cut. The wood and plastics are not hard enough to expose new particles so the edges don't cut. Were you getting burnt or melted ends on the blanks? Get a saw blade made for miter saws and your cuts are going to be worlds better than what you are doing.


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## jttheclockman (Nov 28, 2014)

http://www.penturners.org/forum/sea...cof=FORID:9&q=how+do+you+cut+pen+blanks&sa=Go

There are pages and pages that people shared their ideas and jigs and thoughts on the subject of cutting pen blanks over the years. This is found in the advance search using Google. 

As mentioned those fiber blades were made to cut cement board, cement and metals. Can they be used for wood, some claim they can. But they are not rigid enough for cutting woods as you want to. Get a thin blade and use it till you get your bandsaw. 

Use the first link to blades I gave you to help select a blade. 40 tooth is all you need and almost all blades sold today are carbide. Now that can open a whole new thread when it comes to are all carbides the same and they are not. Each manufacturer will give their reasons why theirs are the best but as I said you never will go wrong with a Freud blade. Go for it and start cutting those blanks and start turning them.


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## Fish30114 (Nov 28, 2014)

Thanks Curly and JT, I am aware that the fiber blade was made for cutting metal, but I have used them to cut a lot of acrylic and other materials that were small stock quite effectively. I believe that it is deflecting some giving me the bad ends. I was using it for the thin kerf. I am planning on getting a veneer blade from Home Depot, I saw one there Wed night for $10. I think this will do me til I get my bandsaw.

Thanks again--Don


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## brokenroads (Nov 30, 2014)

WE bought a 10" bandsaw on craigslist for $40 with a mitergage. Cut the blanks a little long then square them up before turning. been using it for 3 years now.
 Not a lot of thinking involved


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## PMisiaszek (Dec 3, 2014)

Am I the only one who cuts blanks by hand?  JTtheclock man is right on the money, both in technique and philosophy.  Until recently, I had a very complete woodshop with a variety of power saws.  For pen blanks, both then and now, I use a simple Japanese hand saw.  It gives me complete control, its safe, and it doesn't make any noise.  I draw a line, chuck the blank in a simple table vise, then cut it.  The saw cost $39 at Japanese Woodworker, and yes, it cuts TruStone, corncob, antler and anything else I've used for pens.


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## vtgaryw (Dec 3, 2014)

Table saw for ripping, but I seem to be the last person in the universe who still uses a radial arm saw for everything else.

-gary


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## Fay Prozora (Dec 3, 2014)

I use my Dremel saw max for cutting my blanks. I don't get straight cuts but I do cut with a little bit of extra there so when I true  it up I have the right size for what ever pen I'm making. I did make a sled for the scroll saw but I don't have the saw hooked to electric as yet. So in the mean time, I use my saw max and I do have one of those little miter saw things but it only cuts 1/2" and does not cut all the way through the blank. Other wise that would be perfect to cut t he blanks with.    Fay


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## bryceprusse (Dec 3, 2014)

Band Saw
Make a wood block that is square to guide the blanks - pretty simple
I have made size blocks for the most common pens that I make.  quick for setting the length.  Have fun!


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## Band Saw Box (Dec 4, 2014)

For the wood I find a chainsaw work's well. For all acrylic any cutting tool that turns at 12,000 RPM.:biggrin::biggrin:

Ok I use a scrollsaw and mitersaw.


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## shastastan (Dec 4, 2014)

Swagopenturner said:


> Band saw with a carbide blade.  That way I can cut anything including Desert Ironwood and Tru-Stone.  I also always cut a little oversized just in case!



Same here with my resaw blade.  I never change it.  For small items, I use a wood clamp to keep my fingers away.  I like the band saw for getting the blank square for the pen drilling chuck.


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## GDGeorge (Dec 4, 2014)

Table or band saw to rip and whatever is un-buried (Table, band, or chop) when I'm cutting to length.  My preference is the band saw, a little bench-top Skil (although I'd like to replace it if I ever get the space...) Anyway, as long as I take it slowly, I'm usually good to go.

Jerry


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## ClutchCargo (Dec 8, 2014)

I set the distance of my band saw's fence away from the blade to set whatever pen blank length I want, using a sacrificial piece of perfectly squared up MDF as a combination cross-cut fence and push block to maintain perpendicularity during the cut and to keep my fingers safely away from the blade.


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## ToddM (Jan 10, 2015)

This is what I use....... overkill maybe?   I cut to length with a miter saw. :biggrin:


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## Rink (Jan 10, 2015)

Delta table saw with sled made from scraps.


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## BKelley (Jan 10, 2015)

*blank cutting*

This is the method I use for cutting blanks to length.  Smoothness and kerf depend on blade being used.  Fine cut is really no concern as I use barrel trimmer after tube is glued in.  Good luck.

Ben


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## 79spitfire (Jan 10, 2015)

ToddM said:


> This is what I use....... overkill maybe?   I cut to length with a miter saw. :biggrin:


Depends on the size of the pen.

Is Paul Bunyan one of your customers? He must have retired there....


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## SDB777 (Jan 10, 2015)

WoodMizer LT10G10.....





Then I move down to the tiny 12" upright bandsaw....for roughing the length.
Then I move to the Makita miter....for the final cut, stack them by the hundreds into the shed for drying...and wait.

Then let them go cheaper then anyone on the 'net!





Scott (doin' all the work for ya) B


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## Rodnall (Jan 10, 2015)

Radial arm saw


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## Fay Prozora (Jan 10, 2015)

Since I made my post on this subject, I bought a compound miter saw and I have cut my pen blanks on it and get  real nice even cuts, but just in case I do cut just a tad longer than the brass tube and then square it up after drilling the hole and putting in the tubes.   Fay


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## bobleibo (Jan 10, 2015)

I cut mine with a credit card using the order-on-line jig that I built on my computer. They always come out perfect thanks to some great vendors from right here at IAP.


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## 79spitfire (Jan 10, 2015)

SDB777 said:


> WoodMizer LT10G10.....
> 
> 
> 
> ...



At some point I just knew you were going to go there!

:rotfl:


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## nativewooder (Jan 10, 2015)

I cut them square!  Whether you use power tools or hand tools, cutting any blanks square is most important.


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## hornet406 (Jan 10, 2015)

Bandsaw


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## farmer (Jan 12, 2015)

*Saw*

14 in band saw with a fence  only way to go.

farmer


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## BocoteMark (Jan 12, 2015)

ToddM said:


> This is what I use....... overkill maybe?   I cut to length with a miter saw. :biggrin:





Hi Todd,

That pen blank is a bit larger than I'm used to.  Was that for a custom commission?

It is quite similar to the blanks that we use here in Texas when manufacturing tooth picks.  I think I could turn at least two full sized tooth picks out of that blank in your picture.  

Mark

Edit: Oh, I use a bandsaw to cut my blanks to size.  I don't really worry how square they are.  After cutting to size, I clamp the blank to a large VEE block on my drill press and use a hole saw to cut a circular tennon on one end and a centering hole on the other end.  Then I clamp the circular tennon in the chuck of my lathe and back up the tail end by putting the live center in the centering hole on the tail end.  Then the blank gets rough turned round.  After it is a cylinder I can reposition it in the lathe and drill the hole through the center of the blank and turn the ends flat.  It is a reasonably quick process that does not rely on the starting blank being particularly square or uniform and ends up with a cylindrical blank with a concentric hole and ends true.


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## oneleggimp (Jan 17, 2015)

Plastic Mitre box with a stiff back saw.


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