# Knocking off the corners of square blanks



## randyrls

I use a 2" drum sanding wheel to knock off the corners of blanks, but it is slow and not easy.  I have a 6" sanding disk I use with a Rick Herrell Offset Sanding Jig and after looking at the jig, I carefully rounded off the corners on my latest blanks.  It was easy and quick.  I just held the blank in my fingers supported by the tool rest and rounded off the corners.  Keep your fingers away from the spinning disk and work from the side.


----------



## Swagopenturner

I use a shop-built 6" X 89" edge sander with a 60 grit AL/Zirc belt.  It takes the corners off fast!  My finger tips can attest to how quick it is.


----------



## Dan Masshardt

I chuck up my square blank, knock it down to round or close, flip it over and knock off the corners to round and drill the hole   

When my blanks get between centers to turn, they are already round


----------



## SteveG

Perhaps getting near the "edge", but I remove the corners using the bandsaw, just holding the blank. By careful work, I have developed the skill to do this and not endanger my fingers. I advise others to NOT do this unless you are adept at using the band saw, and carefully develop this skill. It is quick, and safe for me. By "safe", I mean that I am ALWAYS intensely careful, and do it in such a way that if the blank is ever yanked from my grip (this happens, on occasion), my fingers do not go into or nearer to the blade. I guess I will add the disclaimer: Do not try this at home.


----------



## kovalcik

For most blanks, I just knock the edges off when I turn the pen.  Roughing gouge does it quickly with no problems.  For exceptionally fragile blanks, I would cut the edges off on my band saw, but that is fairly rare.


----------



## glenspens

When i need to knock off the edge i put the blank on the lathe  turn it on and use a 4" hf grinder..


----------



## Fay Prozora

I hold my pieces up to the spindle sander and round off the corners on my acrylic blanks. Some times I go ahead and put the pieces on the mandrel and hold that to the sander so my fingers don't get sanded.  Some one has sent me a private message on this and it sure is a big help. It works pretty good too   Fay


----------



## sbell111

As I turn a pen, I make sure that I turn off the corners first thing.  :biggrin:


----------



## GaryMGg

sbell111 said:


> As I turn a pen, I make sure that I turn off the corners first thing.  :biggrin:


 
Yep, always thought that's what the lathe is best designed for myself :wink:


----------



## OKLAHOMAN

Agree with Steve and Gary, that's what the lathe was made for:biggrin:


----------



## plano_harry

When I first started out, I would sand the corners off on a stationary disc sander.  But now, I just put it on the lathe and set the speed to 11.  At that speed, the corners disappear. :biggrin:


----------



## Edgar

I almost always simply use the lathe to turn down the corners - either with a roughing gouge or an r2 carbide tool. 

For the occasional time that I want to knock the corners down, I do the same thing as Randy does. I don't do that regularly because it usually takes more time to mount the sanding disk, turn down the corners, & unmount the disk than it does to turn them with a lathe tool.

I've also used Steve's method with a bandsaw, but I hold the blank with a squeeze clamp. No way I'm going to get my fingers that close to the blade.


----------



## jjjaworski

I just use a skew from start to finish turning between centers. I just take light cuts to knock of the corners when I start out. I use sharp tools and have less headaches.


----------



## larryc

I've used the Stanley Surform Pocket Plane with great results on acrylic blanks on the lathe.

Shop Stanley 6.2-in Surform Pocket Plane at Lowes.com


----------



## Carl Fisher

A lathe is the perfect tool for making square things round.  Why bother with anything else.


----------



## robutacion

Well, I don't always cut the square corners out of the blanks I use for myself but, I have days where I need to cut the square corners of hundreds of pen blanks so, is obvious that I had to come up with a jig that makes that job a fairly easy one but still, time consuming.

If I want the remove the corners while the blanks in on the lathe, I always have the option to use the flap disk with 40 or 60 grit, that gets the job done fast and safe on the very fragile blanks but, on a larger scale, I use my jig that works on the bandsaw, a great little invention, no doubt...!

This is what I use; http://www.penturners.org/forum/f30/pen-blanks-corner-removers-jig-55143/

Cheers
George


----------



## rblakemore

George, I like your jig!!
I think some materials are a little more brittle/sensitive to start with than others, so when I round off corners, I carefully hold the blank and sand the corners on the belt side of a Rikon disk/belt sander.  I have only nicked a few finger nails.


----------



## jfoh

I turn all segmented blanks round on a Woodwrite lathe that has a trim router mounted on the tool cross slide. I can turn the blank down to .010 oversize with zero blank blowup so far. Total operation takes thirty seconds from mounting to finish.  The lathe is turning a 3,000 plus rpm and the router is turning at 16,000 rpm. Cuts come out smooth as glass and no tear outs even in cross or end grains.  The router I use is a Bosch PR20EVSK Colt Variable Speed Palm Router set at its lowest speed. Tried it full blast but just do not need the extra noise. 16K works well.


----------



## GaryMGg

Jon
If I were a production turner, this would be my go-to choice.


----------



## jaywood1207

jfoh said:


> I turn all segmented blanks round on a Woodwrite lathe that has a trim router mounted on the tool cross slide. I can turn the blank down to .010 oversize with zero blank blowup so far. Total operation takes thirty seconds from mounting to finish.  The lathe is turning a 3,000 plus rpm and the router is turning at 16,000 rpm. Cuts come out smooth as glass and no tear outs even in cross or end grains.  The router I use is a Bosch PR20EVSK Colt Variable Speed Palm Router set at its lowest speed. Tried it full blast but just do not need the extra noise. 16K works well.



Can you take a pic and post it?


----------



## Rockytime

robutacion said:


> Well, I don't always cut the square corners out of the blanks I use for myself but, I have days where I need to cut the square corners of hundreds of pen blanks so, is obvious that I had to come up with a jig that makes that job a fairly easy one but still, time consuming.<SNIP>
> 
> This is what I use; http://www.penturners.org/forum/f30/pen-blanks-corner-removers-jig-55143/
> 
> Cheers
> George



WOW, what a great working jig. Made a quickie this morning with workshop scraps. Had a DeStako clamp in the junk box. Not as pretty as yours but it works great. Thanks for a fantastic idea. I do not have DC system so I do as little sanding as possible. I knock the corners off on the lathe but this works so slick I'll be using it a lot.
Thanks again.


----------



## rd_ab_penman

I knock the corners off with my band saw.

Les


----------



## lorbay

Between centres using a  steb  centre to 3/4" then in the collets chuck.
Lin.


----------



## Cmiles1985

Spindle gouge on the lathe. Once round, I switch to a skew or an R2 carbide depending on material. 

However, I will likely be building the "George Jig" very soon! Thanks for sharing.


----------

