# My first Cartridge.



## PaulDoug (Jul 23, 2008)

I just had to make one.  Had some problems but got it done.  The next one will be a lot easier.  These cartridge pens are fun to show to people.  They just go WOW!


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## wdcav1952 (Jul 23, 2008)

Nice work, Paul!!  Look for axis deer antler as another option to whitetail deer antler.  It has almost no pith and looks somewhat like ivory.


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## papaturner (Jul 23, 2008)

Great job,I really like the bark showing.


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## stoneman (Jul 23, 2008)

Nice job Paul. I also like the bark section. It ain't so easy to get, especially on a 7mm tube. Well done.


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## Sylvanite (Jul 24, 2008)

Looks sharp.  Keep up the good work and have fun

Regards,
Eric


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## bitshird (Jul 24, 2008)

They are fun to make, and they sell easy I've heard, sold all 3 I did.


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## rherrell (Jul 24, 2008)

Great job Paul! I too like the bark showing but like Steve said, it ain't so easy to get. I use a piece of clear plexiglas cut to the size of the top, about 1/2" X 2" with a line drawn down the center. Hold it up to the antler and mark the top and bottom, then turn the antler  90 degrees and mark again. Now "X" marks the spot. You can really see where you're gonna drill this way. It makes getting bark alot easier.


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## PaulDoug (Jul 24, 2008)

rherrell said:


> Great job Paul! I too like the bark showing but like Steve said, it ain't so easy to get. I use a piece of clear plexiglas cut to the size of the top, about 1/2" X 2" with a line drawn down the center. Hold it up to the antler and mark the top and bottom, then turn the antler  90 degrees and mark again. Now "X" marks the spot. You can really see where you're gonna drill this way. It makes getting bark alot easier.



You wouldn't happen to have a picture of this?  I think I know what you mean, not positive about the marking.  Maybe if I made a piece of plexiglas I'd figure it out.  Got to try it.


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## marelton (Jul 24, 2008)

Good looking pen Paul. 

I can't make enough of these at the moment, they are hot sellers. 

I'm still using the standard 7mm nib, how did you drill the bullet? I can never seem to centre the drill/bullet accurately, always comes out off centre on the few I've tried.


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## PaulDoug (Jul 24, 2008)

marelton said:


> Good looking pen Paul.
> 
> I can't make enough of these at the moment, they are hot sellers.
> 
> I'm still using the standard 7mm nib, how did you drill the bullet? I can never seem to centre the drill/bullet accurately, always comes out off centre on the few I've tried.




I have not had a problem (yet) drilling the bullet.  I do it on the lathe.  I put it in a collet chuck rear end facing the tailstock.  I drill from the back small hole first all the way through.  Than drill the larger hole to the correct depth still on the lathe.  I mark the depth of the larger holeon the drill bit by wrapping it with tape.  You have to go slow and back the bit out over and over and clean out the lead.  I use a tooth brush.  I also put some oil on the bit from time to time.  It takes me about 20 minutes to drill the little hole and about 10 minutes on the big hole.


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## marelton (Jul 25, 2008)

PaulDoug said:


> I put it in a collet chuck rear end facing the tailstock.



I'm using a Jacobs chuck, probably too much run out. Thanks for the response.


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## Sylvanite (Jul 25, 2008)

marelton said:


> I can never seem to centre the drill/bullet accurately, always comes out off centre on the few I've tried.


The best way I've found to drill on center is to start a pilot hole with a center bit.  I use them on both the case head and the bullet base.  Harbor Freight has a center bit set on sale right now for $4.99 at http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42279

I hope that helps,
Eric


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## PaulDoug (Jul 25, 2008)

Sylvanite said:


> The best way I've found to drill on center is to start a pilot hole with a center bit.  I use them on both the case head and the bullet base.  Harbor Freight has a center bit set on sale right now for $4.99 at http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42279
> 
> I hope that helps,
> Eric




Hey, thanks for posting that,  I'm all over that,  will pick a set up today.  Are they any good?  Some of HF stuff is good, some is not.


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## Sylvanite (Jul 25, 2008)

PaulDoug said:


> Are they any good?  Some of HF stuff is good, some is not.


In my experience, these qualify as "good stuff".  I don't know if they are as hard as a name-brand set costing 10 times as much, but they worked quite well on everything I've tried.


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## PaulDoug (Jul 25, 2008)

Darn, looks like they are on sale on the Internet, but I can't find them on sale at the retail store level.  Still at $10, pretty cheap.


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## marelton (Jul 25, 2008)

Sylvanite said:


> The best way I've found to drill on center is to start a pilot hole with a center bit.



Thanks Eric, I'll give it a try next time.


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## Freethinker (Jul 25, 2008)

*cartridge pen question from a newbie*



PaulDoug said:


> I have not had a problem (yet) drilling the bullet.  I do it on the lathe.  I put it in a collet chuck rear end facing the tailstock.  I drill from the back small hole first all the way through.  Than drill the larger hole to the correct depth still on the lathe.  I mark the depth of the larger holeon the drill bit by wrapping it with tape.  You have to go slow and back the bit out over and over and clean out the lead.



I have made a few cartridge pens, and like them very much. But I have always made them using a shell casing with no bullet in it and with the primer having been "popped". I always have a problem finding an ink pen nib from a kit that matches the diameter of the neck of the shell. 

So...pardon me for asking a stupid question, but I do not know very much about ammunition; when you say you drill all the way through the shell from the back, through the lead bullet and all, are you drilling through the primered case, with the primer as yet unfired, and with the powder still inside, and then emptying the powder out? Or do you pry the bullet out, empty the powder and then replace the bullet? Can you drill through an unfired primer? 

I would really like to know how to drill a shell so that I could use the (still attached) bullet for the nib.

Thanks for any know-how you can share.


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## marelton (Jul 25, 2008)

I buy unprimmed .308 Winchester brass cartridge shells from the gun store. They are easier to drill and centre because they have no primer and the exit is exactly the same diameter as a standard 7mm twist pen ink nib. Just need to solder the tube in place, trim as usual, polish the tube and laquer and the barrel is complete. Cap is turned as normal Euro style from antler or buffalo horn and finished off with a rifle clip.

Apologies for hijacking the thread, but this is my method.


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## PaulDoug (Jul 25, 2008)

Freethinker said:


> I have made a few cartridge pens, and like them very much. But I have always made them using a shell casing with no bullet in it and with the primer having been "popped". I always have a problem finding an ink pen nib from a kit that matches the diameter of the neck of the shell.
> 
> So...pardon me for asking a stupid question, but I do not know very much about ammunition; when you say you drill all the way through the shell from the back, through the lead bullet and all, are you drilling through the primered case, with the primer as yet unfired, and with the powder still inside, and then emptying the powder out? Or do you pry the bullet out, empty the powder and then replace the bullet? Can you drill through an unfired primer?
> 
> ...



I would not recommend drilling a live primer.  I drill the bullet by itself and the casing by itself.   I am using spent (fired) cartridges.  I pop the primer out before I drill the casing.  I use my arbor press and a punch to pop the primer out.  I press the bullet into the cartridge after both the bullet and casing are drill out properly.  There are several tutorials available that helped me figure how to do it.  Check the library on this site. here is the address:

http://content.penturners.org/articles/2007/streamlinedcartridgepen.pdf


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## PaulDoug (Jul 25, 2008)

marelton said:


> I buy unprimmed .308 Winchester brass cartridge shells from the gun store. They are easier to drill and centre because they have no primer and the exit is exactly the same diameter as a standard 7mm twist pen ink nib. Just need to solder the tube in place, trim as usual, polish the tube and laquer and the barrel is complete. Cap is turned as normal Euro style from antler or buffalo horn and finished off with a rifle clip.
> 
> Apologies for hijacking the thread, but this is my method.



I don't think you are hijacking the thread.  We (at least I am) are here to learn.  I appreciate your input.  I've heard .308 are the best to work with.  But I only had access to spent 30-06.  I didn't want to buy a whole bag of new brass because I doubt if I would ever use it all (and the free stuff is my kinda price.


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## toolcrazy (Jul 26, 2008)

Just as nice here as it is from the other side.


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## rherrell (Jul 26, 2008)

I think the key to drilling a cartridge is to use short drill bits. I do all my drilling with screw machine length drill bits which are about half as long as jobber length. Jobber length is your standard drill bit length and longer bits have a tendency to "wander" which is not good.
For a pilot hole I use a spotting drill.....http://tinyurl.com/6776wg   which is even shorter than a screw machine bit and it gives me a perfect pilot hole. I follow that with a letter "I" bit when I'm using 7mm tubes.


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## PaulDoug (Jul 26, 2008)

OK, I started this thread so I can head it any direction I want.  I have a sorta related question.  Rick, you called it a spotting "drill" and Emco calls their bits "drills".  I've seen this other places.  I have always thought a drill was what you put a bit in.   Which is correct?  If they (the twisted shafts) are drills what do you put them in to turn them.  I'm not trying to be flipped, I'm serious, I keep seeing them refered to both ways.


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## rherrell (Jul 27, 2008)

I guess to be perfectly correct it would be "drill bit" and "drill motor". I'm guilty of using "drill" and "bit" to mean the same thing, sorry for the confusion. I guess it boils down to what part of the country you're in. It's like "barbecue", in North Carolina it means "meat" but in California it means the "grill" that you use to cook the meat.:wink:


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## VisExp (Jul 27, 2008)

PaulDoug said:


> Darn, looks like they are on sale on the Internet, but I can't find them on sale at the retail store level.  Still at $10, pretty cheap.



Print out the page from the HF website showing the sale price and take that into the store.  Normally the HF store manager will honor the price if you do that.


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## PaulDoug (Jul 27, 2008)

VisExp said:


> Print out the page from the HF website showing the sale price and take that into the store.  Normally the HF store manager will honor the price if you do that.




Found out yeaterday, out local HF doesn't carry them.

Rherrell, didn't mean to imply you were wrong, causing confusion or any thing.  I have seen it both ways a lot of times and just wondered why.  I just spend time wondering about such things....


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## IPD_Mrs (Jul 27, 2008)

I know absolutely nothing about the cartridge pens and the only ones I have ever seen were Eagle's at the Chicago show.  They are not a personal favorite .. That being said....

I think you did a very Nice job on the pen!  I love it when a turner manages to save some of the bark on Antler no matter what fittings are being used.. It doesn't seem to happen very often in comparison and THAT to me is what makes the pen.  You should easily be able to sell that pen and be able to command top dollar for the cartridge pen market if you know what that market sustains.

_Mrs._


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## Ligget (Jul 27, 2008)

Lovely pens indeed!


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## Sylvanite (Jul 27, 2008)

PaulDoug said:


> Darn, looks like they are on sale on the Internet, but I can't find them on sale at the retail store level.  Still at $10, pretty cheap.


Try part number 42280-0VGA then.  As far as I can tell, it's the same thing, but sells (regular price) for $5.99.  In fact, this is the set I use.

Regards,
Eric


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## Sylvanite (Jul 27, 2008)

Freethinker said:


> when you say you drill all the way through the shell from the back, through the lead bullet and all, are you drilling through the primered case, with the primer as yet unfired, and with the powder still inside, and then emptying the powder out? Or do you pry the bullet out, empty the powder and then replace the bullet? Can you drill through an unfired primer?
> 
> I would really like to know how to drill a shell so that I could use the (still attached) bullet for the nib.


DON'T drill a live round!  DON'T drill an unfired primer!  You will most likely set it off.  Start with a new or fired case and a new bullet.  Punch out the fired primer (if any) and drill the case head.  Drill the bullet separately.  When you are finished, press the two together.

I have made pens starting with live ammunition, but the first thing I did was disassemble the components (pulled the bullet, dumped the powder, and deprimed the case) using equipment designed specifically for that purpose.  That equipment is not very expensive, nor difficult to use, but it does require some understanding of and respect for the destructive power in a rifle cartridge.

I hope that helps,
Eric


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## desertyellow (Jul 29, 2008)

Great Job!


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## PaulDoug (Jul 29, 2008)

Just a quick update.  I didn't like the flat brass finial on the pen so I made one out of antler to replace it.  I like this better.


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