# Pin Chucks for Dummies -  (loads of pics)



## skiprat (Feb 1, 2008)

OK, trying again

For the last few days I have been playing around with pin chucks and trying to come up with a simpler method of making one that anyone could do even on a wood lathe.

Pin chucks, for those that aren't familiar with them are one of many tools or methods that are used to hold items for turning, that dont have a hole all the way through. Of course, we use them for closed ended pens.
The first time I even heard of them was right here on IAP. So I'm not claiming to have invented anything.
Pin chucks can be made in minutes if you have a metal lathe and milling facilities. I'm lucky and do have them. But most penturners don't, so here is a way to make one out of stainless steel on your wood lathe.  You will never have to hunt for that tiny thin pin again!!!

Ok, take one long bolt that is as close in size to your chosen pen kit tube as possible. I chose this bolt for the longest kit I had. This bolt is 8mm x 120mm Stainless Steel








Now cut the hex head off with a hacksaw and square up the end with a file. 







If you have a Centre Drill use it, or like here, just use a nice and sharp 4 0r 5mm drill to about 5 -6mm deep. A thinner drill may flex and skate over the stainless.






Most scroll chuck jaws are numbered. Put a reference mark on the bolt in line with the number 1 jaw. 






Put the bolt in the chuck and bring up the tailstock. Note that I'm not trying to clamp on the threads. Select a length approx 3/4 the length of the tube and make a mark on the bolt.





You don't want to wreck the jaws, so stack some washers upto the mark.






Measure the inside diameter of the tube. I have actually stretched the tube slightly with the caliper. the actual measurement is 7.26mm for this tube. Lock the caliper in this stretched position.







Now the fun part!!! Hold a good clean file in the LEFT HANDED method
and with the lathe on quite slow, go for it. Stroke the file left to right in smooth circles. It goes pretty quick so keep checking with the caliper. Use a sharpie to mark any high areas. As the file does not leave the surface, you don't have to worry at all about the washers.






Once the caliper goes over the bolt throughout its length, you can remove the tailstock. Now change to about 240 grit wet'n'dry and use get the brass tube to fit as snug as you can. Use the sharpie and start from the end. It should look like this.












Now some more 'fun'
Mount the bolt in your vice like this. Take some time to do this. Make it protrude from the jaws by approx 2mm. When you are happy it is parallel to the jaws, clamp it up real tight. I tried to use jaws gaurds but it just popped out. But my vice is a bit worn. No big deal at all. Any marks can just be sanded down later.








Now file a flat down to the jaws. You will soon see how flat you are filing by following the lines. 






File a flat chamfer on the end. I also filed a round groove but it's not needed.






Now the magic bit. Take a small o-ring and cut it. Tie a knot on one end. O-rings are dirt cheap. 








Hold the o-ring over the chamfer like this and offer up the tube.
It helps if you wet the o-ring a bit ( I just licked it ) 





I had to mount in the lathe to get it on the rest of the way. You can just see the end of the o-ring. The tube ( when you have a blank on it) will of course go all the way to the shoulder. You can also slide a correct bushing on first. I rarely use bushes. Mount it in the chuck with marks aligned every time you use it. If your blank is square, I suggest using the tailstock  till you have it round. If your wood is pretty soft then just put a small washers between the revolving tailstock centre and the blank. Works great.






Here you can see why I didn't cut the threads off. I tapped a aluminium tube with the same thread ( 8mm ) and made a handle for buffing As you can see, I am putting looooooooong knurls on everything ( Thanks Joe )






So, there you have it. 





The finished pen






I hope someone trys this as it took much longer to do this pictorial than it took to make the o-ring chuck and the pen!!!!!


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## les-smith (Feb 1, 2008)

Steven, You are one talented guy.  Nice tutorial.  Oh yeah, good looking pen as well.


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## Fred (Feb 1, 2008)

Pretty slick device. I will certainly make one when I can get back into my shop.

Thanks for the tutorial. I know many here will also appreciate your efforts to share with us all.


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## rherrell (Feb 1, 2008)

I love it, something new to make! Thanks Steven![8D][8D][8D]


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## winpooh498 (Feb 1, 2008)

Thanks that is a very well written / photographed tutorial. That pen is beautiful!


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## papaturner (Feb 1, 2008)

Skiprat,or I should say Mr. Skiprat, That is excellent......I will certainly give it a try.
Thanks
Perry
BTW awesome pen.


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## Geo in Winnipeg (Feb 1, 2008)

Excellent work on the pen .... and the pin-chuck. I think this should be included in the Library.


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## Firefyter-emt (Feb 1, 2008)

Interesting.. Why the rubber instead of the rolling metal pin?  

Oh, and that is a great trick for the flats! I never thought of holding it in my vice.


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## Ron in Drums PA (Feb 1, 2008)

Nicely Done


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## skiprat (Feb 1, 2008)

> _Originally posted by Firefyter-emt_
> 
> Interesting.. Why the rubber instead of the rolling metal pin?
> 
> Oh, and that is a great trick for the flats! I never thought of holding it in my vice.



Rubber instead of pin?
1. You don't need an accurately machined flat to match the pin.
2. No big deal if you drop or lose the o-ring. 
3. IMHO the rubber grips much better esp for smaller sizes.
4. You can make one yourself cheaper than the cost of petrol to go buy one.
5. You can use it while buffing
6. Pleasure of doing it yourself

etc etc

Vice? Wonderful invention, hundreds of uses. But the trick was actually the rubber


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## jhs494 (Feb 1, 2008)

Nice work! Putting all of this together took some time. Thank you for sharing. 
Quick tip for you: when you use a file on metal try using regular chalk board chalk on the file. Load up the teeth with it before starting and you will never get tearout from the file loading up. It helps get a smooth finish especially in softer metal.
It absorbs all the oil which can cause the tearout.


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## scubaman (Feb 1, 2008)

The o-ring with knot is a cool idea!  I suggest you put this pictorial write-up into a pdf


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## skiprat (Feb 1, 2008)

Rich and George, I would be honoured to have this in the library if it was any use. I believe from Jeff that Randy has that power. Randy, if you want, I will re-write it into a word doc and send you a copy.
Just let me know if this computer Neanderthal needs to do that.

Joe, thanks for the 'chalk' tip. Someone else here pointed that out to me some time ago, but I'm one of those people that can't even look at chalk let alone touch it. [:I] My eldest son is the same. If we touch it then we just go nuts. Maybe we were abused by our school teachers when we were kids. Mmmmmm my wife is a school teacher, I wonder.........[}]


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## johncrane (Feb 1, 2008)

Good one Steve!l been using pvc tape as a jam fit l think the "O"Rings will be less time
consuming,buy tha way me thinks ya very clever thanks for the Tut.


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## Firefyter-emt (Feb 1, 2008)

Yea, a bit eaiser than a cut down finish nail for sure!  I will give that a try soon. The finish nail works fine, but when sanding I have filpped the blank off the pin chuck and you always loose the pin!


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## arioux (Feb 1, 2008)

Thanks for the tips.  Going to the shop to make one.  This should go directly to the libray IMHO.

Alfred


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## Jeff-in-Indiana (Feb 1, 2008)

Sheer genius .. I would be happy to make your article into a PDF, if you need that done, just send me a holler


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## Geo in Winnipeg (Feb 1, 2008)

Steven, I might be all wet here but .... I think the neoprene o-ring would tend to minimize any rotational 'shock/vibration' imparted to the wood by the turning tool?  Just a thought.


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## BRobbins629 (Feb 1, 2008)

Its times like this when we're glad its international.  Wonder if the sale of O-rings will take off like pressure pots.  Take a bow for this one.  Thanks.


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## R2 (Feb 1, 2008)

Excellent stuff!!the pin chuck is a ripper and the pen is very classy.[^]
I vote for library inclusion. Let's not muck around Randy.


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## Ligget (Feb 2, 2008)

Brilliant tutorial Steve, really easy to follow and understand! [^]

Give it a couple of weeks and every pen in the SOYP section will be closed ends! lol


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## UKpenmaker (Feb 2, 2008)

Very nicely done Steven.
I think i will be going out and buying some nice new flat files, and making one for for all the kits i have.[]


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## skiprat (Feb 2, 2008)

LOL, glad you guys think it's good enough

Many thanks for the PDF and the Word doc offers. I have recieved a few from members via e-mail and they are all very well done and I certainly can't chose one to submit to Randy / Jeff. [)]


I will get my wife to check the grammar and spelling and then send a copy to Jeff / Randy


George ( Geo in Win. ) I did think of that but couldn't decide if it was a good or bad thing. If the rubber acts like a spring as the tool takes a corner off, theoretically the blank would slow down then flick forward till the next corner hit the tool. I cant decide if the 'absorbing' and the 'flick forward' will will cancel each other out or even be noticable. This is why I used the tailstock till it was completely round. 

I will also try and get a pic of using a small washer to stop the live centre from  digging into the wood. This allows the blank to be clamped tightly between the collar on the chuck and the washer/centre. The very small dimple mark is easily sanded out and you don't run the risk of splitting the blank. Of course a piece of scrap between them works too. 

I already had a set of o-rings. There are about 200 in various diameters but only in 3 thicknesses. ( Which is good ) 
I filed for the thinnest one and it was a little loose. So just used the next one up.


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## mrcook4570 (Feb 2, 2008)

Excellent tutorial.  Very well written.


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## Proud_Poppa_of_2 (Feb 2, 2008)

Skip, I'm dead chuffed with your idea, I am.  If I just had a flat file and some O rings, I'd be on top of this.  Perhaps I can pick these up when I'm out and about today.  Thanks for sharing, but no thanks for making me wonder why we lack the ability on this side of the pond to have figured it for ourselves.  I guess the braintrust must have been napping.


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## rhahnfl (Feb 2, 2008)

That'll make a fine tutorial. Nice work.


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## avbill (Feb 2, 2008)

I'm  curious, you would have to make a different pin chuck for every  kit?  Correct !  

Bill Daniels


 What is the kit's name    its a beautiful pen!


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## skiprat (Feb 2, 2008)

> _Originally posted by avbill_
> 
> I'm  curious, you would have to make a different pin chuck for every  kit?  Correct !
> 
> ...



Bill, not for every kit, but for different tube sizes. Several kits have the same size tubes.

This kit is called 'Chrome Top Pen' and comes from Axminster in the UK


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## kirkfranks (Feb 2, 2008)

Bought my 3/8 bolt this morning and will try a baron soon.
Thanks for the great ideas.


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## GaryMGg (Feb 2, 2008)

&lt;Mrs. Doubtfire voice on&gt;
That's a lovely article dear
&lt;/vo&gt;
Great fun! I lift my glass to ya! Cheers.


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## philb (Feb 2, 2008)

Excellent idea!

Ive been looking at some closed end pens and wondering how there done!

Might just have to have a go! When ive sorted out my finishing! haha


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## MDWine (Feb 2, 2008)

This is one dummy who appreciates your write up... have to try that!!


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## Stevej72 (Feb 2, 2008)

Steve, thanks for the instructions and all the great pictures.  All your hard work is very much appreciated.


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## Jim15 (Feb 2, 2008)

Thank you Steven, great job.


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## Randy_ (Feb 2, 2008)

I have Skippy's article and after a little editing, it will be ready for permanent enshrinement in the IAP library.  Not sure why it happened; but some of the pictures in this thread are better than the ones in the submitted article.  I will have to check with Steven and figure out what is going on.  In any event, we'll massage the article a little and get in the library ASAP.


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## skiprat (Feb 3, 2008)

Hi Randy, e-mail sent

I realized that there is a small error in one of my statements. I said that you can fit a bushing. Of course, unless your chuck is 7mm or you make your own bushes then thats not really true.[:I]


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## TellicoTurning (Feb 3, 2008)

Steve,
Sent you a PM re the PDF...Whenever I <s>steal</s>.. uh <s>borrow</s>.. um "copy" an idea from the forum for my shop, I usually convert to PDF.. prints with less paper.. 

so as not to be presumptious, I'll send my 'borrowed' copy to you and let you preview, then you can post as a tutorial... this is a great tutorial.


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