# Making accent bands for pens



## Texatdurango

In another thread I mentioned doing a tutorial on making accent bands but as I set out to organize the tutorial I realized that it's not that big of a deal and my method can be explained with a few photos instead of a full blown tutorial. So, with that in mind here's the poor mans version of making accent bands.

First, a little background is in order. I started using sterling silver for lower body accent rings and cap bands. The accent rings are nothing more than sterling silver "washers" sandwiched in-between two parts of the pen body, not much else to add to that.

The cap bands are made from .625" sterling silver tubing with .020" wall thickness. I would use a collet and a home made contraption to hold and align the cap and ring while compressing the silver into a shallow groove I cut into the cap body. Needless to say, this was a very slow, tedious process with a high failure rate so I started looking for a different way of attaching the bands.

It is rare for many pen makers let alone pen company to share their secrets but I got a hint from one company and it was one word..... "Sleeves", so off I went.

This photo show my earliest attempt at sleeving and the idea is simple, you make an inner (black) and outer (orange) sleeve and bond them together sandwiching the metal ring in-between. The trick is to make the inner sleeve wider than the threads you are going to cut into the cap. I quickly realized that I didn’t need to make the entire cap sleeved, just a portion where the bands were going to be so this phase never left the mockup stage.








Now fast forward through several trials to my current method. It all starts with the silver tube (*“A” in the photo*), available at many jewelry supply houses. I use .625” diameter tube but with a wall thickness of only .020” I needed it to be thicker so I turned an alumilite rod to fit inside the silver tube and epoxied it in place. Then I drilled out the center and sliced the tube into thin slices (*“B” in the photo*) to become accent bands.

I cut the cap (*“C” in the photo*) to length and diameter then turn a tenon at the lower end for the bands to slide onto. Remember, this diameter must allow room inside the cap for the main body threads.

Notice the silver ring sliding over the tenon, make sure it’s a snug fit so the ring has just enough room for a good glue bond and I do not recommend using CA for this else you will wind up with a lot of glue bonding before you’re ready!

From an end cutoff, I turn the piece (*“D” in the photo*) the same outer diameter and inner diameter as the silver band. Looking at the photo you can see that by cutting the orange piece into thin bands you can create a spacer to go between two silver bands as well as an end piece. Once all the pieces have been cut, sanded and dry fitted, I use epoxy to glue everything together and clamp the assembly tight while curing. Set the assembly aside for 24 hours and don’t get in a hurry to turn the cap smooth or you’ll realize that turning silver generates heat quickly and heat makes uncured epoxy slip and things spin, not that I would know first hand of course! :biggrin: 







This photo shows all the pieces in order of how they all come together with a finished cap at the bottom. I use a cheap Harbor Freight mini-saw to cut the tubing and the body spacers are parted off on the lathe. On some pens I add a silver washer at the top between the finial and the cap because I think it adds a little to the look. Let your imagination be your guide, use one, two or more bands, and vary their widths if you like.







Well there you have it, this is the best way I have found to mount accent bands to my pens. When I get filthy rich I'll do the same with gold tubing!


----------



## hewunch

Thanks George!


----------



## wiset1

Did a copy and paste into word and then printed as a PDF for my files...Thanks!


----------



## hewunch

Do you scuff the tube so the glue sticks better? :biggrin:


----------



## PTsideshow

Pretty slick, thanks
:clown:


----------



## RichF

Thanks George,

I had not considered the use of the tubing.  That is a great tip.  Much appreciated.


----------



## Texatdurango

RichF said:


> Thanks George,
> 
> I had not considered the use of the tubing. That is a great tip. Much appreciated.


Coincidentally the .625" diameter of the tubing and the 12mm multi-start cap threads work just fine together to create a pleasing pen shape and size!


----------



## 043Turning

this is a great idea have you thought of rather than making a thread and screwing the outer diameter to sandwich the Silver ring

in the photos it looks like there is still a screw thread if this is true , maybe a long rebate or tennon would work and then it would be silver ring plastic ringsilver ring and then the cap ring - it would mean that RP resin and other less threadable (if this is a word) materials could still be used 

BUT 5 Stars for the idea

<edit> re-reading the post it appears that hte screw thread has gone ...So not it's gotta be at least a 5.5 out of 5


----------



## 043Turning

Texatdurango said:


> ...........
> The cap bands are made from .625" sterling silver tubing with .020" wall thickness. I would use a collet and a home made contraption to hold and align the cap and ring while compressing the silver into a shallow groove I cut into the cap body. Needless to say, this was a very slow, tedious process with a high failure rate so I started looking for a different way of attaching the bands.


 

Quick Question where did you get your tubing / sleaving from...?


----------



## Jim15

Thank you George.


----------



## skiprat

You made it look real easy George. :biggrin: Not only do the rings look good, they also reinforce the vulnerable area around the cap threads. 

How expensive does the waste from parting cost in comparison to the cost of the tube? 50/50? Have you found the tubing in various diameters?

Nicely done and thanks for the quick tutorial:wink:

Now, can you please do another one that shows how you made the plain red material turn into that cool pearled stuff in the finished cap:tongue:


----------



## Dalecamino

Thanks George, This saved me from a lot of head scratching. I knew this was going to have to be the best way of attaching the rings. You've pretty well illustrated how to do it. Thanks again!


----------



## firewhatfire

ok this thread had my official first like.  That is just genious.  Thanks for sharing it with us minions.

Phil


----------



## thewishman

Brilliant!! Thanks for sharing! 

I wanna be just like you when I grow up.:cowboy:


----------



## Texatdurango

Here are some additional comments and questions answered.......




hewunch said:


> Do you scuff the tube so the glue sticks better?


No, I use the scuffles epoxy! Scuffing, like sanding, is a waste of time 


043Turning said:


> in the photos it looks like there is still a screw thread if this is true , maybe a long rebate or tennon would work and then it would be silver ring plastic ringsilver ring and then the cap ring - it would mean that RP resin and other less threadable (if this is a word) materials could still be used
> BUT 5 Stars for the idea
> <edit> re-reading the post it appears that hte screw thread has gone ...So not it's gotta be at least a 5.5 out of 5


Sorry for the confusion but nothing is threaded together. One of the cutters I use with my metal lathe makes a cut that looks like grooves on a phonograph record. As I stated earlier, all this can be done on a wood lathe but using a metal lathe makes much more accurate cuts with nothing more to do than turn a flywheel!


043Turning said:


> Texatdurango said:
> 
> 
> 
> The cap bands are made from .625" sterling silver tubing with .020" wall thickness.
> 
> 
> 
> Quick Question where did you get your tubing / sleaving from...?
Click to expand...

I had been getting it from metalliferous.com but when I called last week to reorder, they told me their supplier of many silver items can’t supply the goods now so I’m searching!



skiprat said:


> You made it look real easy George. Not only do the rings look good, they also reinforce the vulnerable area around the cap threads.





skiprat said:


> How expensive does the waste from parting cost in comparison to the cost of the tube? 50/50? Have you found the tubing in various diameters?
> Nicely done and thanks for the quick tutorial
> Now, can you please do another one that shows how you made the plain red material turn into that cool pearled stuff in the finished cap


After doing these caps this way for a while now, I agree that gluing the inner and outer sleeves together really reinforces the area where the cap threads are. 

As far as silver waste, since the narrowest parting tool I have is the same width as the rings themselves I don’t part the tubing. Instead, I use a modified mini chop saw from Harbor Freight and cut up several rings at once. I’m guessing the little blade is less than .030” thick so very little waste.

I have silver tubes in different diameters but find that the 5/8” tube is by far the most popular size for my pen sizes.

As far as how I change the orange blank to burgundy, I’m sorry but some secrets are best kept.

Here is the little saw I use….
http://www.harborfreight.com/media/...b33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_17028.jpg


----------



## mrburls

Nice short informative tutorial George. I'll have to give this a try. 

Keith "mrburls"


----------



## OKLAHOMAN

But they do have it in brass for those that would want to play with it and have a gold tone.
5/8" (0.625") Round Brass Tube - 1 ft.-Metalliferous



Texatdurango said:


> Here are some additional comments and questions answered.......
> I had been getting it from metalliferous.com but when I called last week to reorder, they told me their supplier of many silver items can’t supply the goods now so I’m searching!
> quote]


----------



## BRobbins629

Texatdurango said:


> r
> Quick Question where did you get your tubing / sleaving from...?


I had been getting it from metalliferous.com but when I called last week to reorder, they told me their supplier of many silver items can’t supply the goods now so I’m searching!
 [/quote]
I gave up on them long ago and started turning them in wax and having them cast in silver.  Opens up the the range of diameters and thicknesses.  This one is .60 diameter and .020 thickness.  A little rough right out of the caster but with a little sanding polishes right up.   A reasonably easy process and maybe even less expensive.


----------



## gbpens

Thanks George for sharing the knowledge and information.
Gene


----------



## IPD_Mr

George - If I remember correctly you have a few photos of the HF mini chop saw that you modified to cut your rings.  Do you have a link to those?  I went looking and could not find them.  No rush BTW, I know you are trying to get product done for LA.


----------



## MarkD

Great tutorial George! Thanks for sharing your process!


----------



## Texatdurango

BRobbins629 said:


> Texatdurango said:
> 
> 
> 
> r
> Quick Question where did you get your tubing / sleaving from...?
> 
> 
> 
> I had been getting it from metalliferous.com but when I called last week to reorder, they told me their supplier of many silver items can’t supply the goods now so I’m searching!
Click to expand...

I gave up on them long ago and started turning them in wax and having them cast in silver. Opens up the the range of diameters and thicknesses. This one is .60 diameter and .020 thickness. A little rough right out of the caster but with a little sanding polishes right up. *A reasonably easy process and maybe even less expensive.*

[/quote]

Bruce, I would love to be able to reach up on a shelf and select from one of many diameter tubes!  Could we talk you into doing a little write up on what it would take to get from raw silver to a tube?

Assuming I have no silver working tools, what would I need to buy to get started in casting my own tubes?  

Also, yesterday I got in a variety of 22 gage sterling disks that I will have to punch out to make into washers so will have quite a few "mini disks" left over.  I realize the composition of sterling and .999 fine silver are different but can they be mixed when casting items such at these tubes?


----------



## Texatdurango

IPD_Mr said:


> George - If I remember correctly you have a few photos of the HF mini chop saw that you modified to cut your rings. Do you have a link to those? I went looking and could not find them. No rush BTW, I know you are trying to get product done for LA.


 I don't understand, they are in my IAP photo album!  :wink:


----------



## IPD_Mr

Texatdurango said:


> IPD_Mr said:
> 
> 
> 
> George - If I remember correctly you have a few photos of the HF mini chop saw that you modified to cut your rings. Do you have a link to those? I went looking and could not find them. No rush BTW, I know you are trying to get product done for LA.
> 
> 
> 
> I don't understand, they are in my IAP photo album! :wink:
Click to expand...

 
That is why I couldn't find it, was looking for a thread.  :redface:


----------



## BRobbins629

Texatdurango said:


> Bruce, I would love to be able to reach up on a shelf and select from one of many diameter tubes!  Could we talk you into doing a little write up on what it would take to get from raw silver to a tube?
> 
> Assuming I have no silver working tools, what would I need to buy to get started in casting my own tubes?
> 
> Also, yesterday I got in a variety of 22 gage sterling disks that I will have to punch out to make into washers so will have quite a few "mini disks" left over.  I realize the composition of sterling and .999 fine silver are different but can they be mixed when casting items such at these tubes?


I will try to do a little write up.  Too cold in the shop for a demo, but I think I can describe the process.  Will do so in another thread.

You don't need any silver working tools.  All you will be doing is making a wax tube and sending it out for casting.  You get back something that looks like the picture I posted.

I get my tubes cast in sterling, not fine silver unless I want to use transparent enamel, but that's another topic.  You could send in your sterling scrap and they can combine that with casing grain up to about 50% usually. You will only get charged for what they use of their supply.


----------



## EBorraga

I've picked up alot of aluminum and brass rods from speedymetals.com. They have a wide variety of sizes and thickness.


----------



## Chris Burton

Thanks for sharing that!


----------



## turbowagon

George, thanks for sharing your method!

Is there any concern about tarnishing using uncoated metal bands?


----------



## Texatdurango

turbowagon said:


> George, thanks for sharing your method!
> 
> Is there any concern about tarnishing using uncoated metal bands?


 
Not as far as I'm concerned.  When they start to tarnish, and they will, it's just a reminder to the owner that the parts are indeed silver not some coated silver plate.

Two pens that I use all the time have bands and show no signs of tarnish yet and it's been at least a year, perhaps it's because I polish them now and then with a soft cloth and a shot of Novus #1 plastic polish.  Who knows, that may help.


----------



## bluwolf

Nice job George, clear and concise. Great photos too.

Mike


----------



## plano_harry

How are you turning the end cutoff "part D" for spacer and cap -- metal lathe?  
Are you drilling the ID after turning the OD?  
Chop saw to cut for thickness, or part off?

Thanks for the great tutorial!


----------



## cnirenberg

Thanks George for sharing.  Well done again.


----------



## Texatdurango

plano_harry said:


> *1.* How are you turning the end cutoff "part D" for spacer and cap -- metal lathe?
> *2.*Are you drilling the ID after turning the OD?
> Chop saw to cut for thickness, or part off?
> 
> Thanks for the great tutorial!


 
*1.* I put part "D" as shown into a collet chuck mounted on my Jet mini lathe then part off the rings.  Some things are still done better and faster on a wood lathe! 

*2.*  I turn down all my blanks between centers on the metal lathe because it's SO accurate, from then on the blanks are held by collets for everything.  I keep the Beall collet chuck mounted on my Jet mini lathe full time, I probably couldn't get it off if I tried! :wink:

"C" and "D" are both initially turned to .590" so they can fit in a 19/32" collet, probably the most widely used collet I have and I wish I had two of them.  Once held in a collet, it's a breeze drilling these blanks, even with very thin walls.


----------



## glycerine

Thanks George, very cool!  Now where's the tutorial on making a diamond encrusted pen body?


----------



## Texatdurango

glycerine said:


> Thanks George, very cool! Now where's the tutorial on making a diamond encrusted pen body?


 
I started to do one but when I do my diamond pens I start with an 18K solid gold blank and I figured that most members here were too cheap to spend the money so I didn't bother with the tutorial!


----------



## OKLAHOMAN

George it's wasn't the 18K solild gold blank that held me back it was the 47 2K diamonds.


Texatdurango said:


> glycerine said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks George, very cool! Now where's the tutorial on making a diamond encrusted pen body?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I started to do one but when I do my diamond pens I start with an 18K solid gold blank and I figured that most members here were too cheap to spend the money so I didn't bother with the tutorial!
Click to expand...


----------



## Texatdurango

As usual, the first liar doesn't stand a chance amongst pros! :biggrin:


----------



## glycerine

George, I found some "trim rings", but I think the smallest ID is the same as your OD, so they may be too large...
Atlas Billiard Supplies - Sterling Silver


----------



## Texatdurango

glycerine said:


> George, I found some "trim rings", but I think the smallest ID is the same as your OD, so they may be too large...
> Atlas Billiard Supplies - Sterling Silver


Good grief!  Even if they had the sizes I wanted I would look elsewhere, those prices are aboutfour times what they should be!

I bought some round discs last week and am going to punch holes in them myself.  I'm too cheap to buy one of the "jewelers" hole punches for $200+ so I have an idea how to make my own setup using Harbor Freight transfer punches.  I'll share the idea if it works, or might even share if it doesn't work just to see some others screw up some washers! :biggrin:


----------



## bitshird

Thanks George!


----------



## Curly

Texatdurango said:


> I bought some round discs last week and am going to punch holes in them myself.  I'm too cheap to buy one of the "jewelers" hole punches for $200+ so I have an idea how to make my own setup using Harbor Freight transfer punches.  I'll share the idea if it works, or might even share if it doesn't work just to see some others screw up some washers! :biggrin:



Use your metal lathe George. Hold the disc with soft jaws made for the chuck and core the disc with a spot-weld cutter or a small parting tool ground to match the id of the hole you want. No distortion and a very accurate and clean cut inside hole in the ring. 

You could even make an aluminium soft-jaw bushing to fit your largest collet to hold the disc if the lathe chuck can't take the soft-jaws.

Pete


----------



## Dalecamino

Curly said:


> Texatdurango said:
> 
> 
> 
> I bought some round discs last week and am going to punch holes in them myself.  I'm too cheap to buy one of the "jewelers" hole punches for $200+ so I have an idea how to make my own setup using Harbor Freight transfer punches.  I'll share the idea if it works, or might even share if it doesn't work just to see some others screw up some washers! :biggrin:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Use your metal lathe George. Hold the disc with soft jaws made for the chuck and core the disc with a spot-weld cutter or a small parting tool ground to match the id of the hole you want. No distortion and a very accurate and clean cut inside hole in the ring.
> 
> You could even make an aluminium soft-jaw bushing to fit your largest collet to hold the disc if the lathe chuck can't take the soft-jaws.
> 
> Pete
Click to expand...

Pete, would happen to have a photo of this? I'm not sure I follow what you're saying. But, it sounds good.


----------



## HoratioHornblower

Well, next time you are secretly behind one of these George let me know so I can come watch you make it! :biggrin:


----------



## Curly

dalecamino said:


> Curly said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Texatdurango said:
> 
> 
> 
> I bought some round discs last week and am going to punch holes in them myself.  I'm too cheap to buy one of the "jewelers" hole punches for $200+ so I have an idea how to make my own setup using Harbor Freight transfer punches.  I'll share the idea if it works, or might even share if it doesn't work just to see some others screw up some washers! :biggrin:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Use your metal lathe George. Hold the disc with soft jaws made for the chuck and core the disc with a spot-weld cutter or a small parting tool ground to match the id of the hole you want. No distortion and a very accurate and clean cut inside hole in the ring.
> 
> You could even make an aluminium soft-jaw bushing to fit your largest collet to hold the disc if the lathe chuck can't take the soft-jaws.
> 
> Pete
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Pete, would happen to have a photo of this? I'm not sure I follow what you're saying. But, it sounds good.
Click to expand...


Search for chuck soft jaws and look at the images. You will see they are soft steel or aluminium jaws that are attached to the jaws of chucks. The chuck is the type that are 2 part where the parts with the scroll stay in the chuck and the jaws are removed. With the soft jaws installed they are cut to shape to hold the object with the lathe. 

In this case you would cut a recess slightly smaller than the silver disc. When opened and closed on the disc, it sits in the recess and is gripped around its circumference and supported by the back of the jaws.


----------



## Dalecamino

Sounds cool. Thanks Pete.


----------



## turbowagon

I really want to do this, as I have a custom order pen where I need to make gold accent bands, but I just can't bring myself to use uncoated brass... tarnishing will be a dealbreaker for the customer.

I'm trying to brainstorm possible ways around it....  maybe turn the bands a bit undersize (mounting on a separate mandrel), put on a thick layer of CA....  then glue them to the barrel and turn true to the surface?  I think I'll try that.


----------



## Rich L

turbowagon said:


> I really want to do this, as I have a custom order pen where I need to make gold accent bands, but I just can't bring myself to use uncoated brass... tarnishing will be a dealbreaker for the customer.
> 
> I'm trying to brainstorm possible ways around it....  maybe turn the bands a bit undersize (mounting on a separate mandrel), put on a thick layer of CA....  then glue them to the barrel and turn true to the surface?  I think I'll try that.



Why not gold plate your brass rings? Find the right plater and it's really not expensive. I just got a quote for some of my stuff and gold electro-plating a pen barrel at 5µm thick (that's pretty thick) was less than $10. So, a few rings ...

I will say, however, that some of the quotes I got were ridiculously high.

Just a thought as it would give your customer some real gold.

Cheers,
Rich


----------



## Rich L

I was at a factory where they were swaging gold bands on to the barrels using a bench mounted pneumatic 5C collet closer. They had some plastic bushings to not mar the gold bands and some other internal blocks to prevent cracking the barrels but it was a quick and easy process. The hardest part was getting/making the bands.

I have been thinking about making one of those swagers with either a used pneumatic chuck or a manual one. Since silver bands are much cheaper to make than gold it might make for a good investment in tooling in exchange for having to make fewer pen parts. But, if you're only doing onsey twosey with bands it might not make sense. I happen to like to make tooling :wink:

Cheers,
Rich


----------

