# Custom Center Bands?



## dl351 (Apr 15, 2010)

I'm fairly new to turning pens (turning in general), but I'm always looking for new things to try.  Can someone point me towards instructions or a tutorial on how to make a custom center band for, say, a Navigator?  Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks.


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## JBCustomPens (Apr 15, 2010)

It is not really that hard. Here is a link to how to disasemble a JR. Gent CB. They are similar. 

http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=35571&highlight=centerband+removal


Other than that, it is just a matter of turning some material down to size, and then parting off a thin ring.



Hope this helps!


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## dl351 (Apr 15, 2010)

I'm guessing that I'd need to purchase a chuck to hold the material?


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## Brooks803 (Apr 15, 2010)

dl351 said:


> I'm guessing that I'd need to purchase a chuck to hold the material?


 

Thats how I do it. I have a barracuda 2 chuck, but thats good for several types of turning. a collet chuck is VERY precise and it's what I see recommended all the time for accurate turning.


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## jbostian (Apr 16, 2010)

I just finished a Navigator with a custom centerband and finial. Here is a link to an article in the library that helped me.  http://content.penturners.org/articles/2008/custom_finial.pdf 
The article shows how to make a finial for a Jr. Gent kit but it is the same process for the Navigator.  Yes you will need some kind of chuck to hold the material.  I used a scroll chuck.  I started out by turning the material down to the diameter of the center ring.  I decided to do the center ring first because it has a larger diameter then the finial.  Then I used my drill chuck in the tailstock to drill a hole into the material the size of the hole in the original centerband. The depth of the hole will be just a little deeper then the thickness you want the centerband to be.  Then I started to part off the centerband but stopped before going all the way through. I then sanded and polished the centerband.  After I was done polishing I finished parting of the new centerband.  To turn the finial I just followed the intsructions from the link above.  I hope this helps you some. 

Jamie


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## dl351 (Apr 16, 2010)

Thanks for the help, everyone!

Jamie, your Navigator is actually what sparked this question.  Being fairly new to turning, I don't have drill bits and bushings for many pens and the Navigator is the next pen I've been wanting to get drills and bushings for.

Thanks again for all your help.


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## jbostian (Apr 16, 2010)

dl351 said:


> Thanks for the help, everyone!
> 
> Jamie, your Navigator is actually what sparked this question. Being fairly new to turning, I don't have drill bits and bushings for many pens and the Navigator is the next pen I've been wanting to get drills and bushings for.
> 
> Thanks again for all your help.


 
Glad I could help.  I really like the Navigator kit and I am sure you will too.  Just so you know the Navigator and the Baron are the same pen kit just named differently.  There might be small difference but both kits use the same bushings.  And I just found out tonight that the Sedona also uses the same bushings as the Navigator.  Just a little extra info that I thought might be useful.  

Jamei


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## DurocShark (Apr 17, 2010)

This one is made from a slim kit, but the process and concept are the same:








Using a mandrel (or your favorite mandrelless method):
*Glue the tube to your blank and square it off. 
*Mount it on your mandrel and turn round. 
*Pare off some material at the CB end. There's no rule here, make it as thick or as fine as you like. (You do this on the lathe so the cut is square to the pen.)
*For the one above, I took some .032 aluminum and drilled a 7mm hole. I also took a scrap of black PR and did the same. The PR is a bit thicker than the length of tube visible.
*Take the blank off the mandrel and using epoxy or CA glue, slide the aluminum and the PR on the tube. Clamp.
*Square off the end again. 
*-- NOTE -- You can leave some of the CB hanging over the edge if you need the space for length sensitive kits.
*Mount back on the mandrel and turn like normal.

It's really easy and opens up whole new designs.


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## DurocShark (Apr 17, 2010)

I should note that with a Navigator you'll need to disassemble the coupler so you can get the threads into the cap. The instructions folks posted above will help.


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## dl351 (Apr 17, 2010)

I have some cheap slim line kits laying around, so maybe I'll start my pen customizing with those until I can scrape up funds to purchase the necessary chuck for doing bands for something like a Navigator.

Thanks again for all your help!


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## Jgrden (Apr 17, 2010)

Let's get rid of that Slimline center band. Make your own. Just like this guy did.


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## knifecut (Apr 18, 2010)

dl351 said:


> I have some cheap slim line kits laying around, so maybe I'll start my pen customizing with those until I can scrape up funds to purchase the necessary chuck for doing bands for something like a Navigator.
> 
> Thanks again for all your help!



Seems to me the inner diameter of the center band on a slimline is smaller than 7mm, to fit the twist mechanism and not fall of when changing refills?


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## dl351 (Apr 18, 2010)

I'd guess that the slimline center band inner diameter is about the same inner diameter of the brass tubes of the slim line kit.


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## DurocShark (Apr 18, 2010)

dl351 said:


> I'd guess that the slimline center band inner diameter is about the same inner diameter of the brass tubes of the slim line kit.



This is correct. It's a slip fit over the transmission and acts as a spacer between the lower tube and the upper tube. 

That, in fact, is my biggest complaint about slims: The loose CB. I haven't made a slim with the stock CB in a long time now.


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## RussFairfield (Apr 18, 2010)

Go to my website for instructions on how to modify a SlimLine pen.

http://www.woodturner-russ.com/Pen10.html


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## DurocShark (Apr 18, 2010)

YES! 

Russ, you were my inspiration to start doing the CB mods!


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## KenV (Apr 18, 2010)

Don Ward just put an article on the very topic in the More Woodturning publicaiton.  That article on modified slimline with an ebony or blackwood center band replacement is in the current issue.  Don usually has reprints posted on his article page a moderate time after publication.

Don does have some other articles that are well worth reading

http://www.redriverpens.com/articles.htm


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## Mark (Apr 18, 2010)

That's a great tutorial. I'll definitely be giving that a try.. I'm liking the Fat Line...


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