# Lathe Chuck for Pen Blanks



## tbroye (Jan 5, 2009)

What kind of Chuck do I need for drilling pen blanks on my lathe.  Delt Midi.  Nothing to fancy of expensive, just time for a new toy.


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## johnnycnc (Jan 5, 2009)

I can give a good reccomendation to this one:
http://www.amazon.com/PSI-Woodworki...d_bbs_sr_8?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1231203195&sr=8-8
price includes a lot of extra jaws for other things,and works well.


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## tbroye (Jan 5, 2009)

John

Thanks for the link.  I thought that is what I needed. It also looks big enought to turn some other projects.  Now that I am getting into Mandreless and Center to Center turning might as well get a decent hole for the tubes.  Started squaring th blanks on my disk sander instead of the pen mill with better results.


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## Brandon25 (Jan 5, 2009)

I drill on the lathe by putting a dimple in both ends of the blank, holding the blank against the live center in my tailstock, and advancing it into a drill bit held in a Jacobs chuck driven by the headstock. The jacob chuck was $7 at harbor freight. It seems scary until you do it. I hold the blank not by hand but rather with an adjustable wrench. I start the hole by locking the spindle and turning the blank by hand. Works for me, and I cut the blank to length after drilling.


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## johnnycnc (Jan 5, 2009)

Tom,
it is a pretty nice chuck for the money,works smoothly too.
squaring on the disk sander is the only way to go for me also.
I never met a pen mill I liked!:biggrin:


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## MobilMan (Jan 5, 2009)

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/CMG3C.html  Comes with 3 sets of jaws


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