# Trimming Blanks



## snowb46 (Feb 10, 2011)

I'm fairly new to the art, have turned about a dozen pens so far.  My most recent issue is with trimming.  I thought I bought a good blank trimmer (carbide from PSI) but have ruined 4-5 pen blanks thus far.  

Some have been the plastic, last two were wood.  While feeding the blank into the trimmer, it all of a sudden grabs the blank and splits/chips beyond use.

I've tried speeding up/down the drill press, feeding slower. And here I am again with a ruined blank.  I've been thinking about switching to a disc sanding method, and did see someones recent post on flipping around the head on the trimmer and placing a small piece of sand paper like a mini-mini disc sander.

*All that aside, does anyone else have problems with their PSI carbide trimmer?*


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## RDH79 (Feb 10, 2011)

I dont like using a barrel trimmer on the drill press. You can not control the speed . I use  my trimmer on a vs hand drill. That way you can slowly start off and hit the blank slow. I have caught a couple when i was in a hurry . Then after turning the blank I will use the disk sander and a jig i made from the miter gauge. This removes the ca and resquares up the ends.


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## keithkarl2007 (Feb 10, 2011)

I haven't tried it but I think trimming with a pin chuck on the lathe would be a good idea. The use of sandpaper on the mills I think is only used to sand the ends of the finished barrel to remove any finish, CA, that may be on the end of the tube. If you were to try and sand down flush with a sanding mill the heat created could form cracks in time especially with ebony and snakewood.


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## Lenny (Feb 10, 2011)

RDH79 said:


> I dont like using a barrel trimmer on the drill press. You can not control the speed . I use my trimmer on a vs hand drill. That way you can slowly start off and hit the blank slow. I have caught a couple when i was in a hurry . Then after turning the blank I will use the disk sander and a jig i made from the miter gauge. This removes the ca and resquares up the ends.


 
Agreed! Use a hand drill (corded or cordless) and hold the blank in a vise or with a pair of pliers. go slow till you just see the brass tube. 

Or, if you have a disc sander make up a jig (there have been some good ones posted here in the past) to hold the blank at 90 degrees to the disc. 
The best ones I've seen use a 7mm shaft (old mandrel perhaps) that allows the blank to slide along it till making contact with the disc. This also allows the use of trimming sleeves for other size pen tubes.


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## snowb46 (Feb 12, 2011)

Just to be clear, I never plunge the drill press to the blank.  I hold the blank with channel locks and lift it up to the trimmer in the drill press.  I've also done this on the lathe.


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## blade.white (Feb 12, 2011)

*carbide!!*

I bought the carbide trimmer thinking it would be better. Noticed a few blanks had a uneven end, high spot and low spots. After about 7-8 blanks my carbide snapped in half. So much for carbide being superior. Just ordered a beall collet chuch and a steb drive center. Will be applying the tutoral on the side page about turning between centers. Carbide cost too much to break that quick.


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## Papo (Feb 12, 2011)

Maybe carbide but maybe dull. There's an article on how to sharpen Trimmers.I sharpen mine every week dependeing on how many times I use it.


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## zig613 (Feb 12, 2011)

I have one of Nolan's carbide trimmers it works well using a variable speed hand drill.  But I have found a better way (at least to me) and I have moved away from using a trimmer period.  I now trim the blank on the band saw followed up by doing the final squaring and 1/8" sanding using a jig I made for my bench belt/disc sander.  This completely avoids any chips or tear-outs.

Wade


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## Lenny (Feb 12, 2011)

zig613 said:


> I now trim the blank on the band saw followed up by doing the final squaring and 1/8" sanding using a jig I made for my bench belt/disc sander. This completely avoids any chips or tear-outs.
> 
> Wade


 
I have seen other's setup for doing this but wouldn't mind seeing what you came up with too .... How about a pic or two?


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## monophoto (Feb 12, 2011)

One of the lessons that I have learned (the hard way) is that in trimming (and for that matter, anything else related to pen making), it is better to be patient, and take a bit more time.  Whenever I try to push the process, I end up with a minidisaster.


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## zig613 (Feb 12, 2011)

Lenny said:


> zig613 said:
> 
> 
> > I now trim the blank on the band saw followed up by doing the final squaring and 1/8" sanding using a jig I made for my bench belt/disc sander. This completely avoids any chips or tear-outs.
> ...



Lenny…

It is a pretty simple jig to make.  I used a 5/8” piece of red oak as the base.  A piece of 1 ½” piece of 90 degree aluminum channel is mounted on the base parallel to the sanding disk.   A ¼” hole is drilled through the channel and a ¼” threaded bolt is mounted to the channel at 90 degrees to the sanding disk.  Finally, a 3/8” thick piece of ¼” aluminum is used on the underside of the base to track in the miter slot.  The key thing is making sure all the angles are correct when you are putting everything together.

The ¼” bolt accommodates the standard 7mm tube.  Make up a series of trimmer sleeves using 7mm brass tubes and scraps of wood to fit the various tubes sizes for the kits you make.    Slide the appropriate sized sleeve over the ¼’ bolt and then slide your blank over the sleeve.  Turn the sanding disk on and then gently sand (trim) the ends of the blank square.

I hope this helps.

Wade


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## navycop (Feb 12, 2011)

Zig613, I'm assuming you just push the blank along the bolt with your finger until it contacts the sanding disk? I mean-you don't move the jig itself?


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## mikeschurer (Feb 12, 2011)

I use my sorby belt sharpening system for truing up blanks.  I use the 45 degree block and true the square blank.  A much less error prone method that has never burred a tube.

Mike the Pipe in Pangbourne by the Thames.


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## zig613 (Feb 12, 2011)

navycop said:


> Zig613, I'm assuming you just push the blank along the bolt with your finger until it contacts the sanding disk? I mean-you don't move the jig itself?



Mike...

Yup... just slide the blanks towards the sanding disk.  The jig itself remains stationary.

Wade


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## Rangertrek (Feb 12, 2011)

Todd, if you decide to try the disc sander route, I did a tutorial on this.  Its in the library.  Link here -http://content.penturners.org/articles/2010/squaringpenblanksonabeltdiscsander.pdf

It works very well for me.  I use a variety of sleeves for the various diameter tubes.


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## ctubbs (Feb 12, 2011)

Now for the really stupid question!  I use the PSI blank trimmer in the drill press.  With this I can watch the brass show up as the blank is trimmed so I do not over cut the blank.  On the sander, I have not figured out how to watch for the tube.  What am I missing?  Just how can I know when I have trimmed enough off and not too much?
Charles


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## Rangertrek (Feb 12, 2011)

With the sander method you just go slow and easy, sand a little and look at the end.  Gradually you will start to see the brass, possibly on just an edge or all around.  If just on a edge, keep sanding "lightly" until you have an even brass ring showing.  Repeat, just go slow and easy.  After a while you will be able to "hear" the difference from just the wood or acrylic and when you first touch the brass tube.


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## ldb2000 (Feb 12, 2011)

blade.white said:


> I bought the carbide trimmer thinking it would be better. Noticed a few blanks had a uneven end, high spot and low spots. After about 7-8 blanks my carbide snapped in half. So much for carbide being superior. Just ordered a beall collet chuch and a steb drive center. Will be applying the tutoral on the side page about turning between centers. Carbide cost too much to break that quick.


 
How on earth did you break a carbide barrel trimmer ? If you have some pictures of the broken one please post them . This is something I've never heard of and would like to see what happened .


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## Displaced Canadian (Feb 12, 2011)

I have that same barrel trimmer and bought it for the same reason and have the same problem with it. More often than not it will catch and destroy the blank. I'm not sure why, I have never had any issues with anything else I bought from them, but that trimmer just doesn't work.


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## Russianwolf (Feb 12, 2011)

Isn't the PSI carbide trimmer a two blade set up? If so, that's the potential reason for the problems. More cutters is more stable and less agressive. I think this is part of the reason Nolan started offering his.


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## Displaced Canadian (Feb 12, 2011)

Yes 2 blades


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## soligen (Feb 12, 2011)

If you have the same PSI carbide trimmer that I bought, it only has 2 blades - which is not enough.  I went back to the regular steel one until I come by a 4 blade carbide trimmer.  My problem with 2 blades is that it rides the hills and valleys, never getting the blank square.  2 blades will also me more likely to catch

Try a 4 blade trimmer.

With the 2 blade, try turning it around to the flat side and putting PSA sandpaper on it.  This is all I do with my PSI carbide trimmer any more.  I found the blades worthless.


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## Dudley Young (Feb 12, 2011)

Do it on the belt sander.


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## tomas (Feb 12, 2011)

I have been using a trimmer from Woodcraft for a couple of years and have never ruined a blank with it. I have found many more creative ways to ruin blanks!  I mount the trimmer in my cordless drill, hold the blank in one hand, and the drill in the other.

Tomas


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## eldee (Feb 12, 2011)

If you make a jig similar to Wade's , be sure to make the sleeves. You can get by without them, but you will likely end up with some short tubes by the time they are squared. Trimmers are ok for some blanks. Be very careful with burls and brittle plastics, and donn't try them on any laminates.


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## 76winger (Feb 13, 2011)

I've only completly ruined one blank with my PSI carbide barrel trimmer, but I've dammaged many and have had to do some replairs after splinting end on a couple woods and taking out chunks on some acrylics. The BEST luck I've had is by putting the blank in the wood jaws of my wood bench vice to where only the area needing trimed portrudes above. Then using only the wieght of the hand-drill it's mounted in, I apply very light pressure while it cuts. 

Usually, at most, I have to coat the end with CA, then trim once more for a clean flush end. 

The disk sander jig sounds like a good idea though. I may have to try it. Do you make different sizes for diferent size barrels?


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## its_virgil (Feb 14, 2011)

You don't watch...you listen. I can hear the sound change as soon as the disk touches the tube. That's my notice to stop. I really like using the disk sander for squaring blanks. Several kits are very sensitive to tube lengths...such as the cigar...and I've not had any problems using the disk sander.

Do a good turn daily!
Don



ctubbs said:


> Now for the really stupid question!  I use the PSI blank trimmer in the drill press.  With this I can watch the brass show up as the blank is trimmed so I do not over cut the blank.  On the sander, I have not figured out how to watch for the tube.  What am I missing?  Just how can I know when I have trimmed enough off and not too much?
> Charles


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## snowb46 (Feb 14, 2011)

Papo said:


> Maybe carbide but maybe dull. There's an article on how to sharpen Trimmers.I sharpen mine every week dependeing on how many times I use it.



Sure as heck better not be dull.  I'm a newbie and haven't turned 20 pens yet.


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## snowb46 (Feb 14, 2011)

Rangertrek said:


> Todd, if you decide to try the disc sander route, I did a tutorial on this.  Its in the library.  Link here -http://content.penturners.org/articles/2010/squaringpenblanksonabeltdiscsander.pdf
> 
> It works very well for me.  I use a variety of sleeves for the various diameter tubes.



Yes, thank you for the tutorial.  I've previously downloaded this thinking about moving to this method.


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## snowb46 (Feb 14, 2011)

*Carbide Slop*

Something I've noticed recently, for those who have a carbide trimmer and are having issue.  Is there a little slop or play on the tube on your trimmer?  And if so, do you think this would be the issue?  It's pretty minor, but the only thing I can think of.  Although if it were any larger, some os my bushing sleeves would not fit, those are fairly snug.


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## rsulli16 (Feb 14, 2011)

another 2 cents worth
i use a vs drill too, hold on tight and slooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwlllllllllyyyyy take the blank down. never a problem. touch up the flat sides of the cutters only, you'll need diamond card for the carbide.


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## Rob73 (Feb 14, 2011)

I started out using the barrel trimmers with a cordless drill & blank locked in a vice.  I just got a new belt and disk sander desk setup and picked up jig for it from psi.  So far I like this method much better.  I haven't tried it on wood blanks yet though just acrylics and it's worked very well.


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## dplloyd (Feb 14, 2011)

I have thrown out my PSI Carbide Trimmer after ruining yet another blank this weekend. I threw it out because I would not want anyone cussing me the way I cuss this trimmer. It has definitely cost me more money than I paid for it.

I'll stick to the four blade or the barreltriming jig for my disc sander.

My .02cents


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## Daniel (Feb 14, 2011)

I use a trimmer, but also recognize they are a poorly built tool at best. The P.S.I. carbide trimmer only has 2 blades which to me begs for tear out. Nolan takes a traditional 4 blade head and has it re machined to a higher tolerance and then adds the carbide.

Did the carbide break (it is hard and brittle) or did it overheat and melt the brazing?
I waste a lot of carbide tipped saw blades by over heating them. the blade stops and half the tips are missing.


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