# your pen-turnin arsenal??!!



## RAdams (Aug 15, 2010)

I just posted to a thread talking about the HF punch set, and it got me thinking about my arsenal of odd tools that aren't really made with us in mind, that are crucial, or at least really nice, to be able to have in my box. I want to share some of my odds and see if anyone else wants to add theirs in! Maybe we can exchange some "outside the box" tool ideas!!



HF punch set- Replaces pen disassembly tool, and has many other handy uses.


chainsaw file- I use this to knock out the chunks of dried gorilla glue after gluing my tubes in, and then i use it to file off the stuck gorilla snot. If the tube wont fit on the bushing, or the mandrel, then i know it isnt clean enough and the chainsaw file kicks back in!

Oil filter strap clamp- This is a cheesy, cheap plastic handle with a small leather strap that was intended to be a oil filter wrench. I don't think it has ever removed an Oil filter. I use it to grip tubes when knocking parts out, I use it to hold blanks while drilling on the press, or anything else i might need a solid soft grip for. 

hunka plexiglass- This is a piece of plexi about 2 by 3 inches. It is 1/2" thick, and very rigid. It has lots of holes drilled in different sizes. I use it for knocking parts out, as a spacer for drilling on the press, a small straight edge, and probably some other stuff i can't think of.

Metal shim- This is a shim material used in machining electrical engines. Actually, I am sure it has many many uses in the machining industry... It is exactly .002" thick. The prefered thickness for the instructions I have for cleaning a fountain nib cut thingy from the tip to the heart hole. It is also cool for a super thin steel segments. 

plastic fishing tackle container- This tool has double duty in my shop. It holds all of my drill bits that are for pens only, and all of my bushing sets. It also makes a wonderful negative for silicone mold making.


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## David Keller (Aug 15, 2010)

Thanks, Ron.  I picked up a few ideas there.

About the only odd thing that I can think of is an old door hinge bolt that I use in my drill press to press pens together.  I thought about covering the head with leather, but I haven't had any issues with it scratching.


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## glycerine (Aug 15, 2010)

I got nothin'...  Looks like you have been very creative, or I've just been unimaginative so far in my penturning career.  I can't think of a single thing that I don't use for it's intended purpose.  I'm boring!!


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## glycerine (Aug 15, 2010)

David Keller said:


> Thanks, Ron.  I picked up a few ideas there.
> 
> About the only odd thing that I can think of is an old door hinge bolt that I use in my drill press to press pens together.  I thought about covering the head with leather, but I haven't had any issues with it scratching.



Wait, he jogged my memory!  I do use an old broken drill press as pen press!  I'm sure I'll think of something else when it's not almost 2 am...


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## 1080Wayne (Aug 15, 2010)

The fine drill bit for re-opening a plugged glue nozzle and the fine wire to draw through the re-opened hole to remove the higher viscosity glue .

The bead headed overgrown pin with a fine hooked point for outing the damned white spot .

The flat granite slab as a base for sandpaper when removing excess CA from a barrel end .


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## RAdams (Aug 15, 2010)

I almost forgot about my drying string. I have a loop of metal wire across teh ceiling in my shop. Whn i paint tubes, clean prickly pear, or otherwise need to hang something up with a piece of wire, I do. I have a bunch of pieces of wire cut at around 8 or 10 inches or something. I bend a kink in one end to stop the tube and put the first tube on, then i bend a little kick in the tube so the two tubes are not touching each other. Then i spray paint, and hang the kit that goes with that set of tubes from teh bottom of the wire, and hang the whole thing on the rack. Once the tubes are glued in to the blanks, they get taped to the side of the bag while waiting to be turned. I also have three baskets on tehwall, all marked for kits in the stages of the process. drill-paint, glue-true, turn-press. As i need the space in teh rack, the kits get transferred to the baskets.


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## Snorton20 (Aug 15, 2010)

My wife picked me up a sowing string spool rack for ten bucks. It holds all my drilled blanks at different stages of progression.  Works great.


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## rjwolfe3 (Aug 15, 2010)

Snorton20 said:


> My wife picked me up a sowing string spool rack for ten bucks. It holds all my drilled blanks at different stages of progression.  Works great.



I use the same thing and love it. Got it from Walmart. Best thing I have ever bought there lol.


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## PaulDoug (Aug 15, 2010)

Set of those hook thingies like the dentists use to torture you with while the examine your teeth.  Used to clean out holes and grooves.  Many homemade wood collets to hold thing in my chucks do I don't scratch them. Hand turned counter sink to work on the ends of tubes.


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## CSue (Aug 15, 2010)

I use the long threaded end of a bent mandrel out at the drill press to clean out holes in some woods after drilling - to make sure there are no splinters or cracks that would stop or hold up the tube insertion process.

Instead of spool thread thingy I just got a left over piece of 2"x4", drilled 1/4" holes an inch apart. I put in about 1/4"x1" dowel pieces in the holes. I use this to put my tubes on when painting and drying them.

I use a small *wool* paint roller (without the handle) for polishing the pen tubes after finishing. Blanks stay on the lathe, turning and I just press the wool of the roller against the finished tube till I like the shine. I have a few different rollers - each for a different finish.


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## jskeen (Aug 15, 2010)

Not an original idea of mine, but one I've used since my very first pen is a case chamfer tool made for reloading ammo, it sees every single pen I make at least 4 or more times.  Another is a simple 7mm pen tube with one end ground at an acute angle and the other set about a half inch deep into a wooden handle.  It makes a very good scoop for powdered tints, brass dust, ebony dust, or anything else dry that is used in very small amounts.


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## mrcook4570 (Aug 15, 2010)

butter knife - ground to make a thin parting tool

callous remover - works great for removing ca from body parts

palette knife - used to burn grooves (works like the wires, but is much easier to control)


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## RAdams (Aug 15, 2010)

I also have a butter knife parting tool!!


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## PTownSubbie (Aug 15, 2010)

mrcook4570 said:


> butter knife - ground to make a thin parting tool
> 
> callous remover - works great for removing ca from body parts
> 
> palette knife - used to burn grooves (works like the wires, but is much easier to control)


 
Stan, What is this callous remover you speak of? Is it the cream or some abrasive brush? I would like to hear more about this...maybe even a picture if you can find one.


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## Snorton20 (Aug 17, 2010)

I also use used guitar strings for burning. What's great is that there are 6 different sizes to choose from on a traditional 6 string guitar.  I have a friend that works for guitar center and gets me as many as I want when he does string replacements at the shop.  These strings hold up well.


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## randyrls (Aug 17, 2010)

I'll add a de-burring tool.  Used by shell re-loaders to clean up the brass edges of cartridges.  Used for the same purpose here; to de-burr and champher the tube ends.


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## mrcook4570 (Aug 17, 2010)

PTownSubbie said:


> Stan, What is this callous remover you speak of? Is it the cream or some abrasive brush? I would like to hear more about this...maybe even a picture if you can find one.



I found it in my wife's travel bag one day and the light bulb went on.  http://www.amazon.com/Tweezerman-Pedro-Callus-Stone/dp/B000YGIPP2

Works much better (i.e. better control) than the belt sander that I previously used.


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## sbwertz (Aug 17, 2010)

I use these to hold parts for disassembly

*http://tinyurl.com/2bs3kyp*


and this for making pen stands.  It makes a cone shaped hole just the right size for a pen nib to stand in.

http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?c=&p=32280&cat=1,180,42240 
*Sharon*


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## PTownSubbie (Aug 17, 2010)

mrcook4570 said:


> I found it in my wife's travel bag one day and the light bulb went on. http://www.amazon.com/Tweezerman-Pedro-Callus-Stone/dp/B000YGIPP2
> 
> Works much better (i.e. better control) than the belt sander that I previously used.


 
I thought that might be the tool of choice but how the hell do you not damage the finish with this? Seems like it would cause scratches.


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## nava1uni (Aug 17, 2010)

Wow, good ideas.  I have a small flat piece of marble that I use sticky backed sand paper, a different grit on each side for flat sanding of tube ends.  I also have a variety of dental tools ground to many different shapes that I use for cleaning and also turning tiny details in things. I last thing is a board with different size center bands glued with epoxy into drilled holes.  I use it to disassemble pens with damaging the tube or other parts.


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## JimB (Aug 17, 2010)

Rubber gloves, the kind you use to wash the dishes, to hold a pen when you need to disassemble it (not that you would erer need to). Yiou can really get a good grip with them.

A Bic (Yikes) pen - just the tube. I cut the tube to length and use it as a spacer on a pen mandrel. good diameter fit and cut to custom length... and get to destroy a Bic in the process.


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## ossaguy (Aug 18, 2010)

I love all these tips,hope they keep coming in!

   I use a slightly modified set of "lockring" pliers that really work nice for gluing in in the brass tubes,so much better than the tapered tool that the tubes get stuck to all the time.

 Steve


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## nava1uni (Aug 18, 2010)

ossaguy said:


> I love all these tips,hope they keep coming in!
> 
> I use a slightly modified set of "lockring" pliers that really work nice for gluing in in the brass tubes,so much better than the tapered tool that the tubes get stuck to all the time.
> 
> Steve



How did you modify the lockring pliers so that they don't crush the tube?  Any pictures?


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## jaeger (Aug 18, 2010)

I took a table lamp with the corded bendable/adjustable  support and the small metal shroud. I took this apart and put it on the top of a floor lamp and rewired with the wiring from the floor lamp.
I put this behind my lathe table (which is on wheels) and I have the perfect height  so I can direct the shrouded light right at the blank that I am working on.


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## ossaguy (Aug 18, 2010)

nava1uni said:


> How did you modify the lockring pliers so that they don't crush the tube? Any pictures?


 

I don't know how to posts here,but I know how to put them on my Photobucket,so I tried putting 2 pics here:

http://s361.photobucket.com/albums/oo52/ossaguy/

  I think that will work.

  Steve


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## SteveG (Aug 18, 2010)

Steve, I took a look at your locking pliers: that is a great idea! There are a number of  ideas in this thread that ill soon become a part of my shop. Thanks to all.


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## gebx (Sep 15, 2010)

*Ideas for The Shop*

Thanks to all of you guys for sharing such great ideas.  Instead of a tackle box, i use craft boxes with compartments from hobby lobby for bushings, they are only 3/4" high and take up less room.  They will fit flat in a shallow drawer two high.  I use small gift boxes from container store that are 4" x 4" x 4 or 6" and stack them to organize all of my pen blanks.  That way if I cut a number of blanks from a great piece of wood I bought or cut from a long, I can keep them all together and not forget what kind of wood it is, easy to write the names on the boxes.


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## Gary Beasley (Sep 15, 2010)

I use one of those  multi compartment pill minders with locking lids for my bushing sets.


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## Lenny (Sep 15, 2010)

2x4 with 20d finish nails for keeping matching pen blanks together. Short length of dowel with a small gauge brad epoxied in the end for clearing glue, and Plastic Polish bottles caps. 1/8" x 3/4" x 6" lenth of magnet for pulling bushing out from under all the places they seem to try to hide. Small brass brush for cleaning up bushings after I've soaked them in DNA (which I pour into an old prescription bottle) Perscription bottles are handy for lots of things!


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## TellicoTurning (Sep 15, 2010)

I guess the only odd tool I use is a pair of needle nose pliers that I hold the tubes with while I apply a liberal amount of thick CA, then use the pliers to insert the tube into the blank... gripe lightly so I don't flatten the tube.


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## TXPhi67 (Sep 15, 2010)

Plastic test tubes to hold my drill bits.
Old snuff tins for bushings.
Cut up silicon muffin pan for mixing PR (stole this one from Ron)  
Metal binder clips to hold cut sand paper
Old metal paper cutter to cut sand paper
Several ground and modified screw drivers that act as parting tools, detail tools, and to poke and prod various small parts that need to be "encouraged"
Copy of an antique dentist's chest my father made me to store all sorts of small bits and pieces
Good size tackle box set up to organize pen parts, extra tubes, and such.
Box of scraps to distract my youngest son when he come looking for a project - you should see some of his "art work".  

Excellent thread Ron!


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## PenMan1 (Sep 15, 2010)

Road Kill, broken beer and wine bottles, beer caps, Old Mr. Boston vodka bottles (ever notice that clear "fluted" bottle - a PR caster's wet dream), crushed sea shells, junked aluminum, brass, copper. Broken CD cases, floppy disks, discarded report covers, broke guitar picks and FINALLY used guitar strings----many of my tools have been fabricated from guitar stings--not just pen tools, all tools. No better carb cleaning tools than discarded guitar stings.

I sent Martin some "road kill" because he has more imagination than me. I look for something spectacular.


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## razor524 (Sep 15, 2010)

I love the chamfer reloading tool, bought it off of this site, use it all of the time.  I always take extra straws and coffe stirring sticks to use to mix epoxy and put it in the blanks before inserting the tubes.  I also use plumber's putty to seal up the tube ends so the epoxy doesn't go in when putting them in the blank, just roll some in you hand, flatten it to about 1/4 inch and push the tube through it.  I bought a bag of mixed sized metal tube cleaning brushes for cleaning the little bit of epoxy that may get past the putty.  The strangest one is I use a stake from those grapevine christmas deer to push the putty out after the epoxy has dried!  And those are just the adlibs on the first steps!


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## MrPukaShell (Sep 17, 2010)

Chop sticks, use then to hold tubes when painting, knocking out the dried glue from the tubes(I use Gorilla Glue), and what ever I can think of.  Just the cheap ones that you get at the Asian Market.  While I am there I get a pack of these bamboo sticks about 3/16 of an inch round. Sharpened on one end and rounded on the other with two or three groves.  They come in a two pack and bundled in a group of about 100 packs.  Best thing they are under $5.00 bucks.  I use these for anything I can think of but mostly to spread the glue on the inside of the tubes.  If you do tooth pick holders look for the toothpicks at the Asian Market.  They have the ones that are only sharp on one end.  The other is decorative and they look like you turned them on the lathe, at least that is what I tell them to see the look on their face.  Again cheap, 500 pk for $2.99.


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## sbwertz (Sep 18, 2010)

Crystal light drink mix tubs for all sorts of things. 
Cut off fingers of a nitrile glove to hold small amounts of turquoise (for inlays) that is too coarse while I beat on it with a small sledge hammer. 
One of those foam worm pool toys...cut it in 5" sections and cut a slit in one edge to keep the drum liners from falling into the trash can...use 4 per can. (I also use a small piece of the foam worm to put on the point of my live center when it is pulled back. That thing BITES. Oh, and OT one of those worms makes a great cat scratching post!) 
"Third Hand" type poles that extend from floor to ceiling to hold that clamp-on light RIGHT WHERE YOU WANT IT. (Got 'em from HF)

Sharon


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## Rfturner (Sep 19, 2010)

1.nails for making custom metal stamps for wood and other specialized tools, also good for mixing epoxy up.
2.Guitar strings for doing different sized lines
3.CD scratch remover for all plastic, Pr blanks
4.HF buffing wheel fits on 7mm mandrel with some help. 
5. HF Oil filter wrench works great for taking off the face plate on the lathe
6. small toothpick size craft dowels work great for segmenting(toothpicks too)
7. CA as a finish

I am sure that there are more but I can not think of them right now


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## MatthewZS (Sep 19, 2010)

*One of these....*

for pressing pens together.  A loop of wire keeps it hanging on the end of my stand.


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## thewishman (Sep 19, 2010)

Rubber bands. Use them to screw on transmissions of Cigars and Sierras, screw in the nibs on the long clicks and pencils. Hold on to parts when disassembling. Oh, and they hold unturned blanks together for two part pens.


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## jskeen (Sep 19, 2010)

Was doing some casting today, and remembered another one.  A spatula made for frosting cakes.  It's a little over 1 inch wide and about 8 in long, and super flexible.  Use it for stirring up the alumalite.  Don't have to worry about cleaning it or anything, just mix and set it aside.  After the resin hardens, bend the blade in about 3/4 of a circle and all the resin pops off, ready to go again.


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## sbwertz (Sep 22, 2010)

Go to the drugstore, in the cosmetics department, and buy a jar, not a bottle, of nail polish remover...the kind with a sponge inside.  Dump out the nail polish remover and replace it with acetone.  It is the greatest for removing CA from your fingers.  Since my laptop has a fingerprint reader to turn it on, it won't speak to me if I have CA on my finger, so I keep one of these jars right beside my computer!

Sharon


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## seamus7227 (Sep 22, 2010)

sbwertz said:


> Go to the drugstore, in the cosmetics department, and buy a jar, not a bottle, of nail polish remover...the kind with a sponge inside.  Dump out the nail polish remover and replace it with acetone.  It is the greatest for removing CA from your fingers.  Since my laptop has a fingerprint reader to turn it on, it won't speak to me if I have CA on my finger, so I keep one of these jars right beside my computer!
> 
> Sharon



I was pretty sure that nail polish remover was Acetone Just sayin'


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## Bobalu (Sep 22, 2010)

HF also sells something called a swagging tool. I think it's used for flaring different diameters of copper tubing. Sort of looks like an tube insertion tool with steps, and that's what I use it for. Much better than the standard insertion tool when the tube diameters get large. 

http://www.harborfreight.com/general-merch/plumbing/6-in-1-swaging-tool-66750.html


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## sbwertz (Sep 23, 2010)

seamus7227 said:


> sbwertz said:
> 
> 
> > Go to the drugstore, in the cosmetics department, and buy a jar, not a bottle, of nail polish remover...the kind with a sponge inside. Dump out the nail polish remover and replace it with acetone. It is the greatest for removing CA from your fingers. Since my laptop has a fingerprint reader to turn it on, it won't speak to me if I have CA on my finger, so I keep one of these jars right beside my computer!
> ...


 
Most polish remover is acetone cut with water. It will eventually remove the CA, but the full strength works much better. Occasionally you will find polish remover that is "100% acetone" but most is only about 50%, and some is "non-acetone".


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## hilltopper46 (Sep 23, 2010)

Great post! 

Not much to add but I have a package of bamboo kebab skewers on my bench top.  Can use them for painting tubes and when I epoxy tubes into blanks they work great for spreading the epoxy inside the blank.

I also have a set of harbor freight carving tools on the workbench. Mine was actually a 6 piece set with three of the wider blades. I use them to cut the extra CA off the blank when I am ready to assemble (I don't sand mine) a pen, as small scrapers, opening sealed plastic packages, and as an all-around bench chisel and knife.  I saw one post somewhere where someone uses the skew on the lathe (I'm not recommending that) for small turnings.


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