# A pen press for really big pens?



## Firefyter-emt (May 18, 2006)

I think I can do that.. Scrounging on e-bay I bought a nice looking push clamp. Well, it came in today. It "may" be a hair overkill by the time I am done building it. 

So, what is the "favored" anvil design? Any tips before I start building one?

Please note the size of the pen!


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## dubdrvrkev (May 18, 2006)

I think we like to call that "a robust design". As far as the anvil goes, I cant be of much help but I would think a cone would center things better.


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## alamocdc (May 18, 2006)

I used oak on mine. Even though it's a bit large, it should do nicely.


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## KingBubbaTruck (May 18, 2006)

Wood tends to crush.  I used UHMW plastic (Part of an old cutting board) on mine


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## KingBubbaTruck (May 19, 2006)

Man, That's a huge clamp. 

You'll need a special name for that pen press.

Like the "Hulk"


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## btboone (May 19, 2006)

&gt;It "may" be a hair overkill by the time I am done building it. 

There's nothing wrong with overkill. []  My pen press is on the left. []



<br />


I agree with KingBubbaTruck on the UHMW.  That's a good way to go.  Other plastics such as delrin, teflon, nylon, ABS, and a few others could work as well.  They won't scratch anything and hold up well.  You could easily make interchangeable anvils for the different operations that would keep things centered and accurate.


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## Paul in OKC (May 19, 2006)

> _Originally posted by btboone_
> <br />&gt;It "may" be a hair overkill by the time I am done building it.
> 
> There's nothing wrong with overkill. []  My pen press is on the left. []


Show off[]


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## KingBubbaTruck (May 19, 2006)

Only 150 tons?

Hmm, Not sure that's enough, I'd probably go for the 200 ton press...[]


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## DocStram (May 19, 2006)

Hey Bruce,  I need my shirts pressed. Mind if I drive up to Roswell with them?


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## Randy_ (May 19, 2006)

Lee:  Does the ram have a threaded hole in the end of it??  I have a DeStaCo clamp that is of a similar design and I got a 1/4"x20 tpi hex head "NYLON" from Home Depot for about half a buck.  Works like a champ!!!  

Also. take a look at this thread for ideas on how to design your pen press.

http://www.penturners.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12906&SearchTerms=destaco


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## Johnathan (May 19, 2006)

> _Originally posted by btboone_
> <br />&gt;It "may" be a hair overkill by the time I am done building it.
> 
> There's nothing wrong with overkill. []  My pen press is on the left. []
> ...



Enough Bruce! We all have workshop envy! What's your address again? [}][}][]


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## btboone (May 19, 2006)

It will definitely press a shirt.  []  I use it to do bulge forming.  You can get urethane that's essentially just hard plastic, like a skate wheel, but it will deform under a lot of load.  You can make dies from plastic sheet with a jeweler's saw or laser and press metal sheets under the urethane to have a nice 3D bulge in it.  It's a very cool effect.  I'll be trying to use it to stamp clips from sheet titanium when I get the chance.


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## Firefyter-emt (May 20, 2006)

Dangit.. It figures!! Home Depot never has the hardware I am looking for. Mine has a 3/8-16 tpi hole. I put something togather today but it has a week spot. I had to use a 3/8 to 10-24 insert. I made it with 2 nylon bushings (the smaller one steped down & crazy, uhh CA'd.. to the larger one. I then used a 10-24 pan head to put it togather. I then pared the head smooth with a chisel. I will look into the 3/8 hex bolt. I think with some use the 10-24 will break.  I better get this ready.. I have some pens waiting to be put togather.

I am doing a 7 day lacquer cured finish on them.
This is my "one a day" rack set up, I am building a new "over the bench" storage till to house my hand planes, hand saws, hand drills (yea, all my "cordless" tools) and what not. Once done this peg board system will grow to allow maybe 4 a day, a custom chisel till/rack will hook to the peg board on the RT third, the lower section will have a divided sandpaper rack with the pen pegs taking up the upper left 2/3rds. This board is on the wall right behind my lathe. Follow that??  []

Step 1, select last weeks pen & polish. 
Step 2, drill & glue tomorows pen.
Step 3, turn & start finishing pen blank glued up yesterday. 
Step 4, put buffed pen togather and finish last 4 coats of lacquer over the next few hours.. 
Step 5 repete..









> _Originally posted by Randy__
> <br />Lee:  Does the ram have a threaded hole in the end of it??  I have a DeStaCo clamp that is of a similar design and I got a 1/2"x20 tpi hex head "NYLON" from Home Depot for about half a buck.  Works like a champ!!!
> 
> Also. take a look at this thread for ideas on how to design your pen press.
> ...


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## KingBubbaTruck (May 20, 2006)

Neanderthal ! []


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## KingBubbaTruck (May 20, 2006)

Do you have a simple 3/8-16 tpi bolt that will fit?

For mine, I forget the tpi and size, but I drilled a hole, the size of the hex nut about half way into a square of the the UHMW plastic, then used some polyurethane to glue it to the bolt.  Chucked the bolt into the drill chuck, and used the lathe to round it off, purely for aesthetics.  Gives me a rock solid connection to the clamp.

On the other end, glued a chunk of UHMW to the 'anvil' so that I have UHMW on both ends.

Does that make sense?


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## Randy_ (May 20, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Randy__
> <br />Lee:  Does the ram have a threaded hole in the end of it??  I have a DeStaCo clamp that is of a similar design and I got a <b>1/2"x20 tpi</b> hex head "NYLON" from Home Depot for about half a buck.  Works like a champ!!!
> 
> Also. take a look at this thread for ideas on how to design your pen press.
> ...



Crap!!  I see that I made a typo.  That should have been a 1/4" x 20 tpi hex bolt not that it matters a whole bunch I guess.  I agree with whomever suggested just using a steel hex bolt of the correct size and glue something to the head.  When I was using my drill press as a pen press, I used a 1/2"(correct this time) hex head bolt with a tiny piece of Masonite epoxied to the head.


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## Firefyter-emt (May 20, 2006)

> _Originally posted by KingBubbaTruck_
> <br />Neanderthal ! []



Huhh?? I do feel like it at times.. Like just the other day a friend dropped off his huge Delta planer for me to try out. He mumbled something about how much better it was than my 1891 Sargent smmother. After half an hour I called him to pick it up. I told him it was WAY too heavy!!  I spent only 10 minutes pushing that dang thing across a board and it looked worsr than when I started and I was dog tired! []


PS.. Yea, 1/4 is easy to find, I wonder what size the nylon bolts that come on toilet seats are?? Not a bad idea about the epoxy & a 3/8 bolt I have a UHMW cutting board that I cut into strips for mitre slot runners, I had planned to cut strips to attach to the stop block.. I will used this one for now, but it if breaks I Will have to look harder.


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