# Laminated Pen Blanks - Updated with links



## Ron in Drums PA

Making laminated pens similar to the ones we see here on IAP is very simple. For those who donâ€™t know how itâ€™s done here is a quick method to help get you started.

Supplies:
Pen blanks
Veneer
White Glue
Paper
Pencil
Cauls
Wax paper

Tools:
Scroll Saw
2-3 Clamps

Staring off:
On a sheet of paper draw a rectangle the size and shape of your pen blank. Tracing the blank makes this easy. Now draw a pleasing curve inside the box. Itâ€™s best not to make to tight of a curve until you are familiar with this process. A simple S curve is a good starter. With a pair if scissors cut along the curved line. This will be your template.

Transfer the image using your template onto the pen blank with a pencil.

Scroll saw:
Not surprisingly working with curves is easier than using straight lines. No matter how you cut the blank, you will always get a matching pair. Besides, itâ€™s simpler to cut a curvy line than a perfectly straight line on a scroll saw. The best blade to use will be the one that gives you the smoothest finished surface.

Veneer:
Cut a few strips of veneer a little longer then the size of your pen blanks. Be creative here, mix and match contrasting woods for a pleasing effect.

Cauls:
Cauls are just wood blanks that are used to help evenly apply pressure during a clamp up. If your pen blank is 3/4" x 3/4" x 5", make your cauls at least 3/4" x 2" (wider the better) x 6". The narrower your cauls are the more clamps you will need to use.

Dry run:
Gather your clamps, pen blanks, veneer, cauls and wax paper. Sandwich your materials in this order:

Caul
Wax paper (used to prevent the caul from becoming part of your pen blank)
One half of your pen blank
Veneers
Second half of your pen blank
Wax paper
Caul

A quick note here, some veneers will crack if the curve is too tight. Soaking the veneer in water before glue up will help in most cases.

Glue up:
I like using white glue (elmers) because it stays open longer than yellow glue. Next, apply glue to all mating surfaces. If you miss any surface, you may have a void in your blank. Once all surfaces have glue, arrange the blanks and veneer in the predetermined order and clamp. You need to work quickly because you want to finish clamping before the glue starts to set.

When clamping you donâ€™t need herculean pressure, just even pressure. Too much pressure is as bad, if not worse than to little pressure, you donâ€™t want to squeeze all the glue out. Also, too much glue can be as bad as to little glue. With practice you will learn to use the right amount of glue and clamp pressure.

Let sit over night to dry.

The next day unclamp your blank and clean up any glue than has squeezed out. Rotate the blank so the edge of the blank that does not show the laminations is facing up. Now start all over again marking your blank with your template and so on until you have completed all the steps a second time.

There you go, hope this helps you get started! Enjoy!


Update:

Thin wood strip cutter jig for table saw.
http://tinyurl.com/c8jeh

An article about resawing wood on a bandsaw
http://tinyurl.com/bc6y8

I prefer cutting veneer on a bandsaw. Here is an article I wrote back in 2003 about BS blades
http://tinyurl.com/djbp2

Tim's neat little drum sander for veneer. Thanks Tim.
http://tinyurl.com/7vbd8

My favorite source for veneer
http://tinyurl.com/d7927


----------



## esheffield

Thanks for the article! Good info. Your last URL doesn't work though - goes to an expired CareerBuilder job listing. []


----------



## Ron in Drums PA

Thanks for the heads up Eddie

I fixed the link.


----------



## vick

Ron it seems to me that the first link's table saw strip jig would not provide very good support on thinner strips.  I do not cut strips much so I have never built a complicated jig but when I do have to I just take a straightboard attach a hardboard strip on the end to help push the stock and use 2 sided carpet tape to stick the strip to the board.





<br />

You have to replace the tape after a couple strips, but other than that it works good, plus your hand is no where near the table saw blade.

It seems to me a combination with the top guard you showed would probably be even better.


----------



## Ron in Drums PA

What I like about your jig Mike is each slice will be the same dimension without having to move the fence. Another feature I like is the added safety because your fingers are well away from the blade.

Do you use a push stick with your jig?

Thanks Mke


----------



## vick

I do not use a push stick I have plenty of clearance on the right of the blade.  If the piece I am cutting from (left of blade) get to small to work with safely I usually glue it to a sacraficial scrap piece.

If you are cutting 100 strips this may not be the way to go since you have the extra time of changing the carpet tape, and the extra cost of the tape.  For a couple strips it works good.  It would not take much to convert this to a vacume system like Eagles, but the way my shop is set up the hose would get in the way.

Credit -  the jig came from a reader write in in Wood magazine after they had a thin strip jig in an article that you had to adjust the fence for each cut[:0]


----------



## Ron in Drums PA

> _Originally posted by vick_
> Credit -  the jig came from a reader write in in Wood magazine after they had a thin strip jig in an article that you had to adjust the fence for each cut[:0]



I thought it looked familiar. Thanks for bringing it back to my attention.


----------



## alamocdc

There is a jig similar to Mike's in my latest issue of Wood Journal (at least I think it was WJ... I'll correct later if not). The diffrence being that it was almost a combination of the two in this post, but used no carpet tape. It looks well worth building if you do much of this.


----------



## hobby_dale

Great updates Ron, thanks!!!


----------



## arjudy

Thanks for the info.  Very helpful.


----------



## GregD

Oh yeah, you just had to go and post this! Now I'm going to have to go to work. I've been working on a way to cut thin strips without cutting off my fingers. Thanks for the info!
I just finished making the strip cutter Ron talked about. I works great. It is a little clumbsy on thinner stock but if you watch what your doing it's ok. I use a finger board anyhow. Just losen the jamb nut and move it in a little and your ready for the next cut.


----------



## Ron in Drums PA

Sounds to me like you are having fun Greg

I just finished resawing and milling a bunch of bubinga myself.


----------



## Thumbs

Well done, Ron.  And thanks for sharing again!


----------



## GregMuller

Ron,
Thanks for the info. For those of us who are a little slower on the draw some pictures would be great.


----------



## BigRob777

Vick,
Fingers away from the saw blades, gotta love it (I've mangled the same finger twice in 6 weeks on 2 different saws).


----------

