pens

Nice looking pens Rodd. Are the two outer ones bullet pens?

-- Vince

I turned my forst pen at the Woodworkers Convention here in Atlanta. I am hooked. Although I would rather make the cigar pens than the thin ones. How did you do the bullet pens? Very nice collection. Any advice where to start with learning the process more in detail?

-- No matter how many times I cut this wood it keeps coming up short.

Thanks SWO. The bullet pens are 270 shells. I have a wide variety of pen kits. So what I did was to disassemble one of the shells, got to play mission impossible with the gun powder (As always please don’t try that at home). I wrapped the casing in a small piece of rag, leaving the bullet exposed. I then put the entire piece in my anvil vise, casing end down. With a pair of vise grips, I twisted the bullet back and fourth while pulling upward at the same time. This exposed the gun powder. After emptying the powder I used a pair of calipiers and gauged the open end of the casing. It worked out to where an 8mm pen kit would work. An 8mm pen kit and a 270 shell, at the opened end (where I removed the bullet from) are the same diameter inside and out. 8mm pen kits usually require a 0 brill bit. You could put the casing back in the vise blasting cap up. Then use a center punch set off the cap. This however is a little scary and I would not recommend it. All you have to do is put it in your drill press vise, cap end up, and carefully keeping the bit centered drill it outt. You now have a top or lower end to a new pen. Depending on the kit you use, You may have to buy some longer or shorter 8mm replacement tubes. I hope this helps you. Please, if you have any further questions feel free to ask. I am more than willing to help.

-- Rodd, Texas grandpa

The easier way to make a bullet pen is to go to Penn State Industries or woodturningz and buy a kit for about 6 bucks. Pen State also has a 50 caliber pen.

Lee

-- No piece is cut too short. It was meant for a smaller project.