1930's blanks odd ID

[jaylah]

Hi I've just purchased some 1930 acrylic blanks, they are already turned and pre-drilled,unfortunately only one has a 7mm hole, the others are around 6mm and 11mm, in other words none of my pen blanks will fit. So my question is, are there any pen kits this size available and how can I find out What the ID of the blanks are without a micrometre. Thanks for reading.

 

[Penpal]

IAP forum in America Chart showing dimensions of the turning bushes etc.

Peter.

 

[Morse]

Bit rough. I bought two sets of “transfer punch sets” one metric one imperial.
These are round dowels which are of specific diameter and are used to find the centre of a hole.
As I said it’s a bit rough.
Otherwise redrill them. There’s certainly 8 mm kits out there, flyfishing and bolt action to name a couple.
Dave

 

[wm460]

Hi I've just purchased some 1930 acrylic blanks, they are already turned and pre-drilled,unfortunately only one has a 7mm hole, the others are around 6mm and 11mm, in other words none of my pen blanks will fit. So my question is, are there any pen kits this size available and how can I find out What the ID of the blanks are without a micrometre. Thanks for reading.

Shock Absorber Pen Kit and Workshop Sketch Pencil Kit both take a 11 mm drill bit
The 6mm one you can drill out to what ever kit chooses your fancy.
Timberbits has a number of kits that are over 11mm tubes.

 

[jaylah]

IAP forum in America Chart showing dimensions of the turning bushes etc.

Peter.

Thanks Peter, never thought of the bushes diameters , great shout

 

[jaylah]

Bit rough. I bought two sets of “transfer punch sets” one metric one imperial.
These are round dowels which are of specific diameter and are used to find the centre of a hole.
As I said it’s a bit rough.
Otherwise redrill them. There’s certainly 8 mm kits out there, flyfishing and bolt action to name a couple.
Dave

Thanks Dave with these blanks being so old I wont chance the punch method, and with them already being turned, there isn't a great deal of acrylic to play with so re - drilling would be a last resort. thanks for your help

 

[jaylah]

Shock Absorber Pen Kit and Workshop Sketch Pencil Kit both take a 11 mm drill bit
The 6mm one you can drill out to what ever kit chooses your fancy.
Timberbits has a number of kits that are over 11mm tubes.

Thanks I'll have a look on their site. There isnt much acrylic on the blank, they seem to of been turned round ready for assembling and polishing so I was hoping that I wouldn't have to re-drill them.

 

[Lons]

Hi John

A photo of the blanks would help and I suspect the blanks possibly aren't acrylic as you state though I may be wrong.

They're more likely to be cellulose acetate and manufactured as tubes so not turned. These were manufactured for a number of pen makers, Conway Stewart being one of them and a major company at the time and the process was that the material was wound in a spiral around a former, size of which determined the centre bore dia. If you look very carefully at this type of blank you can see the winding.

If it is these then they can be drilled, I've done it many times, but it needs to be done slowly and carefully or you'll ruin the blank. 6mm can easily be opened for 7mm slimlines and 11mm for sierra size kits but I've used them for others as well, remember you don't have much thickness of material to play with so minimal turning and slaow sanding / polishing afterwards.

1930-40s Vintage Pen Rod (Cellulose Acetate) - Pen Blanks - Shop

Vintage blanks are also readily available which are solid and I've never seen those offered as already drilled and turned.

Conway Stewart Pen Blanks - Pen Blanks - Shop

 

[silver]

@jayla John,
As per [MENTION=361]Lons[/MENTION] said in his post, drill them out to suit your own pen kits and tubes.

I have done it many times and it's easily done, provided you take your time and drill it out steadily.

Don't let the size of any hole drilled in a blank restrict what you can do with it, look beyond it and see what you want.

See the last one I didn't on a Zephyr pen kit.

http://www.penturners.co.uk/other-material-turned-items/22388-zephyr-caramel-twist.html

 

[jaylah]

Cellulose

Hi John

A photo of the blanks would help and I suspect the blanks possibly aren't acrylic as you state though I may be wrong.

They're more likely to be cellulose acetate and manufactured as tubes so not turned. These were manufactured for a number of pen makers, Conway Stewart being one of them and a major company at the time and the process was that the material was wound in a spiral around a former, size of which determined the centre bore dia. If you look very carefully at this type of blank you can see the winding.

If it is these then they can be drilled, I've done it many times, but it needs to be done slowly and carefully or you'll ruin the blank. 6mm can easily be opened for 7mm slimlines and 11mm for sierra size kits but I've used them for others as well, remember you don't have much thickness of material to play with so minimal turning and slaow sanding / polishing afterwards.

1930-40s Vintage Pen Rod (Cellulose Acetate) - Pen Blanks - Shop

Vintage blanks are also readily available which are solid and I've never seen those offered as already drilled and turned.

Conway Stewart Pen Blanks - Pen Blanks - Shop

Hi Bob yes, sorry,they are cellulose, the turners workshop was where I purchased them from. The OD on the 6mm leaves very little margin for error when drilling, and I always have problems with my pillar drill as it bottoms out before it comes through the other side of the blank, so I then have to reposition the blank in the pen vice and it doesn't always line up.
Bit hard to explain, but I'd like to find a 6mm pen to fit this blank,while I'd try to open the others up as the OD on them has a bit more cellulose. Hope you can understand this rather long reply.

 

[Vic Perrin]

I have had a number of these blanks from the Turners Workshop and they can easily be drilled out. I also soaked the 6 mm ones in boiling water to expand it and a slimline tube went in easily

 

[Dibbs]

I have had a number of these blanks from the Turners Workshop and they can easily be drilled out. I also soaked the 6 mm ones in boiling water to expand it and a slimline tube went in easily

I have a few of these. That is very good to know.