Changes

It is helpful to secure the pen blank in a vise, or clamp it while trimming, which can help prevent tear-out. Chuck the trimmer in a drill and then trim the wood square and exactly flush with the tube, taking care not to shorten the tube appreciably.<br clear=all>

It is helpful to secure the pen blank in a vise, or clamp it while trimming, which can help prevent tear-out. Chuck the trimmer in a drill and then trim the wood square and exactly flush with the tube, taking care not to shorten the tube appreciably.<br clear=all>

== Turning the Body and Cap ==

== Turning the Pen Body and Cap ==

[[File:PenBlanksOnMandrel.jpeg|thumb]]The 7 mm pen mandrel comes with 5 spacers, which generally aren’t used and are set aside. The pen mandrel goes in the lathe headstock. One then assembles the bushings (specific to the pen kit, which the user is expected to supply) and the pen blanks with tubes on the lathe according to the kit directions. Take care because the assembly order typically does matter; often, pen caps or upper body parts are different diameters than the lower pen body.

[[File:PenBlanksOnMandrel.jpeg|thumb]]The 7 mm pen mandrel comes with 5 spacers, which generally aren’t used and are set aside. The pen mandrel goes in the lathe headstock. One then assembles the bushings (specific to the pen kit, which the user is expected to supply) and the pen blanks with tubes on the lathe according to the kit directions. Take care because the assembly order typically does matter; often, pen caps or upper body parts are different diameters than the lower pen body.