Pen making jig for central drill guide in Alumalite blanks

myminifactory

When creating custom Alumalite pen blanks for turning on a lathe, some people prefer make their own blanks using a vertical tube pour.  This project demonstrates a holder for the top end of a piece of PVC pipe (plugged with silicone rubber at lower end) that can be used to hold a metal rod in place while the resin sets.  After coming out of the pressure pot, the blank is knocked out of the tube and the central aluminum rod is knocked out of the blank.  This leaves behind a centered hole that runs the length of the blank.  This hole can be easily drilled out to whatever diameter of the brass tube is without having to worry about the drill bit wandering in the blank. The replaceable inner guide (green part in the drawing) can be configured to the dimensions of the brass tube itself.  Different center holders can accomodate any size brass tube for different kinds of pens.