# Segmented Pen



## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

This post is directed mainly at JTTHECLOCKMAN but if someone else knows how to do this, by all means, post up.

CLOCKMAN posted pics of segmented pens a while back. I have racked my brain and searched all over the net and even joined IAP trying to figure this out.

I know how to do various other segmented stuff that just consists of various cuts and glue ups. These particular pens had to be done with a router mounted to the lathe the best I can tell. Can someone please tell me or better yet, show me, how this is done. I want to make blanks like this really bad!!

For those that dont know what I'm talking about, here is one of them he posted...
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f6/segmented-pen-35523/


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## dmh (Sep 18, 2010)

Looks like it's done with 6 stave's (the holly) and 6 spacers (the blackwood). Made long enough so you can cut a couple of small rings off.

I seen that a while back and it's a very sharp looking pen.:yes:


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## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

I understand how its put together. I dont understand how it was cut. Those pieces wernt cut with a saw but rather on the lathe with a router.


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## dmh (Sep 18, 2010)

aaahhh, I didn't catch the router part. No idea how to consistently make them with router.

if it means anything, these were just done on the table saw with a sled and the blade tilted to 22.5 deg. I used tape and a pencil eraser end to hold the cut offs to keep them from flying.


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## Itchytoe (Dec 17, 2011)

I don't see why you would have to get a router involved. It looks like a standard segmented turning to me. I could be wrong, but I didn't see anything that couldn't be done on the lathe with drill bits and standard lathe tools. I would assume, and we all know what that can get you, that the router was only used to get a perfectly consistent diameter on the items. That way, it was just a matter of gluing the segment rings onto the pen tube. I would do it and turn the pen after gluing the segments onto the ring since I don't have a router jig set up for my lathe. Bear in mind, I've never done one like that, but I assure you, it's in the works. Unfortunately "the works" is full of things right now. I'm actually working on Christmas right now. Board games for the nieces and nephews, goblets for the grandparents.... So much to do, and so little time.

Maybe JT will chime in and let us know what he used the router for.


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## JTTHECLOCKMAN (Dec 31, 2011)

OK I will chime in.

First let me say there are a few ways of doing any type of segmenting and this design is no exception. The traditional way which Mark showed you using small cut staves is the normal way. I may try doing something like this in the future for another project I want to work on. The problem is you need to make a sled that is safe to use and accurate.

My method is safe and accurate and can be used for other designs and that is why I built a router sled for my wood lathe. This design and most segmented designs for pens are taken from pool cues. That is where you can get alot of inspiration from. Now if you had a cnc machine that would make this and other designs very easy. 


Being I do make pens I wanted to do some segmenting and the ones I saw were basically cut pieces off some straight, some on an angle and glue back together. Then I seen on the IAP site Brian and Mark Gisi pens and they do all kinds of neet segmented work with very tiny pieces. You can google them and see some of their work. I do not want to get that elaborate and wanted something easy to make but look cool. 

I had read some time ago about a jig for a router to be used on a lathe for fluting by John Lucas. So I googled him and used his basic design to make my own router sled design so that I can do various patterns in small objects such as pens. Here is the pdf file I used to make my sled. 
*[PDF]* 


*A jig for using the router on the lathe By John Lucas*


Here is my design that I am using which is similar to John's but without all the adjustabilities because I feel there is no need in pen making. 




















Now the other critical part is an indexing wheel. I can look for the link of the one I use if someone wants me to or else you can google for indexing wheels. This gives you the accuracy for spacing around the pen blank.

I showed you a photo of the pieces used. Yes I make one long blank and cut the smaller pieces from that. The solid pieces are just that. It is necessary to drill accurately in the center of this blank for the tubes and I accomplish that with the use of a collet chuck to hold the blank. 

On these segmented pens I used a 1/8" router bit to make slots in the holly blank and filled those slots with 1/8" gabon blackwood. When done I spun down and drilled. I cu the blank in half and used one half for the cap and one for the barrel and drilled according to instructions. When I glued up the final blank before spinning to shape I cut all appropriate pieces and epoxied to the tube. The spun to desired shape and finished as mentioned in that posting. 

Now those are the basics to making this pen and yes there are alot of details left out because It would take so long to explain them. But if anyone does make the jig and does get to that point I will go more into it.

I will give you a few clues if you are making the jig. You need to dedicate a router for this andbuild a holder just for it. I suggest leaving it attached so no need to readjust at a later date. That is what I did. The next tip is for building the sled. The router must slide on the sled with the router bit dead center to the lathe you are using. In my case a Jet mini. The hight of the sled can be fixed as I did or you can make it adjustable so it can be used on other lathes. But the height of the sled will be determined by the size of the router used. 

Hope some of this helps. Good luck.


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## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

Thanks John -- that helps explain something I was having a lot of trouble getting my head around :thumbsup:

One more question if you don't mind ... how do you cut and make glue-ready those thin slices?

I've seen several of your masterpieces, not just in this holly/ebony pen, that have slivers so thin I can't work out how to cut them safely, or how to sand them to get a good surface for gluing to the rest of the stack making up the barrel.


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## JTTHECLOCKMAN (Dec 31, 2011)

duncsuss said:


> Thanks John -- that helps explain something I was having a lot of trouble getting my head around :thumbsup:
> 
> One more question if you don't mind ... how do you cut and make glue-ready those thin slices?
> 
> I've seen several of your masterpieces, not just in this holly/ebony pen, that have slivers so thin I can't work out how to cut them safely, or how to sand them to get a good surface for gluing to the rest of the stack making up the barrel.


 
Again I say this with sincerity because there are many ways of doing certain jobs and maybe you or someone else may have a better way or just a way that works for them. On this particular case I used my tried and true method of using a jig. I have another project coming up that require a ton of thin 1/16" stirps I will be using a different method.

Here I position the jig at 1/8" and put the waste material between the fence and the jig. I slide the material along the fence and the 1/8" slices fall to the left of the blade. I make one cut and move the fence again against the jig and continue. I did not need many strips for this pen project. There are only six cuts.


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## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

John - sorry for being slow on the uptake, but this raises another question ...

The thin rings of holly/ebony ... did you slice them off the end of the main section of the barrel after you had inserted the zebra stripes?

Wouldn't that mean you were cross-cutting a cylinder on your tablesaw? (As opposed making thin rips, with the blank parallel to the blade and fence, which is what your photo shows.)

Really appreciate you taking the time to explain the steps.


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## JTTHECLOCKMAN (Dec 31, 2011)

duncsuss said:


> John - sorry for being slow on the uptake, but this raises another question ...
> 
> The thin rings of holly/ebony ... did you slice them off the end of the main section of the barrel after you had inserted the zebra stripes?
> 
> ...


 
OK I must be misunderstanding you. I thought i explained that part but will touch on it again. I made a blank about 6" long of holly. Spun it to 3/4" I then used the router with the indexing wheel to route my 6 1/8" slots. I went to a depth of about 1/4 inch or so. I then inserted the strips of blackwood gluing them in with titebondII.

I put this aside to dry. I then cut the blank a little above 1/2 way because you need more blank for the lower section than the top. I then chucked the partial blank and used a center bit to get true center and then drill to appropriate size. I repeated for the other half of the blank. Now I decided how wide I wanted the rings and I now cut them from the main blank. Here i used my tablesaw with a crosscut jig. This jig is nothing more that a piece of plywood with 2 runners to fit between the miter slots and a 2X4 as a back fence. I needed a zero clearance fence as well a zero clearance platform. So that when I cut those small pieces they do not launch into space. If you are not confortable doing any of these methods by all means do something else or just pass on this idea. Always work safely. I am not responsible for others actions. You ask for my methods and I answered. I say again there are many ways to do any project so find the safe way for you. 

By the way I did the solid pieces the exact same way. When all cut to size I slide over the tube and epoxied everything together. 

Hope this is a help.


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## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

JTTHECLOCKMAN said:


> ... tablesaw with a crosscut jig. This jig is nothing more that a piece of plywood with 2 runners to fit between the miter slots and a 2X4 as a back fence. I needed a zero clearance fence as well a zero clearance platform. So that when I cut those small pieces they do not launch into space ...


That's the bit I was missing -- thanks for your patience :yes:



> ... I am not responsible for others actions ... so find the safe way for you.


 Understood -- we're all big boys. As my mother used to say in response to "well David did it" ... "and if David put his hand in the fire, would you?"


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## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

CLOCKMAN, thanks so much for responding!!

Youve answered a million questions in those couple posts and have me on my way to making really cool pens and its greatly appreciated!!

My table saw just got disassembled to ship back to Grizzly for repair so it will be a bit before I can start an a project like a router jig but I will definately be back to pick your brain when I'm ready, you know, since you offered!! Again, thanks so much!!


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## JTTHECLOCKMAN (Dec 31, 2011)

BassBlaster said:


> CLOCKMAN, thanks so much for responding!!
> 
> Youve answered a million questions in those couple posts and have me on my way to making really cool pens and its greatly appreciated!!
> 
> My table saw just got disassembled to ship back to Grizzly for repair so it will be a bit before I can start an a project like a router jig but I will definately be back to pick your brain when I'm ready, you know, since you offered!! Again, thanks so much!!


 

No problem. There is no secret to segmenting just many ways of doing it. I am sure when I post the next set of 3 pens you will be asking how I did those too. I have 2 done and will probably post them tomorrow and the third is still in the making and I am trying to figure out how I will drill it without blowing the blank up. :icon_smile:


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## Itchytoe (Dec 17, 2011)

Very carefully


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