Pen turning is a popular woodworking craft that involves creating unique and customized writing instruments. It is a process of crafting pens by turning a blank, usually made of wood or acrylic, on a lathe to shape it into a pen barrel. The resulting pen can be a functional writing tool or a decorative item. By utilizing Vectric's design software and the Mini 4th axis, users have the ability to craft pens ranging from basic cylindrical blanks to intricately designed ones featuring 3D models.
The video linked below introduces you to the pen-turning process from design to finishing.
Video Table of Contents
00:00 - Introduction
00:34 - VCarve Pen model design
06:16 - VCarve Rotary toolpath setup
12:29 - Prepping the pen blank
15:29 - Mounting the pen blank Mini 4th Axis
17:07 - Zeroing the YXZ axes to the Pen and mandrel
19:44 - CNC machining the Pen barrel
21:35 - Sanding, finishing and assembling the Pen
23:09 - Other Pen styles and resources