Axminster Woodturning Chucks Pen Jaws

Drilling a pen blank can be tricky; the hole needs to be central, straight and round. While various jigs are available for doing the job on a drill press, by far the best method is to do the job on the lathe.

These jaws will fit both the 80mm and 100mm Axminster Clubman chucks and the Evolution SK114 chuck with standard accessory mounting jaws.

The Pen Jaws are 42mm deep and can accommodate either round or square blanks from 16mm upwards. The internal profile ensures a secure grip even if the pen blank is not quite square. Using the jaws in your chuck and mounted on your lathe ensures the blank and the drill bit are centred on the same axis. You also have control of the speed of rotation and importantly, by winding the tailstock handle, the feed speed of the drill bit. 

Start drilling slowly and retract the drill frequently to clear the waste. If the waste starts to clog in the flutes, the drill bit may begin to wander off centre. Keep the rate of advance slow as the bit reaches the far end of the blank to avoid breakout especially when drilling acrylics. Using the Pen Jaws you can drill blanks with confidence, knowing the result will be accurate and centred every time. Once fitted to your chuck you can drill batches of blanks to help speed up pen production.