How to build a pen assembly press
A pen press pushes a kit's metal parts into the brass tubes with straight, even pressure. You can buy one, use a drill press or a bench vise, or build the portable lever press shown below from shop scraps and 3 feet of 3/16-inch steel rod.
Quick answer: You do not strictly need a press. In Fine Woodworking #226 (2012), Barry Gross says a pen press, a drill press, or a vise all work, as long as the pressure is light and straight and scraps of wood keep metal from touching metal. Build this lever press if you assemble pens away from the drill press, or in batches large enough that a dedicated tool pays for the afternoon it takes.
Press, drill press, or vise?
| Option | Alignment | Pressure control | Portable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bench vise | Depends on how square the jaws close | Fair | No | Gross says it "works almost as well" with the components protected |
| Drill press (quill as the ram) | Excellent: the quill runs true to the table | Good | No | Never with the motor running |
| Store-bought pen press | Good | Good | Yes | Fixed design; you pay for convenience |
| The shop-built lever press below | Good: the slide runs in a guide | Good: the lever gives fine control | Yes | Scraps, two pins, and a sheet of 1/16-inch plexiglass |
Pressing a kit together, in order
The order below follows Pen Kits Direct's instructions for a slimline kit. Check your own kit's sheet, because mechanisms differ.
- Press the tip into the front tube.
- Press the twist mechanism into the opposite end of the same tube. The instructions put it bluntly: "Don't press too far in."
- Slide the band over the exposed mechanism.
- Press the cap into the clip, then onto the rear tube.
- Push the two halves together, aligning the grain the way you want it.
- Insert the refill and test the extension.
Clean the tubes before you press. Slimline mechanisms are a friction fit. Glue squeeze-out or a burr from the barrel trimmer inside the tube will stop a part from seating, and forcing it is how barrels crack. Gross glues the tubes about 1/16 inch inside each end of the blank and trims flush afterward, which keeps the tube mouths clean.
Cut list for the lever press
These dimensions come from the build below. Nothing about them is critical except one relationship: the distance between the two pins on the handle has to roughly equal the travel of the slide.
| Part | Size |
|---|---|
| Base | About 4 x 24 inches, 3/4-inch stock |
| Handle | 3/4 inch square x 14 inches, edges rounded over for the first 7 inches |
| Bottom lever blocks (2) | 3/4-inch stock, notched for handle clearance |
| Slide | 3/4 inch square |
| Joiner board | Thinner stock, end rounded on a belt sander |
| Slide guide | Two side blocks and a top, screwed through into the base |
| Pivot pins | 3/16-inch steel rod, cut with a hacksaw |
| Adjustable stop | Peg in a row of holes 1/2 inch apart |
| Pressing faces | 1/16-inch plexiglass, attached with CA glue to the slide end and the stop |
If you turn pens, the pen turning guide covers the steps that come before this one, and a pen display case is a good next project once you have pens to show.
The build, step by step
Turners use drill presses, bar clamps, vises, and dedicated presses to assemble a turned pen. I wanted a way to assemble my pens that was easy and portable. You can buy assembly presses in the stores and catalogs but I wanted to make my own using my years of experience. This is my second generation effort. Building the first-generation prototype allowed me to work out all the bugs and to arrive at such a strong final unit.
Here are all the parts that I cut to make the unit. They are mostly 3/4" stock with the exception of the joiner board (connects the handle to the slide) and the top to the slide guide.All of this wood was scraps in the shop. You can pick your own sizes for all the pieces.I've layout out the pieces basically in the way that you would use them. The top piece is the base. In the second row, from the left to the right, you have the bottom lever blocks, the joiner board, the slide sandwiched by the bottom slide guides, to the right of the slide (and guides) is the top to the slide guide and finally the pressboard. The last piece on the bottom is the press handle. Approximately 1/2 of the handle has been rounded over to make holding it more comfortable.
The first step was to cut the base. I cut it ~4 inches wide and 24 inches long. Then I made a handle that was 3/4 inch square and 14 inches long. I used the router to round over the edges on the first 7 inches. I placed the two bottom lever blocks on each side of the handle and screwed them to the base.
Once the bottom lever blocks were installed. I used the drill press to drill a hole through the blocks and the handle. I planned to use a 3/16 inch steel rod as my lever pin. I bought 3 feet of it from the local hardware store.
Next, I took my 3/4 inch square slide and attached it to the slide joiner board by drilling it and inserting a length of the steel pin. I used a hacksaw to cut the steel pin. You can also see that I've rounded over the end of the joiner board with a belt sander.
Now I've attached the joiner board to the handle with another steel pin. You can also see that I've decided to notch the bottom lever blocks to give me more clearance. The key to the entire jig is that the distance from the bottom to top pins on the handle is equivalent (or close enough) to the throw of the slide.
To ensure that the slide runs parallel to the base, I've added a slide guide. It's just two blocks (one on either side of the slide) and a top. The screws go all the way into the base. I made the length of the slide guide so that the joiner board barely hits it when the handle is completely down and the slide sits slightly proud of the guide when the handle is up.
Here is a side view of the slide guide.
To work, the slide must press against something, so I've created a stop using a peg and a set of holes set 1/2" apart. I've seen stepped stops but I like the ability to move the pressboard in small increments.
Here is the finished unit. The last thing that I did was to use CA glue to attach a piece of thin (1/16") plexiglass to both the end of the slide and the end of the stop. This way, the sharp point of the pen tips will not damage the wood. Best of luck in making yours!!
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Written by Vince
Vince is a woodturner and the founder of WoodturningOnline. He writes tool reviews, buying guides, and turning tutorials to help woodturners at every level make informed decisions about their craft and equipment.