Turn a pen display case

A pen display case turns a 15 dollar slimline kit into a gift someone keeps on a desk. The project is a faceplate-turned base with routed channels for the pens, a lid that hinges or lifts free, and a felt or velvet liner that protects the finish on the pens. I have turned cases for single pens (under two hours including lining) and six-pen craft show displays (most of a Saturday), and the technique scales between them with only minor changes to the layout.

This guide covers both versions, the wood choices that survive being handled, the routing jig that keeps a round blank from kicking back, and the hinge options that will not split a 1/4 inch thick lid.

Single-pen box vs multi-pen display

A single-pen box is a turned puck about 6 inches long, 2-1/2 inches wide, and 1-1/4 inches tall with one routed channel and a friction-fit lid. It uses one blank, runs through the lathe in 30 minutes, and finishes in another hour. It is the project I give people who buy one of my pens.

A multi-pen display holds four to six pens in parallel channels on a base 8 to 12 inches wide. The lid is hinged and usually glazed with thin acrylic so the pens stay visible at a craft show. It takes 4 to 6 hours of shop time and uses a larger faceplate setup. If you are turning pens to sell, this is the version that matters - it sells the pens and sells itself.

The turning is faceplate work either way. For background on the pen kits themselves, see my pen turning guide - the kit you choose determines the channel size, which is the first dimension you commit to.

Wood selection

Closed-grain hardwoods with consistent color and a fine surface read best on a small gift box. Open-pored species like red oak or ash look coarse next to a polished pen body. Stability matters more than usual because the case sits indoors near a heat vent for years - a base that cups will pinch the pens.

For a deeper look at species suited to small turnings, my best wood for woodturning page goes into grain orientation and moisture content. For the case specifically, quarter-sawn stock moves less seasonally and keeps the channels flat. If you can find a 6/4 board of cherry or walnut and rip it into 2 inch strips, you have base blanks ready to go.

Avoid spalted or punky wood for this project. The case has to hold its shape under thumb pressure when someone opens it.

Sizing the case to the pen kit

The single most common mistake on this project is sizing the channel before checking the actual pen diameter. Pen kit "body" specs are the metal tube diameter, not the finished pen diameter, which is the tube plus the wood you turned on it. Measure your finished pens with calipers and add 1/16 inch for the felt lining.

Channel length should equal the assembled pen length minus 1/4 inch, so the pen tips poke out and can be lifted by hand. A slimline pen finished from a 5-1/8 inch tube assembly sits in a 4-7/8 inch channel. A Cigar pen lands at 5-3/8 inch channel length.

Channel spacing on multi-pen cases runs 7/8 to 1 inch on center. Closer than 7/8 inch and the wall between channels chips out under routing. Wider than 1 inch and the case grows too long for a 12 inch faceplate blank.

Tools and materials

You need a 1/4 inch bowl gouge or a 3/8 inch spindle gouge for the outside shape, a round-nose scraper for the slight hollow on the top face if you want one, and a parting tool to define the lid joint. A negative-rake scraper helps on figured wood like cocobolo where the bowl gouge wants to tear out. My best woodturning tools writeup goes into the gouge profiles I use for faceplate work.

For the router work you need a 3 hp plunge router (or a router table), a straight bit matched to the channel width (7/16 inch and 1/2 inch are the two I keep on the shelf), a router fence or a shop-built sled with toggle clamps, and a stop block.

Other consumables: 100 percent wool felt in 1mm or 1.5mm thickness (synthetic felt pills and sheds onto pens), spray adhesive (3M 77 or equivalent), brass quadrant hinges or 5/8 inch brass barrel hinges, and 1/4 inch rare-earth disc magnets if you want a magnetic catch instead of a hinge stop.

Turning the base

Mount the blank to a faceplate or a screw chuck. For a 6 inch by 2-1/2 inch single-pen blank I use a small faceplate with four #8 screws into the bottom (the screws sit in the area that will become the underside of the channels). For a multi-pen case I screw a 1/2 inch MDF disc to the blank, then mount the MDF to a 4 inch faceplate. The MDF gets discarded after turning.

Speed for a 6 inch swing of 2-1/2 inches goes at 1,200 to 1,500 RPM. A 12 inch multi-pen blank with the same 2-1/2 inch height runs at 600 to 800 RPM. Always start with the lathe on the lowest setting, spin the blank by hand to check clearance, then step the speed up.

True the perimeter with a 3/8 inch spindle gouge taking light cuts from center toward the edge. Square the top face with the same gouge or with a square-end scraper. The top face becomes the surface you route the channels into - it has to be flat. Check with a straightedge under shop light; any gap shows immediately.

Shape the bottom with a soft cove or a stepped foot. I prefer a 1/4 inch deep recess in the bottom turned with a parting tool - it gives the case feet that lift it off the desk and prevents rocking on an uneven surface. Sand on the lathe at 220, 320, and 400 grit while the piece is spinning at 400 RPM. Apply finish only to the bottom and the outside walls at this stage - finishing the top face now means scraping it off before you can route.

Cutting the pen channels safely

Routing a round-bottomed turned piece is where this project hurts people. Treat it as serious shop work.

Build a sled. The sled is a flat plywood base about 12 inches square with a fence along one edge and two toggle clamps positioned to grip the turned base. Cut a shallow V-groove in the sled to cradle the round bottom, or better, flatten the underside of the case on the lathe before you part it off so the case sits flat on the sled without a cradle. The flat reference is the safer of the two.

To flatten the bottom on the lathe, after you finish the outside, mount the case in a four-jaw chuck gripping the top rim. Take a light skim cut with a square scraper across the bottom face. This gives you a flat reference for routing and also lets you turn the foot recess at the same setup.

Once the sled holds the blank, set the plunge depth on the router first, to the channel depth from the table above (3/16 inch for slimline, 5/16 inch for Cigar). Next, set the fence so the bit centers on the first channel position. Then, plunge at one end of the marked channel, route to the stop block at the other end, and retract.

For multi-pen cases I cut all the channels in one setup by sliding the fence in 7/8 inch increments. Mark every channel position on the case in pencil before any routing - changing fence positions mid-job is where mistakes get made.

If your top face has a slight crown from the turning, plane it flat on a benchtop sander before routing - the bit needs to cut a uniform depth and a high spot will leave the channel shallow.

Lining the interior

Felt or velvet covers the inside of each channel and protects the pen finish. I use 1mm 100 percent wool felt for pen channels and 1.5mm felt for the floor area under multi-pen displays. Synthetic felt sheds fibers onto the pen, and after six months the channel looks dusty.

Cut felt strips 1/8 inch wider than the channel width and 1/8 inch shorter than the channel length. The slight oversize on width lets the felt wrap up the channel walls; the slight undersize on length keeps it from bunching at the ends.

Spray adhesive goes on the wood, not the felt - 3M Super 77 sprayed lightly, let tack for 30 seconds, then press the felt down with a small wood block. If glue bleeds through the felt, the spray was too heavy. For a single test piece, water-thinned PVA glue applied with a small brush also works but takes longer to grab.

For the lid interior I cut a single felt pad the full inner dimension of the lid, glued the same way. This pad presses down on the pen tips when the lid closes and keeps the pens from rattling.

Avoid felt with adhesive backing sold for crafts - the adhesive yellows in two to three years and pulls off the wood.

Hinges and catches

The lid needs either a friction fit (turned tenon and matching mortise), a magnetic catch with a flip-up lid, or barrel and quadrant hinges with a stop.

For single-pen boxes I use a turned friction fit. After turning the outside, I part the lid off the body with a 1/8 inch parting tool, then turn matching male and female tenons that fit snug. Wax on the tenon makes the lid slide smoothly without binding seasonally.

For multi-pen cases I install Brusso quadrant hinges in 1-1/4 inch size. Quadrant hinges include a curved arm that limits the lid opening to 95 degrees and prevents the lid from flopping backward. They mortise into the back edge of the case and the back edge of the lid with a 1/4 inch chisel and a router with a 1/8 inch straight bit. Plan on 30 minutes per hinge - the layout has to be exact or the lid will twist.

Brass barrel hinges in the 5/8 to 3/4 inch range are cheaper and easier to install but need a separate stop. A 4 inch brass chain or a folding stay screwed inside the case prevents the lid from over-rotating.

Rare-earth magnet catches work for flip-up lids on small cases. Embed a 1/4 inch disc magnet in the case wall and a matching steel plate or second magnet in the lid. N42 grade magnets in 1/4 by 1/16 inch deliver about 3 pounds of pull, enough to hold a lid closed during transport.

Finishing

The exterior takes the finish you use on any small box. I apply a 1 pound cut of dewaxed shellac as a seal coat, then three wipe-on coats of oil-modified polyurethane with light scuff sanding between coats. The case ends up with a satin sheen that does not glare under display lighting.

For an oil-only finish, walnut oil or tung oil with three coats gives a softer look but provides less protection from desk handling. For shop-mixed alternatives, see my homemade woodturning finishes breakdown.

Do not finish the inside surfaces that will be covered by felt. The felt adhesive grips raw wood better, and finish under felt off-gasses for weeks and can yellow the lining. Finish only the visible interior surfaces - the upper walls if the felt does not reach the top, and the inside face of the lid.

Common mistakes

Channels too tight. Pens swell slightly with humidity and finish thickness varies pen to pen. Size channels to your widest finished pen plus felt thickness. A 1/64 inch margin is the difference between "slides in" and "stuck."

Lid mortise wrong depth on hinges. Quadrant hinges have a leaf thickness of about 5/64 inch. Routing the mortise too deep crushes the lid against the case when closed; too shallow and the lid sits proud. Test fit before committing.

Routing without the flat reference. A round-bottomed blank held in a hand-cradled jig kicks. Either flatten the bottom on the lathe or build a sled with a cradle and toggle clamps.

Felt pilling. Synthetic felt looks identical to wool felt in the bag and costs half as much. Wool wears smoother over time. Buy wool.

Cocobolo or rosewood without a respirator. Both species cause skin sensitization that gets worse with repeated exposure - the woodworker who turns it for years ends up the one allergic to it. Wear a respirator and long sleeves, and damp-mop the shop floor after working it.

Safety on this project

• Always wear a full face shield when turning, not just safety glasses
• Spin the blank by hand before powering the lathe to confirm the chuck or faceplate grips it
• Start at the lowest speed and increase gradually - a 12 inch multi-pen blank at 1,500 RPM is dangerous
• Never wear loose clothing, gloves, or jewelry near a spinning lathe
• Keep the tool rest within 1/8 inch of the workpiece for all gouge cuts
• Use a respirator (P100) when turning cocobolo, rosewood, or any species in the dalbergia genus
• Clamp the case to a sled before routing - no exceptions, no shortcuts
• Eye protection during routing - the bit can throw chips back at the operator

Selling the case

If you are turning pens for income, the case is the multiplier. A slimline pen with kit, blank, and finish costs about 4 to 6 dollars in materials and sells for 25 to 40 dollars solo. The same pen in a single-pen turned case sells for 60 to 90 dollars at a craft show, and a six-pen display case alone (empty) moves at 75 to 150 dollars. My making money from woodturning page covers pricing math in more detail.

The press for assembling the pens themselves is its own short project - my pen assembly press build walks through that.

Sources & References

Frequently Asked Questions

How wide should the pen channels be?

What wood works best for a pen display case?

How do you safely route channels in a turned round piece?

What finish should I put on the inside of the case?

What hinge type works for a small turned pen box?

Can I sell pen display cases at craft shows?