Pen Blanks

A pen blank is a small, prepared piece of material, typically wood or acrylic, that is specifically sized and intended for turning into a finished pen. Pen blanks are used to make both single-piece and two-piece pens on the wood lathe. Pen blanks are available in many materials, including wood, acrylic, and synthetic stone.

Although many pen finishes can produce a beautiful high-gloss finish, durability varies greatly. Generally speaking, hand-applied lacquers, waxes, and friction polishes are quick and easy to apply, but don’t produce a finish that can last for years. 

Our preferred method of finishing pens and similar small projects is with Cyanoacrylate glue (also known as CA or Super Glue). Applied correctly, a CA glue finish can be polished to a mirror-like finish and is the longest-lasting, most durable pen finish.  Although finishing pens using CA glue takes a bit more time and patience, the result is a finish you can count on to last for years to come. Watch our video Getting the Perfect CA Finish for step-by-step instructions on applying a CA finish to your pen blanks.

We recommend carbide turning tools for turning acrylic blanks. These tools are less aggressive, easier to control, and leave a better surface finish than when using traditional turning tools.

We recommend drilling pen blanks on your wood lathe. It's a tool you already have and it does a very precise and controlled job of drilling pen blanks. Secure the blank in a self-centering chuck using a set of pen drilling jaws. Use the tailstock with a key chuck to hold and advance the drill bit. This method ensures accuracy across wood, acrylic, resin, and other materials.