Corn Cob Pens

By Johnny Wooten

The thing I find most interesting about pen turning is the unique items that you can make pens out of. One of my favorite and best selling is the corn cob pen. I have been selling corn cobs that I have stabilized for people to turn them selves. I very seldom get to keep a corn cob pen before someone sees it and wants to buy it. The interesting features and the uniqueness of the pen make it a favorite amongst shoppers.

So, in the following pages, I have tried to show how I make the corn cob pens and the little interesting things I do to them to get them looking their best.

The Cob

First I select the corn cob that I would like to turn. I probably have the most corn cobs to pick from than most people. I usually have anywhere between 1000 to 3000 corn cobs lying around at any one given time. I selected a red corn cob for this project. I am also using the designer slim line pen kit to turn.

One of the most important parts that you have to consider is the PITH of the cob. The smaller the diameter of the pith in the cob, the better. Depending on which pen kit you decide on using depends on what size pith you need. With the Designer Pen Kit, it uses a 7mm drill bit so the pith can be smaller than normal.

Next is the drilling

With most of the cobs that I use, when they are drilled for the pen tube, I usually hold them with a pair of pliers. I don’t apply pressure downward but actually push the cob upward onto the drill bit. This allows for an easier time of drilling and less of a chance of blowing the cob up.

After I have drilled them, I glue the tubes in with CA glue and let them set for a while. This is usually the time that I cut up other blanks or get other pens ready to turn. I try to let them set at least 20 to 30 minutes before trimming the barrel.

After trimming the barrels, it is time to set up the lathe.

Time for turning

After setting up the lathe and making sure the bushings are correctly positioned and that there are no wobbles, I start turning the cobs. I know a lot of people use different turning chisels for turning cobs, but I use a regular old gouge. It works for me and I feel most comfortable with it. I usually turn at the fastest speed up to this point. I will turn the outer cob off until I get to about a 1/8 inch before the bushings. I then slow it down and slowly work with it until I get close to the bushings. From there it is mostly going to be sanding work for me.

Finished using the gouge

Sanding

After turning down the cob, I start by sanding with 320 grit. I will sand until I think it has turned down the blank to a size I like. I then start the process of filling in any areas of the cob that have holes.

I do this with a method that I feel works best. I start by soaking the cob in CA and slow down my lathe to the slowest rpm’s. I use 320 grit sand papers to sand while the CA is creating slurry on the blank.

Sanding lower barrel

After I have filled all the gaps I let the blanks set until the CA has dried.

Blanks right after finishing the slurry stage

After the CA has dried, I start off with 600 grit and work until I get to 8000.

I will do this for at least 15 minutes, working with each grit at least 2 or 3 minutes.

Middle of the process

After sanding and sanding some more, I finish with some carnauba wax on top of it and then trim up the ends.

Finished Pen