Pen attachment for 1/2" spindle

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41

Craigslist? Wing it with a drill press?

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I think that you could use a hole saw, I think that you would need a 3/18 or 3/14 OD. It still would be good to clean the stack up on a drill press.

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That would definitely work. You could set up the cnc to cut the center holes out also. Put some glue in between them and use a marker to align the holes while you clamp it. It would be really easy to set up. Just make sure that the diameter will be just the right amount of clearance.

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You could add indexing holes to the program for dowels to keep the stack aligned too.

You could also program in cut-outs to reduce its mass if you wanted to. Although I imagine a chunk of wood like that isnā€™t as heavy as the router motor.

Another candidate for the first project list?

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It could definitely go on the first 10 list. I can design the file but I need someone else to test it because I donā€™t have the cnc yet. Also you donā€™t want to mill out wood for weight because the weight can help provide support against the pencil.
The notch could be made on the cnc by taking a little off the top edge of one of the circles.

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46

How did the pen holder work out for you? I am still contemplating on getting it.

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So, my take on it is that it is well made and the customer service is very good, but for the stock ridgid router z-axis setup it is too long. With the pen in, there is only about a 1/4" of clearance, and I was afraid that the default z-axis clearance height would end up trying to raise the router above the top of the threading and break something, so I havenā€™t actually used it as yet. I am considering cutting a portion off of the holder. There is a weight that is designed to put downward pressure on the pen in a vertical orientation that is not applicable to the Maslow, and removing that weight and the associated 1/2-3/4" (Iā€™d have to measure it) might make height adjustments less tight from the zero point.

Overall, it does a good job of allowing a mini sharpie to be chucked into a 1/2" collet, but for the Maslow I donā€™t think Iā€™d recommend it unless you have a z-axis setup with more vertical travel than the stock ridgid router.

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48

Here is another option. I first stumbled upon https://www.rockcliffmachine.com/product/cnc-pen-holder/ and thought it looked good, and also looks makeable. So then I found this on thingiverse: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1681029 which is basically the DIY version. I am going to 3d print this one and try it out.

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Yeah, I saw that one too, but for more money it also didnā€™t seem like it would solve the clearance problem. Let us know how the 3d print one works.

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So, I finally got around to trying the pen holder I bought. It does work, but as the pen tip gets mashed, it loses contact and the drawing becomes less reliable (I was drawing on a rough piece of old plywood). since it is in a horizontal position, the weight inside, intended to maintain contact, doesnā€™t function as it would in a conventional vertical spindle. Finding a way to put a spring it might work, but I am looking elsewhere at the moment. Since I switched to a c-channel z-axis, I donā€™t want to have to remove the router to install a pen, so I am thinking that @LakeWorthB suggestions might be the way to go. $80 is a bit much, and Iā€™d probably have to order the 3-d printed one for about $20. A little more google searching also turned up this:
http://www.davegardner.org/CNC_PenHolder.html

If I can find some 1"x1" delrin, I will likely try to make one. Failing the delrin (which I prefer for friction reasons) I can get some aluminum to make it. I like that it is fairly low profile.

Anyone else doing much drawing with their Maslow?

Edit another expensive option: 3/8 SHANK PEN MARKING TOOL PEN MARKING TOOL [3002-2500-2] - $112.00 : Cosmos Industrial LLC
Which might be easy enough to make if you have access to a lathe

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