Pen Box Routing Jig.

Boys and Girls,

 

This idea goes back to the concept where I was going to be the next pen mogul billionaire in Melbourne (circa 2008). As well as making my pens, I moonlighted in making storage boxes for them, even though I had amassed a swag of bought ones,

(which I still have).  

 

Skip forward 7 years (circa 2015) to the time that my pen making virtually ceased due to the education/literacy level of the population of downtown Churchill, however, the box making has forever been impregnated into my mind.

 

Like many woodworkers, when you come upon a new method/concept you are forever searching for ideas to put that new found knowledge into use.

Well this happened to me when I bought my Beall threading kit,

 

What should I make?...  

a pen box!... NO, not the box, but an adjustable jig to rout the recess for different sized pens in the box... using wooden threads for adjusters.

 

I was just a beginner in SketchUp, but fortunately it knew how it worked so it held my hand and I managed a few basic designs,

   

Then off to the workshop to cut some threads and slice up some pine boards and tap them,

Why does simple glue up 

seem to be so difficult?

The jig comprises of 3 individual parts: 

1.     The base, 

 

which has two holes in the bottom to accommodate the height adjusters in the box (part 2). 

2.     The box to hold the work piece, 

and captivates the block to be routed, 

which sits snug in the base 

 

3.     The tabletop for the router guide. Topside, 

 

underside, 

 
The threaded rods on the tabletop, hold the top against the “middle” box and are used to center the top above the box containg the blank to be routed. There are alignment lines on the two side guides that are used to centre the top over the blank, which has a line down its center, 

, 

Once the top is aligned only the front screws are used to loosen the top for blank replacement… the back ones are not touched unless a new dimensioned box is used. 

The guides on top, 

 

are used to control the width and length of the cut and limit the “freehand” router movement.  
While the guide on the left is kept asis, the one on the right (only due to different guide bar lengths), 

 
is adjusted in case a different depth is required for some pens to cater for different sized caps and/or clips.

The side guide bars are interchangeable in accordance to pen’s length… eg. card/purse pens vs. cigar, 

 

 

Either the full pen box (without the lid) or the pen holding insert is secured inside the box with its top flush with the top of the box, 

 

The tabletop is placed on the box and secured using the screws at the front and sides and the guides are adjusted to limit/control router movement, 

The guides are design to cater for no-circular bases like the Fe$tool OF1400. 

 

Once tightened, it’s just a case of routing and changing the blanks for production runs, 

 

or custom boxes, 

  

The guides are adjusted according to the dimensions of the pen the box is to hold… just ensure you have sufficient plunge depth if the box has higher sides. 

 

Special jig used to drill hinge holes in the side of boxes for the lids, 

 

 

 Thanks for the patience to get this far.

 

 

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