FAQs
What is a label-cast pen blank?
A label-cast pen blank is created by wrapping printed artwork around the brass tube used for a specific pen kit and casting the artwork-covered tube inside clear resin. The artwork becomes permanently encased beneath the resin, creating depth and clarity while leaving sufficient material for the pen turner to shape and finish the blank on the lathe.
Are Ohio Penworks pen blanks made to order?
Most Ohio Penworks pen blanks are made to order. Each blank is individually handcrafted after the order is placed and normally ships within 1–2 weeks. Products specifically identified as Ready to Ship are already completed and available for shipment.
Why do I need to select a pen kit when ordering?
Every Ohio Penworks blank is made for a specific pen kit. Pen kits use different tube lengths and diameters, so the artwork must be sized and positioned to fit the selected kit correctly. For that reason, you must select the pen kit you intend to use when ordering your blank.
Can you create a custom pen blank from my photo or artwork?
Yes. Ohio Penworks can create custom pen blanks using photographs, artwork, or original designs that you own or have permission to use. Customer-supplied images must be suitable for reproduction and formatting to fit the selected pen kit. Ohio Penworks will not reproduce copyrighted or trademarked images unless you have authorization from the rights holder to use them.
What if the brass tube appears off-center or slightly angled in the pen blank?
Occasionally, the brass tube may shift slightly within the mold while a pen blank is being cast under pressure. When this happens, one end of the finished blank may appear uneven or slightly “leaning,” with more resin visible on one side of the tube than the other.
This does not affect the usability of the blank or the finished pen. As long as the bushings fit within the outside dimensions of the blank, there is sufficient material for the blank to be turned normally.
The important point is that the artwork is applied directly to the brass tube, and the tube itself establishes the axis on which the blank will be turned. When the appropriate bushings are inserted into the ends of the tube and the blank is mounted on the lathe, the blank rotates around the tube’s axis, not around the outside surface of the unturned casting.
As long as the bushings fit within the outside dimensions of the blank—with sufficient material surrounding them—the blank can be turned normally. As the excess resin is removed, the outside of the blank becomes concentric with the brass tube.
The result is a properly centered, round finished pen with the artwork correctly positioned around the tube.
In short: An unturned blank may occasionally look slightly off-center because the tube shifted during casting. This is a cosmetic characteristic of the unturned casting and does not affect the finished pen. Once mounted on the proper bushings and turned on the tube’s axis, the finished blank will be round and centered on the tube.