CNC PLOTTER PEN

Many times it is useful to use your CNC machine to draw a layout or to plot information onto a surface.
I made this plotter pen out of things I had laying around and it worked great, so I thought it was worth
passing on the information of how I built it. The major goals when I set out to make my pen was that it
needed to ft into the collet of my router, be able to adjust for small variations in the height of the plotting
surface, and be able to cap the tip while not in use.
I sourced the 1/2 OD aluminum tube at Lowes. They have it at Home Depot, but the interior diameter is
smaller, not allowing for a nice ft for the pen I chose. If you are using a diferent pen, this might be an
option for you as you want a very close ft, keeping your pen as steady within the holder as possible. The
pen I used is a PILOT ultra fne point felt tip. I wanted to go with a felt tip pen because of plotter tradition
but also because ballpoints can produce a dead spot when the pen changes direction. The PILOT pen also
has a very straight body and fts almost perfectly into the aluminum tube.
The spring is the hardest thing to get perfect. I bought a multi pack of 25 diferent size/shape springs at
Lowes that had a spring that worked great. Basically, you want a spring that applies the amount of force
you do when you are writing. Too much and youll crush the tip, too little and you wont make a consistant
mark.
The 3/8 cord hole fnisher is an example of something I had laying around that worked great. Really, the
only purpose it serves is as a stop for the spring. This could be achieved a variety of ways, but the rubber
fnisher is quickly removable in case you need to swap out your pen.
This is a very straight forward and simple solution to the problem using a coil-over approach to adjusting
the pen to uneven terrain and allowing for some fexibility for zeroing the machine before you begin the
plot.
THE ASSEMBLY
To begin building the pen assembly, cut the 1/2 aluminum tube into two pieces, one tube 2.25 long and
one .25 long. The 2.25 tube will be the sleeve that allows the pen to move up and down. The shorter tube
is the stopper that stops the pen from coming out of the assembly. Because of the close ft of the pen in
the tube, the tolerance might need to be increased by passing a drill bit through the inside of the 2.25
tube. The pen should be able to slide freely inside of this tube but still be tight.
The shorter piece of tube should be glued onto the end of the pen (if necessary). I was able to friction ft the
piece on the end of the pen as the plastic body is fared to accept the plug at the end of the pen. Since this
piece will want to move freely when it is in the chuck, the exterior diameter wants to be slightly less than the
tube that will be held by the collet. I achieved this by putting the pen with the small piece of aluminum
installed on the end into the chuck of my drill press. Using a piece of emery cloth, I turned down the OD.
This slight diference can be seen in the drawings.
Once this is done, slip the pen into the aluminum sleeve, then into the spring, and last install the rubber hole
fnisher slightly compressing the spring. Next, apply a piece of electrical tape over the end of the aluminum
and the foot of the spring. This keeps the spring from slipping out of place.
When putting the pen into the collet, dont bottom out the pen, leave some space inside to allow for vertical
movement. The collet should grab the longer tube allowing the smaller OD aluminum ring, as well as the pen,
to move freely.
When you zero your machine, compress the spring slightly.
DRAWINGS NOT TO SCALE
CNC PLOTTER PEN
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REQUIRED MATERIALS FOR CNC PLOTTER PEN ASSEMBLY
(1) PILOT ULTRA FINE POINT PEN OR SIMULAR (ANY ART STORE)
(1) 1/2 OD ALUMINUM TUBE (LOWES)
(1) 3/8 RUBBER CORD HOLE FINISHER (LOWES)
(1) LIGHT LOAD SPRING BETWEEN 3/8 AND 1/2 DIAMETER (LOWES)
(1) PIECE OF ELECTRICAL TAPE
This is the tube that is held in the
collet. The spring allows the pen
to adjust to small changes in the
surface.