Make a wooden pen block with clean holes

Select a sound block

A pen block is a good lesson in drilling a repeated pattern, provided the workpiece is large enough to hold safely with clamps. Choose a sound, dry block about 160 × 65 × 65 mm. Avoid cracks, loose knots, embedded metal, or glued-up scraps with uncertain bonds.

Measure the largest pen barrel you want to store. Make trial holes in scrap to choose a diameter that allows easy insertion without an excessive wobble. Include pen clips in the fit check, since they can prevent a pen from entering an otherwise adequate hole.

• Main block: approximately 160 × 65 × 65 mm.
• A scrap of similar wood for hole tests.
• Optional nonmarking feet, all of equal thickness.

Draw a pattern with room between holes

For a simple five-hole row, place centers 25, 52.5, 80, 107.5, and 135 mm from one end, all on the width centerline. This creates equal 27.5 mm spacing. The example assumes modest hole diameters; larger markers may need fewer holes and greater spacing.

Leave plenty of solid wood between holes and between the holes and outside faces. Decide the depth using the pen lengths. A 40 mm-deep hole in a 65 mm-tall block leaves 25 mm below its bottom, but the drill bit’s pointed tip must also remain inside the wood.

Drill with a controlled setup

Clamp the block firmly to a stable support so it cannot spin. Use a suitable bit and follow the drill manufacturer’s instructions. Set a reliable depth stop, test it on scrap, and account for the full tip length. Do not measure depth only to the bit’s outer cutting rim.

Drill one hole and check it before committing to the rest. Clear chips in the manner appropriate to the tool, with the bit stopped when hands approach. A rough or burned hole may indicate a dull bit, packed chips, or an unsuitable feed rate. Do not force a struggling drill.

Remove sharp rims and check use

Ease each hole rim lightly by hand with abrasive wrapped around a suitable support. Keep that treatment consistent; a large bevel on one hole and a tiny bevel on another makes an otherwise accurate pattern look uneven. Sand the exterior while preserving a flat bottom.

Try the actual pens, including any unusually heavy one. The block should remain stable as a pen is removed at an angle. Keep it away from desk edges. Do not store uncapped knives, pointed awls, or drill bits in a holder designed for pens; those objects call for protected storage.