Simple Click Pens

[Cwalker935]

I decided to turn an inexpensive click pen to give to an instructor of a carving class that I recently took. I turned two pens from scraps of crosscut butternut that I picked from the classroom floor. The grain is really neat so I thought that I would share them.


View in Gallery


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[SteveJ]

Nice looking pens. Are they done using the same kit?

 

[Cwalker935]

Yes, PSI's power click pen. The second pen was made as single body without the center band.

 

[OZturner]

A Great pair of Pens, Cody.
Excellent Blanks, Fit and Finish.
Thanks for the Zoom Function on your photographs, I don't know how you did it but it is great for these tired eyes.
Could you tell us how, please?
Congratulations,
Brian.

 

[Cwalker935]

I upload photos to the members photo album and then use the insert button on the right side when posting. I've been doing this so that I can post multiple photos in the same thread and get the zoom feature as a bonus.

 

[turncrazy43]

Two nice pens Cody. The grain is very nice and that its scraps makes it even nicer.
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Everyday I'm vertical is a great day

 

[navycop]

I like the one without the center band.. Good job on both...

 

[Brian G]

Good thinking on the second one, Cody. I'm curious to know the modifications you made to turn the PSI Power into a long click.

I've turned a few with the center band, and wasn't pleased that the click plunger guide doesn't seat fully and leaves a gap between the clip and the upper barrel. This is evident in your pen with the center band. That's not a criticism of your fit; it's a flaw with the components and something mentioned in the reviews on the vendor's website.

Your modification looks to have solved that problem and, in my opinion, makes a better looking pen than with the center band. Good job on that.

 

[Rockytime]

Slimlines can be beautiful.

 

[Cwalker935]

Good thinking on the second one, Cody. I'm curious to know the modifications you made to turn the PSI Power into a long click.

I've turned a few with the center band, and wasn't pleased that the click plunger guide doesn't seat fully and leaves a gap between the clip and the upper barrel. This is evident in your pen with the center band. That's not a criticism of your fit; it's a flaw with the components and something mentioned in the reviews on the vendor's website.

Your modification looks to have solved that problem and, in my opinion, makes a better looking pen than with the center band. Good job on that.

I did not make any modification to the plunger guide. That kit simply did not have the same gap. On the long clicker, i simply cut the blank to 4 inches, drilled it and glued in the tubes.

 

[Brian G]

Hi Cody. Thank you for the follow-up. What I meant by modification, was the removal of the center band.

The part of the center band that presses into the upper barrel, plus the length of the internal click mechanism, is too long to allow the plunger guide to fully seat on the clip, leaving the gap.

When you removed the center band, it no longer impeded the plunger guide from fully seating.

I've made a few of this style, and people like the "medium-ish" diameter. I didn't like the gap because they look like ill-fitted pens. There are other ways around that problem, like sanding down the centerband, but I like your serendipitous fix better.

 

[hobbyist2013]

You're right. The grain looks nice. You made an elegant pen. It turned out very well.