8B Bushing and Round Top Eruo Screw Cap pen

[kirkfranks]

OK I have searched as best as possible and I have not seen this anywhere.

I bought a couple Round Top European Screw Cap pens that are on sale at A.S. These are the satin finish if that makes a difference.
The Bushing is 8B which I bought also.

The Bushings / hardware measure as follows.

Large Bushing .5170 / Center Band .5185 OK
2 x .4410 (Nib end?)Bushings / Threaded Coupler(reducer).4385??
1 x .4270 (Clip end?)Bushing / Clip .4360 cap insert .4335??


I have question about the Clip end first. This seems much too small for the clip and will leave the clip protruding enough to be noticeable.
On the coupler bushings the bushing is over the size of the hardware and even if it was a perfect match these couplers have 2 beads similar to the beaded center hardware on the Cigar. It seems that this would maybe be better if turned slightly smaller than the hardware similar to the cigar Pen.

Does anyone else have experience with this pen?
Is my bushing set bad? Is the hardware (especially the clip oversize)
By chance was there supposed to be two of the smallest size and those work for the coupler ends?

Also of note is that this was a 5 pc bushing set.
There was a small sizing bushing for the center band tenon (I am guessing) but the instructions for the pen kit only show a 4 pc bushing set.

I will wait till I hear some opinions before I turn this kit.
Thanks in advance.

 

[redfishsc]

I cannot comment on this particular kit/bushing spec, but I have had berea bushings before that were a little "underweight".


As for the tenon bushing (which is supposed to be an exact copy of the center band), DO NOT TRUST IT unless you check it with calipers! Even then I usually don't bother with it. One of the reasons I HATE these pen kits. Someone needs to just put a little more brain into their kit styling and STOP requiring a parting off of material. This is just stupid and unnecessarily irritating.

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Yep, that pretty much sums it up. I do not make a pen to the bushings, I make a pen to the parts going on the pen itself. I measure each kit and note the hardware on a post it note. I then use this to make the pen.

As for the tenon?? I fully agree!! What is worse is seasonal wood movement can loosen the centerband. I have seen this happen on a pink ivory Euro I made someone. I turn with digital calipers and I know this pen was not "loose" when I made it. I normaly use my pen press and CA to install the band, but this one was now loose and could be slid off. Very unhappy with that! If you "have to have" that tenon, just make it parted down to the tube, how hard is that??!!

 

[kirkfranks]

I guess I mis-labled the tenon. This kit does get parted down to the tube to receive the center band. I think the extra bushing is for those folks that cut the blank to the final length instead of parting some off. The bushing will fit over the bare tube and is the same OD as the center band bushing.

I sort of figured I will be using the calipers more than normal.
The difference at the clip just seemed way too much.

 

[gerryr]

You have just encountered the worst design of all the Berea kits. Those are the bushings and they are next to useless. On top of all that, the cap and coupler both have metal threads and the pen will un-thread in your pocket. Those are the reasons I quit making these after making just two. But, if you call Berea about the problems you will be told that it's their best selling kit.