Anyone have issues with "Euro bands" popping?

[Firefyter-emt]

Just curious, I got to see a pen I made about a year ago and it was holding up very well, except the center band had popped free. I use CA to attach the band and normaly make it so I have to use my pen press to push it on. This one was done in Pink Ivory..

I think I am going to phase these Euro pens out, they are cheap enough, but the tenon is a pain to deal with. I might replace it the the 8mm Parker style or the 8mm Americana Twist.

Any thoughts or imput?

 

[PatrickTaylor]

Personally I like the curves of the european enough to do them over the american. Personal preference.....

 

[Rifleman1776]

The Euro is a staple in my inventory. Classy look that can be sold at an affordable price. And with the various theme clips, customization is very practical. The tenon seems to give fits to a lot of folks. Might sound braggy, don't mean to, but cutting the tenon only requires a sharp 1/4" parting tool and a few seconds. Sometimes mine need to be pressed on, sometimes a drop of CA is called for. If yours pop off, maybe another type of glue is in order.

 

[kent4Him]

Euros are 75% of my sales. Nice curves and they appeal to both Men and Women. I have had a couple that have come loose, but regluing them isn't that much of a deal. If your wood was a little green and it shrunk, the center band might not fit as tight as when you cut the tenon. A thicker glue might be called for.

 

[ed4copies]

Any time you need a tenon, cut it a few degrees off of 90.

If the "inside" is recessed, relative to the visible, outside part, there is room for CA or other glue to build up and create a good bond.

If this is clear as mud, ask for a better explanation and Cav will come up with it!!!

 

[redfishsc]

Personally I believe that having to glue a band onto a wood tenon is a CHEEEEEEZY design--- to the point I'd call it a design flaw. Gluing wood to metal is an iffy proposition at best. I would rather the upper barrell be a slightly larger diameter and have the center band press in the same way the center band/female threads press into the Gent/Jr Gent etc...


I do not recommend the American style as a replacement. Berea's American style has a crappy, undependable transmission, and CSUSA's American style uses a wood tenon just like the Euro style (ie, no gain by switching other than the parker refill).


The few times I ever make a euro style, I scuff the inside of the band with 150 sandpaper and use epoxy, and I use an Irwin Quick Grip to hold it in place for several hours until it's cured.

Either that, or I just make it "bandless" and instead of removing the tenon, I just turn it to size and burn on some rings with a wire (ie, like the "russ-line".

 

[Rifleman1776]

Even though I usually use CA as the band glue, I believe good 'ole Duco would be the idea choice. I avoid foaming poly glue because of the potential mess and ruination of an otherwise finished pen.

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Yea, Poly glue would be quite the mess! I normaly add a slight relief to the back of the tenon so that any "pushed glue" can sit in there over pushing out near the band. I use the same CA as most of us do, my last batch was from AZ, but this was probably bought from CSUSA back then.

 

[thewishman]

I've had the same thing happen on a wood pen and on a celluloid pen. I thought I was the only one.

Glad I'm not crazy, but wish it didn't happen.

Chris

 

[BernieW]

I make my center band slightly tight and then put a smidge of epoxy on as Dick Sing does. Never had one come apart.

 

[ahoiberg]

personally, i like to customize the euro centerbands... just my opinion. probably wouldn't sell as well with a wooden centerband though.

 

[cdcarter]

Firefyter-emt,

I'm guessing you got the tenon a little thin so that there wasn't a good glue seal. Usually, the glue at the edge of the tenon will hold, but obviously, the less area you have glued, the more likely it is to pop off.

If you're using the bushing set from Wood Craft with the center band ring that slips over the left side of the middle bushing, you may find that its inner diameter is smaller than the actual band. That will cause you to go too thin on the tenon. I don't use it -- I just use the ring from the kit itself, and I get a tighter fit.

When I cut too thin, I have been known to salvage a pen by using a thick epoxy rather than CA, but don't tell anybody.

Like you, I prefer the Parker 8 mm, but I've sworn off the one from PSI. (Actually, I've sworn off pretty much everything from PSI.) It's just too finicky, and anyway, you have to cut a tenon for that one, too. I've bought a few Berea 8 mm round top kits, and they look promising, but I haven't actually made one yet. I will probably try the Craft Supply kit too before settling on a regular.

Going out of town this weekend, so it'll be another week before I'm back at the lathe. But I've got a bunch of blanks prepared, so I'll knock some out pretty fast when I finally get to go down there and play.

 

[Penmonkey]

I cut my tendons so that the band doesn't slip on and off easily. You gotta kinda jam it in.

 

[cdcarter]

I hate to say it, but the cheap old 7 mm Euros seem better appreciated than nearly anything I make. I haven't had band trouble since I started using the actual center band rather than the bushing to turn the tenon. They're so doggone easy to make, too.

Originally posted by kent4Him
<br />Euros are 75% of my sales. Nice curves and they appeal to both Men and Women. I

 

[DaveM]

I usually cut the tenon so that the ring on the bushing ALMOST goes on, but not quite. Then when I am assembling the pen, I wrap a little piece of sandpaper around the tenon, and give it a few twists. I get a tight fit for for the tenon this way. On acrylic, I leave it this way. On wood, I put a dab of epoxy on for insurance, after roughing the inside of the band up with sandpaper or a file.

I turn the 7mm Europeans, and the double twist flat top Americans. I was switching over to the 8mm Euros, but I think the weight will be an issue with some of my customers. I really like the Americans, and they make up about half of my sales.

Dave

 

[Firefyter-emt]

FYI, just to clarify. I use digital calipers to fit and leave mine so that it's tight and almost always to the point that I use my press to push the ring on.

My real concern is that this pen was not brought back to me, I just happend to come across it and asked if I could see how it was holding up. Once can say they never have issues with this, but what if...