Can I shorten a Wallstreet II by... 1/16th?

[tbfoto]

I bought a few Wallstreet II kits from Woodcraft the other day. I have never put one together yet. I have this acrylic blank that I want to use but it is about 1/16 th shorter than the tube. Can I get away with this? Will the function of the pen still work ok? Any tips on drilling acrylic without blowing out the other end. Normally I would drill (not all the way through) then cut off the end but the blank is already short as it is. Thanks for your help.

 

[louisbry]

Since Wallstreet II kits are assembled so that the writing part of the pen is independent of the barrel, small variations in tube length should not make any difference in the function of the finished pen. In other kits the length of the tube is critical because it affects how far the refill protudes.

On drilling, you could try glueing a short blank at the end of the acrylic and then proceed in the manner that you have described.

 

[RyanNJ]

as for drilling place a block of wood underneath while drilling and you should be good

 

[mtgrizzly52]

And go slow, slow, slow....clear the flutes of the drill bit constantly.

Rick (mtgrizzly52)

 

[rsmith]

I usually drill my acrylics like you and cut the end, but in the instance that you cant, I found the foolproof way is to actually glue a scrap acrylic to the bottom. Preferably one of the same material, i.e. if it is a woodcraft blank, use another woodcraft scrap, etc...and make sure the glued sides are sanded flat so there are no gaps in the seam. This assures that there is the least strain on the material due to changes of consistancy when exiting one and entering the other. Probably overkill, but it's better than losing a whole blank while drilling. With no modification to the transmission the sierra can be shortened by approx. 6mm while still seating properly