Cigar Fit Issue

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Joined
May 16, 2011
Messages
403
Location
Jennings, FL
Turned a cigar today first one I am selling...

When I assembled it, the refill sticks WAY out when deployed and is JUST sticking out when retracted.

I think I can make a shim for the black trim ring on the nib, but what did I do wrong?

I barely trimmed the barrels square, didn't grind it short.

Maybe a short barrel to start with?

Its a Lee Valley cigar kit and all the others I have assembled have been spot on.

I am going to try some trim rings from other kits to see if maybe the trim ring on the nib end is thinner them some of the other kits.
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

zig613

Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2008
Messages
647
Location
Canada
The cigar kit is sensitive to over trimming the lower barrel. If it is shortened too much it results in the refill nib being exposed even when it suppose to be retracted. I would guess this is what you are experiencing.

Wade
 

ed4copies

Local Chapter Manager
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Messages
24,523
Location
Racine, WI, USA.
I'm guessing you put the short barrel on the bottom and the long barrel on the top.

BTW, you will NOT be the first to do this!!!
 

EBorraga

Passed Away July 17, 2022
In Memoriam
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
4,049
Location
Louisville, KY
Sounds like the common mistake of switching the barrels. I've done it a bunch. Like Ed said, long barrel for the refill, short barrel for the cap.
 
Joined
May 16, 2011
Messages
403
Location
Jennings, FL
I'm guessing you put the short barrel on the bottom and the long barrel on the top.

BTW, you will NOT be the first to do this!!!

nope, its in the correct order of assembly...was really careful since I gooned one up this weekend turning it and mixed up the bushings.

The short barrel is the top/cap and the long barrel is the bottom with the nib attached.
 

ed4copies

Local Chapter Manager
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Messages
24,523
Location
Racine, WI, USA.
OK, the nib screws on and there is a spacer above it--did you forget the spacer?
Black plastic ring about an eighth of an inch wide.
 
Joined
May 16, 2011
Messages
403
Location
Jennings, FL
OK, the nib screws on and there is a spacer above it--did you forget the spacer?
Black plastic ring about an eighth of an inch wide.


Its there...

That is what I am thinking I can sort of shim out. If I unscrew it a turn or two the refill sticks out what I think is the perfect amount.

This one also seems to have a bigger then normal space between the top and bottom of the pen halves.

Bumming me out, the blanks and finish are near perfect.
 

ed4copies

Local Chapter Manager
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Messages
24,523
Location
Racine, WI, USA.
Sounds like a bunch I once got from China--for me, before Exotics existed.

You can widen the inside of the top tube with a dremel tool and the top will go down farther. But, all in all, it sounds like the kit just isn't quite right---BTDT!!
 

Shannon

Member
Joined
Jun 28, 2010
Messages
37
I had the same problem. In my case it was the tubes reversed. I know you did not do this but to fix, I sanded the refill top down until it all fit together and then called it a very nice house pen. Works fine, just each refill takes a little work.
 

MarkD

Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2011
Messages
2,293
Location
Sayre, PA
This is probably not the best fix but I had something similar happen once. I found a spare tube that was very close to the outside diameter of the Cigar transmission. I cut the tube to make a spacer then put the spacer on prior to the transmission.
 

mredburn

IAP Activities Manager
Staff member
Joined
Jul 5, 2009
Messages
8,752
Location
Fort Myers FL
The best fix may be to make a brass sleeve/washer for the transmission coupler and glue it on so it cant be lost. This fix relies on there being enough threads left over to hold the tranny properly.
 

Dave Turner

Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2010
Messages
417
Location
Sylvania, Ohio
A similar thing happened to me with a cigar kit. Inside the transmission is a white plastic piece that the top of the refill presses against. I carefully drilled out about 1/8" from this plastic piece so that the refill can sit higher in the transmission. Solved the problem.
 

jbswearingen

Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2008
Messages
752
Location
Bowie, MD
I'm guessing you put the short barrel on the bottom and the long barrel on the top.

BTW, you will NOT be the first to do this!!!


Yup. I just did it a few weeks ago...


And then yesterday I pressed in the tip's "base" into the lower end of the upper tube AFTER pressing on the clip. How the hell did I do that?

I do think I'll be able to save it though, by threading on a tube and tugging it apart...
 

t001xa22

Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2011
Messages
441
Location
Arlington, TX
I have had that happen a few times on Cigars and Round Tops. If the refills are Parkers, the top plastic cap for the refill can be removed, the top of the metal body filed down a bit, the file area lightly reamed out, and the plastic cap reinstalled. It will work for that one particular refill, but at some point in the future, another refill will have to be modified the same way. Since there is no pull on the plastic cap during use, it should stay in place in the barrel of the pen. You also have to reconfirm the sliding fit of the metal body in the pen barrel.
 

islandturner

Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2009
Messages
376
Location
Victoria, BC
If it turns out to be the kit, Lee Valley will definately look after you. On the few occassions I've emailed them with a problem, I've received a fast personalized response that solved my issue quickly.
 

wolftat

Product Reviews Manager
Joined
Aug 19, 2007
Messages
5,377
Location
Fairfield, CT, USA.
I have taken a piece of pick guard and put it in between the nib and the spacer and turned it to size, it worked well and took care of the problem.
 

ed4copies

Local Chapter Manager
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Messages
24,523
Location
Racine, WI, USA.
A similar thing happened to me with a cigar kit. Inside the transmission is a white plastic piece that the top of the refill presses against. I carefully drilled out about 1/8" from this plastic piece so that the refill can sit higher in the transmission. Solved the problem.

That is a great idea, does anyone know how much that could be "adjusted"??
 
Joined
May 16, 2011
Messages
403
Location
Jennings, FL
Here is a link to a tutorial I wrote a while back on this topic.

You can increase length by about 1/32 by making a new band for the nib coupler. This tutorial covers how to do this, and also has a process you can use in the future to ensure you never have problem again.

http://content.penturners.org/library/techniques/Obtaining_Perfect_Tube_Length.pdf


The last part is probably what I need to do - and guessing since you made a tutorial about it, this happens frequently enough!

Hoping this is not a regular thing, but I can understand variances. Going to check the OAL of the tube before I turn one of these again!

I brought home my AK pen that first perfectly, going to swap out components until I get this new pen fixed and then will work the fix on my pen.

I really appreciate all the feedback, hope my question helps someone else down the line!

Sean
 
Joined
May 16, 2011
Messages
403
Location
Jennings, FL
So I compared this last pen against my other finished Cigar pen...and the "long" tube is about 1/8 shorter then the correct one. Not as short as the cap (so I didn't screw up the assembly).

So either it started short, or I over milled it when I squared it. I am pretty sure I didn't - but who knows.

So I either make a new trim wring for the nib end, or I try the drill out the transmission trick - or both.

Bugs me since this one came out so nice.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom