Disasembling Pens

[sbarton22]

Ok, so just started tuning pens a few months ago. I made my first pens of different kits and had a great time. Then I found things like this board and was able to do more and more research.

I am just now beginning to understand the next level of quality. The latest thing to give me feedback was when I started photographing them. I'm able to see a ton more imperfections than I was previous.

After that long intro, basically, some of my pens need to be touched up. Specifically, I was not getting close enough on the bearings, for what reason, I don't know. I would like mount them up again and fix them...turning a below average piece of junk into something nice.

To disassemble, I have just been jamming different size punches in the various parts and slamming them in the table until they come apart.

What kind of advice do people have for dis-assembly? I am going to go out on a limb and just guess that I'll screw a few more up in my time.

 

[Lenny]

Sounds like you have the right idea. I usually wrap the part in a cloth and then knock it out with a hammer and punch. At first, I only had a set of five sizes. They worked ok for most things but there are times when you really want the largest punch that will fit in the pen tube. A set of punches ranging from 3/32 to 17/32 is a good investment.
Congratulations on taking the next step to better pens!

 

[Richard Gibson]

The punches you find at some of the big companies can be had from Harbor Freight for $9.99 for 28 sizes. Excellent investment

 

[sumterdad]

Yes I use the harbor freight set as well

 

[sbarton22]

Is there any trick to holding the pen? Right now I just hold it and slam it on the table. Is there some other way to hold it?

I have a 5 piece HF punch set. Maybe I'll get the full meal deal.

 

[Richard Gibson]

I used a glove and held it and hit the punch with a hammer.... after several misses, I bought a special vise grip from PSI that has rubber coating on the special jaws. Works very well.

 

[hilltopper46]

Is there any trick to holding the pen? Right now I just hold it and slam it on the table. Is there some other way to hold it?

I have a 5 piece HF punch set. Maybe I'll get the full meal deal.

I wear a nitrile glove - it seems to work as well as anything. I've done the cloth thing mentioned above but it is usually too slick and I just push the pen through the cloth.

Your mileage may vary.

 

[Alzey]

I use a piece of that rubberized mesh you can put under carpet to keep them from slipping. I wrap it around the pen black then put it into my modified drill press vice that I use to drill the blanks with. I just ordered the HF Transfer Punch set that many here recommend. I also read where someone trimmed down the head of a large nail to the size they need. Down side to this is you have to keep is square in the tube.

 

[ScoJo]

What about the decorative rings on the bottom of the top tube on the "Classic American" style pens - the ones pressed around the outside of the brass tubing where the wood is parted off? Is there a safe way to get those off?

 

[Ambidex]

dissembling pens

Thanks for the thread...was wondering if I could fix my first few or just learn...am gonna keep my first..but will definately take apart a few others and cure what ails em.....loving the process though..good luck and show some pics?

 

[randyrls]

What about the decorative rings on the bottom of the top tube on the "Classic American" style pens - the ones pressed around the outside of the brass tubing where the wood is parted off? Is there a safe way to get those off?

Unfortunately there isn't a good way to remove a trim ring from a tenon.

 

[hilltopper46]

What about the decorative rings on the bottom of the top tube on the "Classic American" style pens - the ones pressed around the outside of the brass tubing where the wood is parted off? Is there a safe way to get those off?

Try grasping them with some pliers that you have padded the jaws on and gently wiggle gently. If you get any movement at all, you're golden. Just keep at it and you will be able to work the trim ring off. The tube may go a bit oblong on you. If you have the HF transfer punches you can get it close to where it started by working them through the tube in increasing sizes.

If the trim ring is glued on, I have had success pouring 1/4 inch of acetone in a Mason jar and standing the barrel upright in the acetone and letting it soak overnight.

Hope this helps.

 

[MartinPens]

Ditto on the harbor freight punches. I just don't know what I would do without them in my shop. They are handy for a lot more than just disassembling pens.

 

[chris63]

just ruined a pen due to that , sometimes punches dont work and you just say what the f .... it happens

 

[Bree]

I have a vice with add on plastic jaws which have a slot for round items. I GENTLY close the vise jaws down on the tube at a taper point so the tube won't move through. (I taper almost all of my pens which helps!) Then I put a pen blank cutoff from a very hard wood like Lignum Vitae or African Blackwood that I have drilled a 1/2" hole the size of the punch and I cap the punch with the wood and take a dead head mallet and start lightly hammering until the component loosens and then comes off.

I have tried rubber bands, gloves, pliers with various kinds of pads. The vice is simple and very effective as long as you don't crush the tube!!
:wink::wink::wink:

PS Make sure the jaws are clean so you don't get a piece of dirt that scratches the finish.

 

[pianomanpj]

I just hold it in my right hand while striking the punch with a jeweler's hammer with my left. (I'm a southpaw, y'know. :wink I also have the large set of Harbor Freight punches. I prefer the jeweler's hammer since it is lightweight so I can have more precise control. Plus, it has replaceable heads.

When I have to knock out the same size fittings from each end, I have to start with a smaller punch for the first one. Since the punch is only able to make contact on one side of the fitting, I rotate the blank with each strike so that the tube does take all the lateral stresses at one point. Once the first fitting is out, I use the largest punch that will for the tube to knock out the other end. I ALWAYS knock out the fittings over a large towel folded into quarters. Would be a shame to bounce that sucker all over the shop!

Sometimes, but rarely, do I need to wrap a rubber band around the blank. I usually just use my bare hand. And make sure your hands are clean and do NOT have any kinds of abrasives on them! (i.e. cured CA, epoxy, etc.) Good luck!

 

[Gilrock]

I just got setup to disassemble some pens a few days ago. After I learned to do a CA finish from this forum I asked a couple friends for the pencils I gave them back and I disassembled and re-finished them this weekend with nice results.

If you goto woodturningsz.com they sell a Disassembly Pliers & Punch Set Combo. I bought that plus the 7mm Slimline pencil disassembly kit they sell since I needed to re-finish a couple 7mm Slimline's. The pliers have a rubberized coating and worked great...I was going to refinish anyways so wasn't worried about scuffing them up but didn't notice any damage. The 7mm pencil disassembly kit worked fairly well except for one thing. The screw that's provided is too small. You have to actually tap some threads at the top end to get the clip section out. The tap comes in the kit. After tapping the threads they provide a screw you thread in there and then knock it out using a punch from the other end. The problem was that I was able to pull the screw out with very little effort with my fingers. It doesn't seem sized right. So I just threaded the tap back in there and popped the parts out by punching directly on the end of the tap. I did that with two pencils and the tap seems fine so I guess that will be my method. If you use that method then after it pops out you gotta unthread the part from the tap but no big deal.

Hope that helps someone.

Thanks,
Gil

 

[nava1uni]

I use transfer punches; rubberized grips on my vise; different weighted hammers; I wrap the pen with the mat that is used to hold wood on a router table. I also have a board with a 7mm hole drilled through it and I have glued a center band into the hole. I can put a slim line bottom with the transmission into the hole and the using a punch pop out the transmission. Over the years I have made many little jigs and things to dis-assemble pens and pencils. You will develop many ways that work for you.

 

[TerryDowning]

I use the same procedures as described by most above. sheet rubber or shelf liner wrapped around the tube, punches and lighter hammers.

For twist mechanisms after I get the nose cone out I use my press and a block of maple with a 1/4 inch hole in it and press the twist out. Reversing the blank allows for minute adjustments to the placement of the twist mechanism if pressed in too far.

As for touching up some of your first pens, I say leave them alone and use them as a comparison of where you started. Buy the same or similar kit use a similar blank and compare against your first to show how far your skills have progressed.

Terry

 

[thewishman]

I just use a rubber band wrapped around the barrel. I hold a plastic bag over the part that will be punched out - since I have damaged a part or two that bounced off my bench.

I also use a rubber band to to help tighten the Cigar and Sierra transmissions.

 

[DurocShark]

I use transfer punches and my hand. I wrap a rubber band around the barrel in the rare occasion my hand isn't strong enough.

Here's a tip as well: http://blog.woodscrub.info/2010/09/pen-disassembly-parts-catcher.html

Using a bench brush as a parts catcher. Works awesome, and the soft horse hair bristles don't scratch the finish.

 

[sbarton22]

Man, there is just a lot of great information in this thread!