Lee/Jeff,
But sometimes when disassembling a Churchill you may not want to destroy the barrel. Occasionally I want to refinish one.
You can't just bang it off with the plastic, but there is a much easier way to get the Churchill center band out with the punches. Simply take the biggest punch that will fit, wedge it tightly against one edge, and tap lightly. I don't use a hammer, because I'm bracing the punch in my left hand and holding the pen in my right. I simply tap it against a hard surface like a floor or workbench. That edge will come out slightly. Then I work my way around, gradually working the center band out without damage.
The key is to keep the punch wedged tightly against the edge of the band and work it out a little at a time. You have to be gentle, but it still takes less than a minute.
I've done this successfully five or six times with no damage.
Originally posted by Firefyter-emt
<br />The transfer punches are great, but on some kits they can damage it too. On these kits (say like a Churchill) the centerband is thin plastic on the inside and will break if this method is used. On these kits, I will remove the wood with a light pinch of pliers, just enough to crack the wood. Now flake off the wood to the brass tube. I use a dremmel tool with a cut off wheel to just grind the tube off the length of the hardware. It takes just a second to pop the brass tube free and there is no chance of damage to any part. I have also "popped apart" the finals on some kits like the Jr. Gents trying to tap them apart.
