El Grande questions?

Lenny · 03-21-2011, 01:27 PM

I just picked up a few of the Berea El Grande kits and find the instructions and methods used much different from any other pen I have done to date.

The cap end has two tubes a smaller one that fits in the 11mm hole and a large (short) one that fits in the top end.

On the upper cap blank you are required to cut the blank to 1 7/8" and then drill a 11mm through hole. . I have drilled the hole and THEN cut the blank back to 1 7/8"

... now for the odd part .... you are then supposed to drill the cap end of this blank to a depth of 3/4 " using a 33/64" bit. Ok, I have done that too!

.... BUT now, according to the instructions, you insert the tubes with NO glue and place them on the mandrel and using the bushings, turn to size!

Now it seems to me that any blank once the holes are drilled, is a little sloppy.... of course it doesn't matter once the tube gets glued in you can use your barrel trimmer or disc sander setup to "true" the ends.

How in heck do you expect to get good results with this method?
Am I missing something? Should I just keep going and expect everything to work out? Should I attempt to use a barrel trimmer even though the tubes are loose?

I can't say this set of components will become one of my favorites!

Thoughts and opinions welcome.

George Watkins · 03-21-2011, 02:14 PM

what instructions are you looking at Lenny?
http://www.beartoothwoods.com/faq/ElGrandeRBF.pdf

PennedDown · 03-21-2011, 02:24 PM

Lenny,

I'm wondering the same thing. I've made a lot of El Grande's.
A 31/64" bit for the lower barrel and a 33/64 for the upper barrel (I use a 13.3 mm for the upper)

broitblat · 03-21-2011, 02:30 PM

The kits that requires two tubes in the top are different than the normal "El Grande". The "El Grande Streamline" uses two tube sizes for a more dramatic taper in the cap. I made a few of these a while back, and it's not as difficult as it sounds (I'm not sure I actually followed the directions, though). Berea also has the "El Grande Elite" on special which uses the more "normal" techniques you're probably used to.

-Barry

Lenny · 03-21-2011, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by George Watkins

what instructions are you looking at Lenny?
http://www.beartoothwoods.com/faq/ElGrandeRBF.pdf

These ....
http://www.bereahardwoods.com/price/...l_fountain.pdf

Lenny · 03-21-2011, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by broitblat

The kits that requires two tubes in the top are different than the normal "El Grande". The "El Grande Streamline" uses two tube sizes for a more dramatic taper in the cap. I made a few of these a while back, and it's not as difficult as it sounds (I'm not sure I actually followed the directions, though). Berea also has the "El Grande Elite" on special which uses the more "normal" techniques you're probably used to.

-Barry

Yes, Barry ... you are right, it is the Streamline. So did you use a barrel trimmer or some other method to true up the ends of the blank before turning? Maybe I'm making too big a deal of it but I just see lots of room for error here and resulting gaps between material and components.

Perhaps I should just continue and worry about fine tuning the ends later with a sanding mill.

nativewooder · 03-21-2011, 03:09 PM

Lenny, if you bought the same kits I bought, the cap instructions on the back of the page gives the reason not to glue in the tubes yet.

Lenny · 03-21-2011, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nativewooder

Lenny, if you bought the same kits I bought, the cap instructions on the back of the page gives the reason not to glue in the tubes yet.

Yes, I understand the reason ... it's the process that I worry about.

JMT · 03-21-2011, 06:13 PM

Yeah....I agree...pretty strange. I'd have to actually make one to see how well that system works out. Looks like a good opportunity for the step-tubes. (Which means you have to then go buy a step bit for the step tube.....grrrr...)
Anyway....good luck.

Lenny · 03-21-2011, 06:16 PM

Well, I went ahead and attempted to turn the cap they way they describe in the instructions by fitting the two different sized tubes in the blank loose with no glue and mounting them with the bushings for turning. The result, as I suspected, is an out of round turning!

03-21-2011, 01:27 PM	#1 (permalink)
Lenny Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Searsport, Maine Posts: 2,498 Photos: 47	El Grande questions? I just picked up a few of the Berea El Grande kits and find the instructions and methods used much different from any other pen I have done to date. The cap end has two tubes a smaller one that fits in the 11mm hole and a large (short) one that fits in the top end. On the upper cap blank you are required to cut the blank to 1 7/8" and then drill a 11mm through hole. . I have drilled the hole and THEN cut the blank back to 1 7/8" ... now for the odd part .... you are then supposed to drill the cap end of this blank to a depth of 3/4 " using a 33/64" bit. Ok, I have done that too! .... BUT now, according to the instructions, you insert the tubes with NO glue and place them on the mandrel and using the bushings, turn to size! Now it seems to me that any blank once the holes are drilled, is a little sloppy.... of course it doesn't matter once the tube gets glued in you can use your barrel trimmer or disc sander setup to "true" the ends. How in heck do you expect to get good results with this method? Am I missing something? Should I just keep going and expect everything to work out? Should I attempt to use a barrel trimmer even though the tubes are loose? I can't say this set of components will become one of my favorites! Thoughts and opinions welcome.

03-21-2011, 02:24 PM	#3 (permalink)
PennedDown Join Date: May 2009 Location: N. Texas Posts: 199 Photos: 7	Lenny, I'm wondering the same thing. I've made a lot of El Grande's. A 31/64" bit for the lower barrel and a 33/64 for the upper barrel (I use a 13.3 mm for the upper) __________________ Dale What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.."

03-21-2011, 02:30 PM	#4 (permalink)
broitblat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Bellevue, WA, USA. Photos: 379	The kits that requires two tubes in the top are different than the normal "El Grande". The "El Grande Streamline" uses two tube sizes for a more dramatic taper in the cap. I made a few of these a while back, and it's not as difficult as it sounds (I'm not sure I actually followed the directions, though). Berea also has the "El Grande Elite" on special which uses the more "normal" techniques you're probably used to. -Barry __________________ Nice play! (well, it's not exactly work, is it?) Barry Roitblat Bellevue, WA

03-21-2011, 03:09 PM	#7 (permalink)
nativewooder Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Fort Pierce, Fl 34982 Posts: 483 Photos: 0	Streamline Instructions Lenny, if you bought the same kits I bought, the cap instructions on the back of the page gives the reason not to glue in the tubes yet. __________________ Barry L Elder

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03-21-2011, 02:14 PM	#2 (permalink)
George Watkins Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Leicestershire, U.K Posts: 293 Photos: 8	what instructions are you looking at Lenny? http://www.beartoothwoods.com/faq/ElGrandeRBF.pdf

03-21-2011, 06:13 PM	#9 (permalink)
JMT Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: NE Tacoma Posts: 37 Photos: 0	Yeah....I agree...pretty strange. I'd have to actually make one to see how well that system works out. Looks like a good opportunity for the step-tubes. (Which means you have to then go buy a step bit for the step tube.....grrrr...) Anyway....good luck.

03-21-2011, 06:16 PM	#10 (permalink)
Lenny Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Searsport, Maine Posts: 2,498 Photos: 47	Well, I went ahead and attempted to turn the cap they way they describe in the instructions by fitting the two different sized tubes in the blank loose with no glue and mounting them with the bushings for turning. The result, as I suspected, is an out of round turning!