Elegant American Pen Question

[DonWood]

Hi Everyone - I am working on my first Elegant American Pen and am having problems getting it to extend and retract. I believe that this may be one of the pens that requires an "exact" length on the top barrel and I may be a little too long.

Does anyone know the exact length the top barrel should be?

Thanks for the info!!

 

[mdburn_em]

Don,
I think you need to provide more information. Did you modify the upper tube in some way to make it longer? I assume by your description that your pen is fully retracted? You might even need to provide a photo.
I really like the E.A and make a lot of them, but I can't figure out what the problem might be with the description given.

 

[Rmartin]

I've made quite a few of these pens. I have just about given up on them, mostly because I don't like the sharpness of the center band, but I have solved the tightness of the twist problem I believe you are having. It's not really due to "exact" lenght. The problem occurs when the wood of the upper barrel rubs up against the center band which is pressed into the lower barrel. The instructions say to press the upper clip combo flush with the bottom of the lower part of the upper barrel. What you need to do, is to press it just past the wood of the bottom of the upper barrel. This will allow the pen to twist freely.

hope that makes sense. To say it another way, when you screw the upper barrel into the lower, there should be a slight (very slight) gap so that the wood of the upper barrel does not touch the center band.

 

[DonWood]

Thanks so much for the info, I believe that the tip to press the clip combo just past the bottom of the upper barrell will do the trick for me. Thanks so much!

 

[Jerryconn]

I believe the directions for this kit should be modified. First insure that the transmission does not bind up in the upper tube, then I press the finial post in first and, slide the transmission in from the bottom and press it on the finial post, this process seems to work for me. Then if it does bind, I unscrew the finial approx. 1/4 turn out, I have a piece of wood that I drilled a hole in the is sligthly larger than the O.D. of the tube and put it at the lower end of the upper barrel and press the finial post and transmission down slightly, this will free up the transmission.

 

[DonWood]

Thanks Jerry, I understand what you are saying and will definitely try the next one this way. I agree, the directions should definitely be changed. I think it would be hard for anyone to get the pen to work with the directions supplied.

I appreciate the information so much, thanks again!!!!

Don