First Baron Worries

[jhelminski]

I am a new penturner and going to try my hand at somthing other than a slimline for the first time today. Got all the supplies for a Baron. From you old and not so old pros any suggestions as to:

A) Words of wisdom.
B) Hazards / pitfalls.
C) Tipa / tricks.

For laughs, I promise to post pictures.

-Jim

 

[JimGo]

Jim,
The Baron is a great kit. To me, it's easier to turn than a slimline! Even if you simply turn it "bushing to bushing" ("b-to-b"), the pen looks really sharp when it's assembled. I'd suggest doing your first as a b-to-b so you see what the pen looks like, then playing with alternative shapes. I can't remember whether it's the Jr. Gent or the Baron that has the slightly different sized components (e.g., on the cap, the finial and the trim ring aren't the same size); if it is the Baron, just make sure use the correct bushing on the correct end of the barrel, otherwise your wood may not be oriented properly (at least you've always got a 25% chance of getting it right by accident anyway!). Make sure that there isn't any glue in your tubes when you go to assemble, either - that can be a BIG problem (not that I've had any crack during assembly or anything...[:I]).

Good luck, and we look forward to your pictures!

 

[wdcav1952]

JimGo,

The Baron bushings are the same size at each end of the blank. The Jr Gent's are not! DAMHIKT!!!!!!

Jim, the Baron is a great kit. Just make sure you lay out the parts and make sure you have it in your mind how each is to be assembled before you start putting the kit together.

Good luck,

 

[OSCAR15]

Don't be intimidated when trying a new kit. Take your time, have fun.
Other pens that are fairly easy to turn are Cigar, and Polaris....
OSCAR

 

[JimGo]

Thanks Cav, that's what I tought. I was going to suggest to Jim that because the components are the same size and because of the shape of the components (especially the trim band at the bottom of the cap), the Baron typically looks better with straight barrels, even though I have a personal preference for slightly curved barrels. But, since I couldn't remember which one had the bushings, I (for once) decided to withhold my comments.

 

[BillATsetelDOTcom]

The cigar is one of my favorites (I am carrying one right now, in fact...). Just be careful to not mill too much off the cigar tubes when you make a cigar.

As for the barron...I can't say anything, I haven't even turned my first one, yet.

Good luck!
Bill

 

[Rifleman1776]

The Baron is my favorite. It naturally makes an very elegant pen. I like some curvature in the wood but doing that can make it feel slightly heavy for the ladies. For whatever reason, I, and others who have so confessed here, sometimes forget to put in the center coupler. So the advice given elsewhere to lay out your parts and follow instructions is very important. This is a luxury pen, choose only the best platings.

 

[Ron Mc]

Jim,
I love the Baron kit and fully enjoy making them. I would also add that if you have any of the thread protectors from a Jr. Statesman 1 kit to use them on the Baron threads as you push them into the tubes. This could save you a lot of greif!
Make absolutely sure that your tubes are clean before assembling the pen.

 

[Rudy Vey]

The Baron is a great kit, pretty straightforward and simple to make. I love it since it first came out. No problems with threads and available in a lot of different platings - a winner kit!! Assembly is easy and cannot be screwed up (but I am sure there are people who have done so) since the the barrels, if turned b2b, are parallel. There was a guy on the yahoo group who claimed he has ruined at least 25% of his Baron's threads during the assembly, but he never elaborated how he is assembling the pen. I have, so far not ruined one of my Barons. It seems this year to be my bestseller pen!

 

[GregMuller]

Ron,
What is a thread protector and were can i buy one. I have a couple of baron kits to make after my arm heals from rotor cuff surgery. Left handed typing takes a long time.[]

 

[Rifleman1776]

The thread protector thing is a puzzlement to me also. I do Barons and have never damaged the threads. Wats the problem?

 

[bobaltig]

Greg, I don't think you can buy the thread protectors separately. They come with a Jr. Gentleman's kit from CSUSA. Luckily I had saved the thread protectors from the two Jr. Gent rollerballs I made before I started making Barons. Now I use them when assembling or disassembling the Baron kit.

The threads can become damaged when assembling the bottom blank of a Baron. I've never personally done this, but I noticed this could be a possibility and have used the thread protectors to prevent this from happening. This issue is when applying pressure to press in the end pieces of the bottom blank, whatever you are using to apply that pressure comes in direct contact with the threaded end of the couplers. As the couplers are made from plastic, they could become crushed, depending on the amount of pressure required to assemble the parts.

It might be worth it to you to buy at least one Jr. Gent kit, just to have the thread protectors on hand when you do your Barons. The Jr. Gent kit is a nice kit also and you probably would enjoy making at least the one you get and then save the thread protectors.

The Jr. Gent was the first kit I made, other than slimlines and Euros. But after I turned a Baron, I haven't gone back to Jr. Gents. I don't see the need to do that. The kits look very similar when completed. The Baron is a very simple kit to make and is really impressive looking. Have some fun with it. You won't regret it at all.

Bob A

 

[Geo in Winnipeg]

Jim -
The Baron makes a very classy pen. I like it and prefer a very slight bulge in the the cap and barrel but either way they look great. Go ahead and make 1, 2 or 3 or .... As others have said they are not difficult to make - just follow the instructions and take your time.
I have never had any assembly problems with Barons. The Baron end cap and nib couplers are metal and the CB coupler in the cap is plastic (delrin?).