One piece Cigar option

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jfoh

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Joined
May 27, 2007
Messages
389
I like the free form shape that I can make with one piece pens and have about 200 Cigar kits on hand so I went back to see how others have made Cigar pens with one one piece blanks. I tried what they did and for the most part I was able to make them like others had using two step approaches with small tube from the Cigar glued in and a larger tube from a Sierra or Wall Street II glue in the blank. But glue ups were a little finicky and I wanted to figure out a fast and easy way to make them in large numbers.

I wanted a fast and easy way to get around the two different size tubes. I drill a hole all the way through the blank and glue two Sierra (Wall Street II) in the blank. Trim to size and turn to final size. So instead of two different size tubes glued into the blank I use two Sierra (Wall Street II) tubes.

Then I take both tubes Cigar and press them onto the center band that joins the top and bottom on a Cigar pen. Put them in a chuck on my lathe, hold the other end with a 60 degree tail center and using a file trim the center band until it is the same size as the tubes. Press the nib and top onto this. Unscrew the top finial and take off the clip. Now I have the Cigar pen guts, which slide into the Sierra tubed pen blank. Holding the top and the bottom of the pen works the transmission. If you need to take the Cigar pen apart just unscrew the clip end and push the cigar pen out of the blank. The easiest way to reload the pen is to unscrew the nib end and load the refill when needed. Point is that there is no two step drilling or glue up required and the pens work beautifully.

Other things I picked up was that I could add a little extra lengthen to the pen if I used two longer Cigar tubes with the center band. A couple blanks I wanted to use were thirty part inserted segmented blanks which were just a little too long for the normal tube configuration. I know .20"-.30" does not seem like a lot but cutting a segmented blank short destroys the effect. Also I like longer pens in my big, fat hands. You can find longer Sierra type tubes to get extra length if needed for the blank.

Hope this is explained well enough for others to get my point. One piece Cigar pens can be made without two step drilling and the hassle of having glue two different tube sizes into the blank. It take two extra tubes and a Cigar kit. My next step is to see if I can locate 10" tubes the proper size so my two tube glue up becomes a one tube glue up. I need to see if any long tubes have the proper internal diameter that duplicates the Sierra size tubes.
 
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JohnU

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Jan 31, 2008
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Ottawa, Illinois
Sounds like a winner Jon. And yes, there are vendors that sell the 10" long tubes in 27/64" Sierra tube diameter and 10mm Cigar tube diameter. Now if only you could get longer ink... Thanks for sharing.
 
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magpens

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Feb 2, 2011
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15,913
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Canada
What's going on here ? Can somebody please explain to my aged mind. I would love to know how to make one-piece cigars !
 

Mr Vic

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Aug 11, 2008
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Falcon, CO
Jon, why not just drill your blank the size of the cigar tubes but only glue in the clip end. Shoot for a real snug tube fit. Treat the centerband/transmission as you are now. Turn with the nib end tube just pressed in.
 

jfoh

Member
Joined
May 27, 2007
Messages
389
Vic, I turned a lot of modified Slimlines like you suggested. Segmented and laminated blanks can get very thin and weak when turned without the brass tube for support. I just finished a ultra-ultra thin cigar, one piece segmented pen for a lady that is paper thin. Had to be very careful not to sand to hard to keep temperatures down and not sand through the blank in thin areas.

My system eliminates step drilling. Now I have ordered 10" long tubes so the tubes will run from end to end. I altered two bushings to the proper nib and cap size. Next I think I will just make a mandrel to fit the larger tubes and make two bushings to fit the larger mandrel and finish them to the nib and cap size. Then it will be like turning a 7mm slimline in simplicity. I find the larger mandrel, stiffer and heavier, eliminated just about all vibration and out of round problems. I am not done tinkering with one tube Cigars yet but I am getting there.
 
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