oops!

[workinforwood]

Working on trying to get an indian blanket onto a pen. Haven't figured out how to get the entire blanket on, but half a blanket does fit. I was working so hard on getting the width and length dimensions right and centering the segments that I forgot about the tenon factor! This is for an american rollerball, 3/16 tennon, the blanket side is the cap. If I make a tennon, I cut into my blanket. Should I do it anyways, or should I try and drill half the tube out and insert an new tube that protrudes 3/16 past the barrel as is needed, or just scrap it and start fresh? What do you think?

 

[arioux]

Hi,

Reinserting a new tube could do it, but the lenght would be a factor. You will have to plug the inside with something at the clip finial level, in order for the refill to be at the good lenght for the bottom half. Hope i was clear, i reread myself an i catch an headhacke[)]

Alfred

 

[workinforwood]

I think the refill goes in the bottom barrel which has it's own threaded tube and cap on it. The top barrel is just a cap, so I think the added 3/16 in length is no problem, but can't say for sure. Could make the pen somewhat unbalanced though, if that is a problem?

 

[Daddy1]

I made the same mistake recently on a fountain pen. I agree with Jeff the bottom half is where the length matters so you should be ok there. You can always buy a longer tube and cut it to fit. The problem is getting the brass tube out and putting in a new one. So how do you get the brass tube out?
I do not have an answer for that. I have only been successful with that by accident. If you did a good job glueing it in it is going to be difficult getting it out.
I really hope someone has an answer because that is a BEAUTIFUL pen and it would be a shame to scrape it.

 

[rherrell]

I agree it will be unbalanced and you probably won't like it. I'd go ahead and try it just to see what happens. You could add a little contrasting wood to the tenon side and cut your tenon in it. Makes it a little longer but it would still be balanced.

 

[johncrane]

Jeff!
l really like the the blanket forget about the tennon l would cut a small recess into the upper blank enough too hide the join a way to do this is first wrap the blank in masking tap to protect the blank then place a wooden dowel into the tube this will make it easy to center the drill use your center ring too measure what size drill bit too use if l remember right a 13/32 which is 10.32mm is ok, once you cut the recess apply thin ca, good luck []

 

[alamocdc]

Like Jeff, I would abandon the CB, but I would round the bottom end of the cap barrel over just a bit. If there was room, I might include a burn line below the "blanket". As far as getting the "whole blanket" in the blank, you might try some like my quick rendention below. All in all, I like it!

<br />

 

[workinforwood]

[] That's funny! Nice photoshop! I'm not understanding the plan that John presents. This is a woodcraft american rollerball, 3/8 drill both tubes. The cap side takes a 3/16 tennon all the way down to the tube for the threaded portion of the cap to slip onto. I'm not crazy about this entire pen with only half a blanket, although I'm sure someone will like it. I'll give it a week for the coating to completely harden, then wrap it with something and try and drill out half the tube and insert a new half that protrudes to the proper length. If it fails, I guess it's a pretty piece of firewood. Not the first or last time that happened. I sat back down at the drawing table and worked it out again. Now I have a new blank in the clamps, a full indian blanket. Just under 1.5 long and 1/14 wide. 8 strips, 1/32 wide each! Don't be trying that at home if your not serious about shop safety.

It would be awesome if I could engineer a blanket as big as Billy's there, but if it's too wide then the strips will widen at the edges of the blank and look funny. It can't be designed too much wider than what the tube is. I went straight with the cap because adding some bow to it distorts the segments.

 

[gerryr]

Looks very nice, just too bad about the tenon. Next time try making it for at least a Jr. Gent or even a full size Gent.

 

[hilltopper46]

This is a woodcraft american rollerball, 3/8 drill both tubes

I'm at work so this is from memory, But you might be able to put a contrasting wood on the ends and use it for another style pen such as a Atlas/Carbura/?? (name depends on name brand).

 

[workinforwood]

Well...just so happens I got a nice check from selling pens, so I ordered up some JR Gents Gerry. Never made them before, you going to want it to be rhodium or titanium? I'm thinking rhodium for the santos mahogany myself. I'll just set this one in the bin as a learning experience. I ordered extra tubes for those gents too, just in case []

 

[johncrane]

Jeff sorry l haven't explained it so you can understand it l am showing a photo of a s/line that l cut a recess into using a 27/64 drill bit if these photos don't help you l can take some more photos of the drilling process.

 

[workinforwood]

That's pretty nifty John. I could do that, which would make it easier to remove part of the tube. Install dowel, trim it down and insert new tube of proper length. I like that idea, thanx.