Pattern alignment on capped pens

[PTownSubbie]

What is the easiest way to get proper alignment on a pen with a screw cap?

I screwed the nib plastic piece into the cap, aligned the two blank pieces and then pressed the plastic piece into the blank. When I put the cap on, it didn't align perfectly.

Any help on how to do this would be great.

 

[scotirish]

Good morning! I had the same problem, until I realized that threads on the top have more than one starting point. I unscrewed the top until I hear a "click" the re screw the top on. I do this and then I reach the point where the grain will align-up. This happens on almost all of my fountain pens.

 

[PTownSubbie]

Good morning! I had the same problem, until I realized that threads on the top have more than one starting point. I unscrewed the top until I hear a "click" the re screw the top on. I do this and then I reach the point where the grain will align-up. This happens on almost all of my fountain pens.

Noticed that also but when put on correctly, the pattern is off by 1/8th of a turn.

 

[tim self]

I start the same way. Then after I start to press I stop, recap the pen to check alignment. This may sound trivial but 9 out of 10 times it starts pressing misaligned. It is then I can adjust the threads and press it in. ALMOST always works.

 

[jthompson1995]

Try it the opposite way. Press the nib coupler into the body of the pen, screw on the cap coupler onto this and them press the cap barrel as far as possible onto the cap coupler by hand. This makes it easier to keep the alignment because you have a more of the cap coupler holding the cap in place than when pressing the nib coupler into the lower barrel.

 

[Texatdurango]

Try it the opposite way. Press the nib coupler into the body of the pen, screw on the cap coupler onto this and them press the cap barrel as far as possible onto the cap coupler by hand. This makes it easier to keep the alignment because you have a more of the cap coupler holding the cap in place than when pressing the nib coupler into the lower barrel.

This way works best for me as well!

 

[PTownSubbie]

Try it the opposite way. Press the nib coupler into the body of the pen, screw on the cap coupler onto this and them press the cap barrel as far as possible onto the cap coupler by hand. This makes it easier to keep the alignment because you have a more of the cap coupler holding the cap in place than when pressing the nib coupler into the lower barrel.

Makes total sense to me now. I was thinking completely opposite. I will try this on my next pen. The nib coupler with the blank installed does not screw in as far as it does without the blank. That is where my misalignment came from. If I install this one first, everything else should align to that.

 

[randyrls]

A while ago I wrote a section on how to grain match a pen. Take a look at the post in this thread.

http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=51999

You have to press in the lower barrel coupler and trim ring FIRST! then match the CB and upper cap barrel to the lower.