Pen Too Long

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GregMuller

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While assembleing an american style pen I found that the cartridge would not extend out farther enough. What could be the causes and now that the pen is finished how do I correct it. My temporary fix was to put a small piece of fiber washer in the turning mech. were the top of pen goes thererby pushing the pen out a little bit. This has worked but I know this is not how it is supposed to be.
 
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IF the refill does not stick out far enough teh barrel is too long.
First,measure it.
I know that seems simple but that is the first thing I do just to appease myself.
It could be the "cartridge" is too short,but I am hardly that lucky.
You did say cartridge in an American style pen.
From this I gather you are not talking about a ball point.
In the past when this happened to me,I dissassembled the pen and after closer inspection I either
A. forgot to mill one of the ends,or
B.
I milled both ends but the debris from milling"blended" with the edge of teh tube and gave the illusion that I had milled it to the proper depth.
I imagine there is always the possibility that the tube was too long also.
In my case I have started looking at the milled blank under an illuminated magnifying glass I got at Walmart.
It is what I use near the lathe but am going to get another to install by the drill press.
Hope this helps.
 

dougle40

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Greg,
I'm not sure which pen you're talking about either but (if possible) you might try pushing the transmission further into the body , this will give you some more travel .
That's what I had to do with a couple of Parker Double Twist pens and it worked fine .
 

Rifleman1776

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Mountain Home, Arkansas, USA.
With some styles, the European being one, the twist mechanism must be pushed in almost a 1/4" further than the ring indent as with a Slimline. It takes pushing, trying, pushing more, trying again, and sometimes again to get it just right. Push too far and you have a ruined pen. Yesterday, after careful scientific examination and extensive engineering calculations, I discovered that by putting the normal length piece on the bottom with a European and the 'long' piece on top instead of visa/versa as the instructions say, the mechanism can be inserted just to the line for a perfect. And this saves time. Of course it changes the look of the pen a little bit but if you don't know which is supposed to be where, you won't know it is 'wrong'. And if you believe I did four pens yesterday deliberately bassakwards, I gotta big bridge to sell you. [;)]
 
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Rifleman=
most american styles have a transmission that screws on rather than press fit.
Not much room for error on tube length.
They are not like slimlines.
 

GregMuller

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Miller Place, NY, USA.
Eagle,
It is a screwed in transmission.I like the use of a magnifying glass and will trythat as my near eye sight is getting a little weak as age starts to creep up on me. Now that the pen is assemblied any suggestions on how to fix the problem?
 
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Firtst thing you have to do is take teh pen apart.
The best way is to knock teh nib off by inserting a rod through the transmission holder on the bottom tube and whacking it off.
I remove any jewlery and use a rod and anything I have hany to whack the rod while gripping the tube as best I can.
Check that rnd you may only need to take one end off.
If that's no tthe offending end get a bolt that will slide in from the nib end and whack off the assembly on the other end.
Once you find the "long" end proceed with caution to mill off however much you need .
you might want to try sand paper.
This is how two tone pens came about.
 

wayneis

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Mar 15, 2004
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Okemos, Michigan, USA.
Greg before you start cutting the blank you should check to make sure that the hole in the nib is large enough for the end of the refil to go through. Sometimes the plating makes the hole a touch on the small side there fore not letting enough of the refil to come through it. Just use a small round file or pick something like that and incert it into the nib. I've done a lot of the American style and have not had a problem with tubes being to long but have had several with the hole in the nibs to small.

Wayne
 
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Waynes right, that has happened to me but just once.
That's why I suggested measuring the length of the barrel between the components first.
It will give you an indiacation of where the problem lies.
BTW who makes the kit or where did you buy it.
Woodcraft American Classics are a little finiky as far as seating the transmission goes.
 

GregMuller

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Location
Miller Place, NY, USA.
The Pen is a Craft USA and no I have not attempted to fix it yet. I have stuffed a small piece of fiber washer up into the turning mech that pushes the pen cartridge down a little farther that has tempsolved the prob. I know, not very master craftsman like.
 
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