To those who use the Sierra Kits...

[Darrin]

Boy this one just bugs me. I hope Im not the only one but it seems some of these kits I use, after assembly, there is a tiny gap between the lower part of the blank and the beginning of the long nib end. I'll disassemble it, turn around, and the same thing!! I have had this happen on the Sierras and EB's, just not on all of them. This really p!$$es me off :biggrin: Anyone else have this problem?? Take a look in the pic below, I can't sell a pen that looks like that. Hopefully someone can shed some light on my dilema as I have yet another pen tonight thats on the same kit style that turned out the same way.

 

[tbroye]

Any chance you took to much off squaring the blank? I am not at home so I can't go out to the shop and look at some I made. I think length of the barrel or blank is critical.

 

[Mack C.]

Hi Darrin; The picture of your pen makes it very difficult to tell exactly of what you speak. Could it be that your blank is not at 90º, leaving what I think is a small space btween the long nib and the blank!

I have done many Sierra's both Click & Twist and have not had that problem.

 

[johnnycnc]

Darrin,
can you tell us how you are squaring the ends of your blanks?

 

[jkeithrussell]

I've noticed the same thing on some Sierras that I made, but thought it was just the way it was designed (not tight/snug between nib assembly and blank). FWIW, most of mine are Wall Street II from Woodcraft.

 

[dalemcginnis]

I have one like that that I hadn't noticed until I examined it. I took it apart and gave a careful once over on the blank and it appears my tube is a hair longer than the blank. I think that came from my pen mill. I have one pen mill that if I don't get the head positioned properly on the shaft it will leave the tube slightly longer than the blank.

 

[1080Wayne]

Darrin Yes , I have found that problem on some Ti Sierra kits . No apparent correlation with finished blank length . Probably the long side of a manufacturing tolerance designed to allow easy twisting of the barrel . Wayne

 

[Darrin]

On the pictured pen, I used a Barrel trimmer, on tonights pen, I sanded down. After finishing and prior to assembly,I place the tube and blank flat on sandpaper and rub to make sure that the tube isnt longer than the wood.

 

[pentex]

I make a lot of Sierra's and have not seen this problem.

 

[johnnycnc]

Darrin,
just remember if you sand that the end needs to be square to the inside of the tube,which is not too
bad to do with a jig some other members recently discussed:
http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=41382
I use a disc sander, with a jig of my own making, and for my use,much
prefer it to a pen mill.
(The reason for the outside of the square or round blank not being necessarily true to the inside of the tube when it's all said & done,
is that in drilling your drill can drift, or the clearance in the hole allows your tube to glue in slightly tipped.)
Hope this helps

 

[Russianwolf]

try this.

1) assemble the nib section but unscrew the tranny about a turn.
2) push the two part together fully.
3) use the pen body to screw the tranny tight.

see what you have when you do this.

 

[maxwell_smart007]

I found that if my blank wasn't perfectly square, that could happen...haven't had an issue since I figured that out!

Andrew

 

[bruce119]

I found that if my blank wasn't perfectly square, that could happen...haven't had an issue since I figured that out!
Andrew

Yes you have to have the blank square they do just push in so they can rotate. I made a LOT of Sierras and not have had a problem.

Bruce

 

[thewishman]

I had that happen with my first one, but not since. I tried re-trimming, sanding, but nothing helped. I feel your pain.

 

[jttheclockman]

I see it on the Sierra vista. I just made one of the computer pens last night and that come with the tube installed. And on that one also the same thing a sight gap. I did not think it was a problem. You really have to look for it. I have used both a sanding mill and a cutter mill and the same thing. There might be a factory thing with that ring on top of the nib. It maybe slanted a bit. Will try some of the tricks mentioned to see if it tightens it up or else I am leaving them alone.

 

[bruce119]

I see it on the Sierra vista. I just made one of the computer pens last night and that come with the tube installed. And on that one also the same thing a sight gap. I did not think it was a problem. You really have to look for it. I have used both a sanding mill and a cutter mill and the same thing. There might be a factory thing with that ring on top of the nib. It maybe slanted a bit. Will try some of the tricks mentioned to see if it tightens it up or else I am leaving them alone.

It may be a mill that is out of square. put your mill on a flat surface and check that it is flat. It is hard to find a good mill. And if you square on the disk sander you must get everything square. I just never had this problem. Are you pushing the mechanism all the home. Here is a photo 2 different Sierras. The middle one is the Vista that comes with the Computer Kit.



Bruce

 

[timberview4]

try this.

1) assemble the nib section but unscrew the tranny about a turn.
2) push the two part together fully.
3) use the pen body to screw the tranny tight.

see what you have when you do this.

I turned my second Sierra today. I noticed a gap between the body and the nib. I remembered reading this post a couple weeks back and thought I'd read the posts again. I tried this tip from Russianwolf and it worked great. Thanks for the tip!!