Tropical Baron sizes: can you swap the kits out?

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

redfishsc

Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2006
Messages
2,545
Location
North Charleston , SC
I am considering buying some of the discontinued tropical Baron kits, but I'm thinking of swapping out the kits since what I want is already sold out.

I notice that the bushings are different--- but are the kit parts different (tubes, cap/clip finial, etc...?) Ie, can I rob the parts from one regular Baron and use them on the tropical?
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

DCBluesman

Passed Away Mar 3, 2016
In Memoriam
Joined
Aug 22, 2004
Messages
7,679
Location
WOODBRIDGE, VIRGINIA
Yes, all of the findings are larger, thus you can use the same tubes (even though the blanks come pre-tubes) but you need new bushings. The same holds true for the El Grande/Churchills and the Sierra, althought with the Sierra, the Sierra Vista is the same size as the Topical Sierra. The kits were made this way in order to account for the added thickness of the barrels which is needed for these special materials.
 

redfishsc

Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2006
Messages
2,545
Location
North Charleston , SC
10/4. Thanks for the info. I just ordered a small mess of them since the price came down to a good level.

The instruction sheet for them says "do not turn them down to the bushings or you will cut into the tropical material". What's that all about? Isn't that why they make the pen parts a bit fatter?

I'll give BB a buzz tomorrow, I'm sure he'll have more answers for me.
 

jthompson1995

Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2006
Messages
861
Location
Parkville, Maryland, USA.
Originally posted by redfishsc



The instruction sheet for them says "do not turn them down to the bushings or you will cut into the tropical material". What's that all about? Isn't that why they make the pen parts a bit fatter?

I've made a couple of these and haven't had any issues turning them down to the bushings. The resin will be very thin over the cast material, so be careful, but it can be done.
 

ldb2000

Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2007
Messages
5,381
Location
Laurence Harbor, NJ, USA.
Hi Matt
I've done a couple of the Sierra Tropical kits (Don't really like the looks of the Sierra kits but love the blanks) and put them on Honu Pacificas (same size and bushings as a regular Sierra) the resin is very very thin at the ends but if your REAL careful and use a VERY SHARP skew it can be done , I would guess that the Barons are the same way .
This is a photo of one of my daily writers , sorry for the bad pic .

tropicalhonu.jpg
 

randyrls

Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2006
Messages
4,821
Location
Harrisburg, PA 17112
Originally posted by ldb2000


I've done a couple of the Sierra Tropical kits (Don't really like the looks of the Sierra kits but love the blanks) and put them on Honu Pacificas (same size and bushings as a regular Sierra) the resin is very very thin at the ends but if your REAL careful and use a VERY SHARP skew it can be done , I would guess that the Barons are the same way .
This is a photo of one of my daily writers , sorry for the bad pic .

To join the thread; The ChurchHill and El Grande have *VERY* thin material when the tube is finished. Snake skin must be finished larger than the bushings or the SS will stick thru the acrylic. I suspect that the same is true of the pearl.

The Baron has enough thickness on the straight tubes so this isn't a problem.
 
Top Bottom