What is the general feeling about Churchill?

[BlackPearl]

I did my first one tonight.

Through no fault of the kit, mine came out Pug Ugly. It is a chrome with Black and I used a dark red pearl blank and the black just doesn't stand out.

First I got the kit at SWAT last weekend and the bushings turned out to be 16b's not 16a's off to Woodcraft (45 minutes each way) for extra tubes and bushings.

I got it turned and then was assembling it and that Da*M little spring disappeared on me three times. I gave up looking for it the last time and took one from a pen that I stripped the uniball refill from and cut it to size.

Tried to put the pen together and the roller ball cartridge would not go in.... I found the SPRING! It took 15 minutes with a dental pick to get it out of the nib.

Then the post on the back of the body pops out! Seems it is a little undersized.

Thank goodness this is a spec pen. Actually I think my boss at work is getting a new pen.

I am open to changing my mind but this is now currently Numero Uno on my dislike list. Even worse than the slimline.

I do like the size, and with the cap off, but not posted, it feels good. Too heavy with the cap posted though. I do like the way they hide the clip gusset. Wish the Atlas would do something like that.

Anyway am I wrong? I can be full of something other than sugar and spice but should I give this pen a couple of more tries?

 

[1dweeb]

No picture, it didn't happen.

 

[bitshird]

I've made quite a few Churchill's and El Grandes, same pen just different finial caps, and in truth the new ones are excellent, the old ones had a problem with breakage right at the coupler, The new ones have a metal coupler, But regardless, unless yo accidentally started the components in cockeyed just a tiny bit, which will expand the brass tube, they shouldn't come apart or pop out, Normally the springs in the Rollerball versions are hard to get out, with out a dental pick. Nice thing is they can convert quickly between Fountain and Rollerball , If you want to save the thing, get a SMALL sample size portion of Loctite Blue and put just a bit on the brass around the inside and then put the finial cap back in.

 

[SCR0LL3R]

I like the diameter but to me it feels a little too short without posting. A lot of people say that you shouldn't really post them so I guess it's not for me.

Also, the tubes are so big compared to the final diameter of the pen which makes how you treat the inside of the drilled blank very critical with acrylics. I have been rather disappointed with the acrylic ones I have made. I also had one that I turned right down to the epoxy on one end because my hole was just a little over sized on that end from repeated plunging with the drill press.

I like the way they look but they are touchy to make. Between that and the posting issue, I don't know if I will be making too many of them myself.

 

[BlackPearl]

No picture, it didn't happen.

I wish it hadn't

So no pictures for sure, I owe it to the nice gentleman that put the effort in to make the blank to do a better job with it.