Woodcraft Berea equivalents

[corgicoupe]

Arrgh! I grabbed the Kojent bushings to turn a Jr Gents pen barrel and the finial end is too small. Kojent doesn't have a non-postable RB kit. Does Berea have one that is equivalent? IIRC Woodcraft gets the Kojent from Berea.

 

[ed4copies]

If you are asking for a bushing set that will work on jr gent II series, the atrax or the triton will work. Woodcraft has different names for them.

The posting and non-posting versions of all of these pens still use the same OD at the finial.

 

[corgicoupe]

To clarify, I turned the barrel using Kojent bushings instead of the Jr Gents bushings. Hence the finial is about 0.020" too large in diameter for the barrel. The blank is the last piece of this wood that I have, so I was hoping to salvage the project by finding a RB kit (non posting) that uses those bushings. Kojent doesn't make one, and I'd rather not make it postable.

 

[Edgar]

I think we may be a little confused by some of your terminology. We generally refer to 2-barrel pens (particularly rollerballs & fountain pens) as the upper (cap) barrel and the lower (nib) barrel and list the bushings in order from the top end down to the nib bushing. It also helps to post photos to show exactly where your problem lies.

There are two other issues here - there is a Jr Gent and a Jr Gent II in RB/FP. It isn't clear which you have. Also, the Kojent is available in both rollerball and ballpoint form which use different bushings.

If you have Kojent rollerball bushings, they will work on Atrax, Triton, Jr Gent II and most, if not all Jr II kits. Jr Gent II is available in post able & non-postable versions.

If you accidentally used a Kojent ballpoint bushing, I think you are out of luck because I don't think any RB has those dimensions.

The main lesson to learn is to always check bushing dimensions to actual kit dimensions with a digital caliper before turning to be absolutely sure you are using the right bushings & also because there are often slight variations from one set of bushings to another and from one kit to another.

 

[corgicoupe]

Fair enough. It's a Jr Gents II [rhodium]. The cap is pointing at the problem area. The finial is 0.49" diameter and the barrel is 0.46" diameter. The difference of 0.030" [a 0.015 step] is noticeable to the touch.

I was hoping to salvage the barrel and cap that were turned mistakenly using the Kojent bushings by finding another RB kit [non posting] that called for the Kojent bushings. Failing this, I will have to use a postable Kojent kit.

 

[Edgar]

If you turned the barrel at that point to 0.460, you have definitely overturned it for that series of RB/FP.

Check the part number on your bushings - I suspect that you used Kojent Ballpoint bushings (152728) instead of Kojent Rollerball bushings (151264). If the part number on your bushing bag is correct, then Woodcraft may have labeled it incorrectly at their factory.

The key thing to check is the two bushings for that lower barrel. They are the same size for the ballpoint kit (about 0.480) but different sizes for the rollerball (about 0.510 and 0.480).

I don't think that there is any rollerball that will match the dimensions you wound up with. You may have to get a Kojent ballpoint if you want a better fit for that barrel.

 

[corgicoupe]

The alternative I am considering is to make a blind cap to replace the metal one. I have a small offcut that will be sufficient.

I only have two sets of bushings: the set for the Kojent RB/FP and the set for the Jr Gents II RB/FP, so that's the only error, although I did sand it too much to end up at 0.46".

Thanks...

 

[Edgar]

The alternative I am considering is to make a blind cap to replace the metal one. I have a small offcut that will be sufficient.

I only have two sets of bushings: the set for the Kojent RB/FP and the set for the Jr Gents II RB/FP, so that's the only error, although I did sand it too much to end up at 0.46".

Thanks...

That sounds like a great solution.

The Kojent RB/FP and Jr. Gent II RB/FP bushings should be exactly the same (within a couple thousandths).

As I noted earlier, if the two Kojent bushings for the lower tube are identical (about 0.480) , then you got Kojent Ballpoint bushings rather than RB/FP as labeled.

 

[corgicoupe]

They are 0.48" & 0.52", so they are correct.

I must own up to two mistakes: I selected the wrong bushingside for the project at hand, and I sanded the barrel too much. If I Sav the pen I'll post again.

 

[Edgar]

They are 0.48" & 0.52", so they are correct.

I must own up to two mistakes: I selected the wrong bushingside for the project at hand, and I sanded the barrel too much. If I Sav the pen I'll post again.

Good to hear that you figured it out & have a solution to save the blank for that kit.

Please do post a photo when you get it finished.

 

[duncsuss]

This may be something you considered and rejected, but in case you haven't thought about it: I have repaired an occasional over-turned barrel by building up with lots of CA (where "lots" = "over 30 coats" :wink

 

[corgicoupe]

I had considered that, but rejected the use of CA. I find it irritating, even with a fan going. I also prefer the feel of the wood on the hand.

 

[duncsuss]

I had considered that, but rejected the use of CA. I find it irritating, even with a fan going. I also prefer the feel of the wood on the hand.

I can understand that. Odorless CA made a huge difference for me.

Making a substitute end finial for the barrel is probably the way I'd go (once CA is ruled out).

 

[corgicoupe]

Okay, here's the attempted salvage of the magnolia pen. The grain was impossible to match exactly because of the 3/16" left on the original blank. But it is an obvious "blind cap", and no more obvious than on Sheaffer Touchdowns and Parker Vacumatics, but it doesn't come off.

I turned a 3/16" tenon and drilled a 1/4" hole 3/4" deep in the tenon and blind cap. Then I flipped it end for end and shaped the blind cap. I enlarged the drilled hole slightly to accept the refill, and then glued the blind cap to the barrel.

Have I successfully saved the pen? Opinions appreciated.

 

[KenV]

Matter of taste, but mine say looks good. If the magnolia has a story with it, it could be a selling feature.

 

[corgicoupe]

It does have a story: My wife remembers the tree from 50 years ago in her hometown of Pazin, Croatia [on the Istrian peninsula, about 18 kilometers from Mario Andretti's home in Motovun]. It was cut down because it was damaging the hospital foundation. Our friend got the bole and had it cut into planks about three years ago. I got a small piec, enough for four pens. I kept one, one went to my son, and these two will go to my daughter and son-in-law.

Thanks for your opinion, Ken.

 

[KenV]

Thank you for sharing the story. It brought a smile. Especially good recovery.