American kits

[Sub Vet 10]

I've done a handful of Wall Street/Sierras, Euros, and a couple .308's and I would like to do either some Americans or Classic Americans.
The reasons being that they are slimmer and lighter (easier to use for >10mins) and I like the dual-twist mechanisms.
I would appreciate any suggestions and pros/cons and what-not.

Happy Turning

 

[its_virgil]

1. The americana is very sensitive to tube lengths.
2. The americana is very sensitive to any glue at all inside the upper tube. The transmission is not engaged and rotated by friction but with a coupler on the clip finial that inserts into the end of the transmission. Any glue in the upper tube will cause the tube to bind on the transmission. Be sure the transmission will freely fall through the upper cap tube prior to assembly. Drop it into the tube from one end and it should freely fall out the other.
3. When parting off wood on the botton of the cap barrel for the CB the end of the tube is often collapsed just enough for the transmission to not pass through as explained in #2. If this happens, the end of the tube must be enlarged to allow the transmission to pass through.

These are the three things that give first time makers of the americana pen problems. Don't let these run you off. The kits are not really difficult to make once these three sensitivities are realized.

Do a good turn daily!
Don

I've done a handful of Wall Street/Sierras, Euros, and a couple .308's and I would like to do either some Americans or Classic Americans.
The reasons being that they are slimmer and lighter (easier to use for >10mins) and I like the dual-twist mechanisms.
I would appreciate any suggestions and pros/cons and what-not.

Happy Turning

 

[ossaguy]

These were the hardest pens for me to get the hang of.I never was successful making the flat-top pen kits that Rockler sells.

Then I switched to the Americana Flat Top kits from CSUSA.I found that for me,they are designed better,and I didn't have hardly any failures.

Maybe if I followed the tips that Don wrote above,the Rockler ones would have turned out?

The one other thing that I found to add to the tips, is the instructions tell you to turn to shape,then part off the material where the band ones,THEN sand & finish.

When I did it like that,I would end up getting the wood ever so slightly rounded off on that end,so when the band goes on,it's not a seamless fit there. ( that drives me nuts!)

So now I turn,& then do my CA finish,sand,polish & buff, & after measuring with a caliper so it matches the band exactly,I'll part it off with my wide-bodied,yet thin 1/16'' parting tool so it's a super sharp edge there,so there is a smooth transition with no bump,or dip.

I think they should re-write their instruction sheet,as I learned this tip here so it's what other's have done.


Steve

 

[Sub Vet 10]

Thank you both for the great info!!!