Flat-Top Double Twist Pen/Pencils

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SabertoothBunny

SabertoothBunny

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I have a large pile of FT double twist pens/pencils that were in a batch purchase from an older gentlemen getting out of the game. The problem is I do not have bushings aaaaaand these kits were discontinued with their bushings at Lee Valley Tools (company label on the baggies). There appears to be a newer version of this kit, they are from Lee Valley Tools. Sent them an email in hopes but will likely be crushed. I truly hope but don't know if they are compatible.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!!

On the Berea website they have the Flat Top American™ Ballpoint - Double Twist and bushings to match. This kit looks exactly like the Lee Valley kits. What I would like to know is if these bushing, and instructions by conjunction, will work for the Lee Valley kits? What kind of stinks is that the Berea bushings require their mandrel shaft B meaning I would need to buy that as well. Will using the Berea bushings be a viable substitute?

Arizona Silhouette has similar kits as well. Bear Tooth Woods also has the same new version that Lee Valley has. I am just unsure about all this right now, too much info.

Any assistance from the various sanseis out here in the forum would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully this thing wasn't rambling too much.
 
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Darios

Darios

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> Will using the Berea bushings be a viable substitute?

Very likely, or at least a substitute does exist. The clusterfuck that is bushing nomenclature is so egregiously bad that it's hard to try and keep Hanlon's Razor* in mind.

The bushings pdf has about five entries Lee Valley Twist something or another. Nothing specific for double twist though but if you know the drill bits and/or tube length maybe it will match one of the below.

Lee Valley Extra Large Twist BP (Berea)
Lee Valley Flat Top Screw Cap RB or FP (Berea)
Lee Valley Flat Top Streamline Twist BP (Berea)
Lee Valley Flat Top Twist .7mm Pencil (Berea)
Lee Valley Flat Top Twist BP (Berea)

Matching one of them can get you a possible match with another pen kit name.

For example the Flat Top Screw Cap RB or FP looks like it's the same bushings as the New Series Screw Cap RB or FB, which depending on the vendor is either stock number #6181 (wood world of texas), EKB-35A (exotic blanks), 4177_TL or 2B or 1105_TL or 35A (berea - 3 hits, really berea?!!), OR 35A or New Series FP / RB (beartooth).

But look up the measurements of what you have - that may help shake loose what you are looking for.



* Hanlon's Razor - never attribute to malice that which can be explained by stupidity.
 
SabertoothBunny

SabertoothBunny

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Thank you everyone for the guidance as it appears to have resulted in some success.

It looks like the old Flat-Top Double Twist kits I have from Lee Valley match the Flat-Top American Ballpoint - Double Twist on Berea Hard Woods but have also been reset/redone as the New Series ballpoint pens on various sites (Berea, Bear Tooth, William Wood-Write, etc). The older style uses bushing set 1B (416_TL) while the newer style uses the 34A (1107_TL) bushing set which are both Berea nomenclatures that the other sites use.

Measuring the components for the top and bottom of the kit it seems to match both styles of the bushings. The older style of bushings require the 8mm mandrel to use while the newer style fit a traditional mandrel. Instructions for the kit from William Wood-Write are the best depiction on how to assemble the pen while Berea and Bear Tooth go into more details on preparing the blank which has to be trimmed a little shorter than the tube. I think I will go with the newer style bushings so I do not have to get a larger mandrel to turn with. If that doesn't work I will just have to go with the other style and mandrel.

I have avoided this style of kit where you have to trim off a small piece of the blank for assembly because it is more complicated than I wanted to do. The fact that I have so many of these kits means I will be making a bunch like this so I guess I will just have to figure it out.
 
its_virgil

its_virgil

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SabertoothBunny said:
Thank you everyone for the guidance as it appears to have resulted in some success.
Click to expand...
One work of caution. The kit is very sensitive to any glue inside the upper tube. The fit between the transmission and the inside of the upper tube is very small. The transmission is driven by the end finial engaging with the end of the transmission. It is not driven like the slimline transmission. Any glue inside the tube and there will be a binding between the tube and the transmission and the twisting action will be very difficult or impossible. A burr on the ends of the tube from the squaring process can also be problematic.

Solution: Before assembly, make sure the transmission will freely move through the upper barrel tube. Insert it into one end and let it travel through exiting the opposite end. Clean out the glue or remove the burrs from the tube's end to allow free passage of the transmission through the upper tube.

Don't let the parting off of a little material bother you. Just remove the amount in the instructions. One option is to cut the blank short and let the tube protrude the required amount. I prefer to part off instead of using a shorter blank. Good luck.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
 
SabertoothBunny

SabertoothBunny

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Joined
Jul 1, 2021
Messages
560
Location
Fayetteville, North Carolina
its_virgil said:
One work of caution. The kit is very sensitive to any glue inside the upper tube. The fit between the transmission and the inside of the upper tube is very small. The transmission is driven by the end finial engaging with the end of the transmission. It is not driven like the slimline transmission. Any glue inside the tube and there will be a binding between the tube and the transmission and the twisting action will be very difficult or impossible. A burr on the ends of the tube from the squaring process can also be problematic.

Solution: Before assembly, make sure the transmission will freely move through the upper barrel tube. Insert it into one end and let it travel through exiting the opposite end. Clean out the glue or remove the burrs from the tube's end to allow free passage of the transmission through the upper tube.

Don't let the parting off of a little material bother you. Just remove the amount in the instructions. One option is to cut the blank short and let the tube protrude the required amount. I prefer to part off instead of using a shorter blank. Good luck.
Do a good turn daily!
Click to expand...

I think at least half of these kits are pencil ones, is that caution apply the same way for those? I assume it does but the pencils do have a 3 copper tube as part of the equation.
 
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