Psudo mini-rant...

[MorganGrafixx]

So I found a 5 pack of PSI chrome "Funline" kits that I had completely forgotten about. I ordered them in early Jan. along with several other things I needed. Being brand new to pen turning, PSI was my only source for kits, blanks, equipment, etc. Since then, I moved away from the Slimline style (and PSI all-together) and onto cigars, Euros, Class. American, Gent., Wall St., etc.

Well, I was digging through my shop and came across these Chrome Funline kits and with the craft fair coming up quickly I decided I'd turn them just to boost my inventory a little. I get to looking at the kit, and figured out that these were any other store's Euro kit. Sweet! 5 Euros that I didn't have before. I cut, drilled and mounted 5 sets of blanks in various acrylics and woods that I though might look good with the chrome.

All blanks turned and finished, it's on to assembly. Whenever I have multiple pens going at once I tend to do one single step to ALL the pens. So I press on all the finials/clips and move to glue on the centerbands and let them set up while I assemble the lower barrels. Nibs on....check! Transmissions in to propper depth...check! Screw in refils.....ch......eck...DAMNIT!

Out of the 5 kits only 3 work. For some reason about 20% of all Euros/Funlines I make don't work right. I do absolutely NOTHING different from pen to pen. The upper barrel (clip end) twists but does not turn the transmission. Even without the upper barrel on, just trying to twist the transmission with my fingers it just doesn't want to turn. I can squeeze and turn with enough pressure that I'm afraid the thin metal tube of the trans. will bend/warp and after several tries the refill tip will just barely extend out (only about 1/2 rotation). I am certain that it turns more than what it is now because every now and then I can get it to twist all the way out. Then its the same pain in the a$$ to get it retracted back iin all the way.

What gives? Is anyone else experiencing this problem. Is there anything I can do to fix the ones that don't work or am I just SOL?

What makes it worse is that the Euro is probably my top cost/price ratio seller. They cost about $13 on average to make and I sell them for $50. I have 3 requests for them as of right now, but I'm afraid to take pre-payment (they offered) because I have a 20% chance that it won't work and I'll have to buy more kits and blanks. At this rate, I won't be able to afford to keep making them. Please, ANY input on this would be much appreciated.

 

[wolftat]

Sounds like the funline isn't so fun.

 

[tim self]

Crappy transmissions go with the territory on the funline. I only had about a 15 percent failure but it didn't take long to go away from them. They're cheap cause they're cheap.
That's where I started. You can not repair the transmission.

IF you can get them disassembled, order up some replacement transmissions and just replace. I know knocking a Euro apart aint fun but short of trashing the pen that's all you can do. IMHO

 

[arioux]

PSI funline, CSUSA apprentice, all the Rienzing slims that i tried are what they are: Fun an apprentice. Not made for reseale, you will loose your name with them. I tried many of them and i tend more toward the 20% failure overall, etheir tranny or bad plating. I don't bash at those that sells them, they clearly says that they are bottom line kits (well except Reihzling).

 

[TellicoTurning]

You can buy a re-supply of transmissions from either Woodturningz or Woodnwhimsie... just extract the transmissions and replace with the new ones...a lot of my lesser transmissions are sticky from whatever grease or preservative they use and I'm sure some of it hardens in the works and jams up the tranny... it is a P.I.A. to have to keep spares, but I've had so many fail that I always keeps some on hand.

 

[GouletPens]

You get what you pay for. I've found that I have invested far too much of my time, effort, and practice to spend my time turning crappy kits. They're great for cheap gifts to family or for 7th graders trying out the lathe for the first time, but I wouldn't spend any of my time with the experience I have now turning a cheap kit. It's a natural progression of your skill, and if you were a novice, you might not even notice the lack of quality. Think of the fact you're fed up with these cheap kits as a sign that your skill has improved.

 

[dalemcginnis]

As mentioned they are bottom of the line kits, but you can try some WD40 on the tranny. I had a not so bottom of the line kit with a stiff tranny and it loosened it up for me

 

[MorganGrafixx]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Yeah, sounds to me like these will just get chalked up in the "Reasons I won't buy from PSI" category. I got that weird feeling early on that there was something about PSI that just screamed cheap. I had just gotten through the 10 kits that came with my penturners starter kit and I didn't know of any other places to buy. Since then I've discovered Woodcraft and the fact that they have a store about 3 minutes from my office meant no more PSI. Too bad too, because they are the only place I've seen the Olympian2, Guardian and Sceptre kits. These 3 looked like they might be pretty cool to try. Oh well.

 

[JimB]

You do not need to stop buying from PSI. The problem is the Funline line of kits. Almost all of the sellers have a very cheap (price and quality) line of kits that are good to practice on but not nearly good enough to sell.

Just like all the other sellers, you need to buy their better kits not their bottom line kits.

 

[GouletPens]

Actually, PSI has several products, particularly the wood pen boxes with the removable inserts that are nicer than AS or anyone else. The Majestics are great and there are several things I buy from PSI first. It just takes time (and money) to learn what's good and what's not. Next time, post about it first and you can have others tell you about it before you spend your money!

 

[joeatact]

I found that the plating was sloppy and you need to widen or clean out the hole where the refill extrudes from the tip. If its to tight which I found was the case the refill wouldnt extend after clearing the hole a bit it works fine.

 

[Rifleman1776]

PSI funline, CSUSA apprentice, all the Rienzing slims that i tried are what they are: Fun an apprentice. Not made for reseale, you will loose your name with them. I tried many of them and i tend more toward the 20% failure overall, etheir tranny or bad plating. I don't bash at those that sells them, they clearly says that they are bottom line kits (well except Reihzling).

That's interesting to know. When Renzing first came on the scene, another member, gave myself and several others kits to try. I was not happy with the kit or results it produced. However, apparently, I was the only one with a negative experience. Maybe I got the "15%" kit. I do know I was dissuaded from ever wanting to try another Renzing kit.

 

[dgscott]

I agree -- it's not about PSI. They are extremely nice people to deal with IMHO, I've only had one problem with a product and they fixed it immediately. On some things, their prices beat everyone else. Some of the stuff they sell is low end, some high. There's a reason why a funline kit costs pocket change.
Doug

 

[GouletPens]

It's just going to take time to learn what things are best where. I started out with undying loyalty to one place, but quickly learned that for me to run my business the most efficiently and offer the best selection, I'd have to shop around. AS has the best stabilized woods, BTW has the best acrylics, PSI has the best pen boxes, and CSUSA has the best high-end pen kits. But what works best for me is not necessarily going to work best for everyone, b/c what I need might be different than others. But as a general rule, when it comes to kit quality, the price you pay for it is certainly a good indicator. Just charge a couple bucks more and cover the cost of the better kits.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I agree -- it's not about PSI. They are extremely nice people to deal with IMHO, I've only had one problem with a product and they fixed it immediately. On some things, their prices beat everyone else. Some of the stuff they sell is low end, some high. There's a reason why a funline kit costs pocket change.
Doug

I agree. I buy from them and am happy with products and dealings, except pens. I will not buy pen kits from them as I have (in the past) consistently been dissapointed with their platings.

 

[zig613]

Over the past 18 months I have purchased over 150 PSI slimline and euro-designer kits in titanium gold plating from Woodturninz and I have only come across 1 or 2 "duds" (poor finish on the nibs) out of the bunch.

 

[MorganGrafixx]

From the responses I have read so far, it looks like my pain has been felt throughout the community. I knew that these were cheaper kits and didn't expect them to fit together 100% perfectly (I'll get into that later). I was mostly wondering if it was me or if everyone was having the problems with this specific pen model. It appears to me that enough folks are experiencing the same thing I am with the Funline that I can rule myself out as being the reason for such a high attrition rate.

As far as PSI as a dealer goes, I feel I have been burnt. The fact that they are "cheap" kits is irrelevant. I paid my hard fought dollars to this company for a product that was advertised to perform a specific function.

A few folks posted responses (I can't remember who they were) and said that since it is a Funline kit (cheaper pen kit) you can't expect to sell them, but instead they are just for practice. Well, I ask you this--If I can't expect to sell a pen made from a kit due to inferior quality, how then is it okay for PSI to sell them to all of us at a healthy proffit? THIS is my main problem with PSI specifically. I understand that "you get what you pay for"...but I'm fairly certain that even if the planet tilted off its axis and my wife DID let me buy a Majestic or Sceptre kit, I would probably have to clean out my boxers after trying to turn it. I'm mad enough when I mess up a $15 kit...I'd probably have pen kit parts embeded in the walls of my shop if I messed up one that cost $50. My point is...YES, you do get what you pay for...and I paid for 2 brass tubes, a few stamped or macheined brass parts and a pen refil. All able to be assembled with minor variation. Total cost to PSI...about 15 cents. Total cost to me $5.00. What I got was a few brass parts that, when fit together with reasonable variation, don't work. It's a pen for Christ's sake. If the refil won't extend out of the tip it's a highly polished paper weight. Maybe it is just me and I'm being too critical...but I have been in the Graphics Business for a looooooooong time and not once have I ever expected it to be cool to tell a client that because I was giving him a deal, his logo would suck.

I could go on, but I will give it a rest for now. And let me know what you REALLY think. You're not going to hurt my feelings. I appreciate an honest ******* FAR more than I do a kind person who agrees with everything the majority says.

 

[ldb2000]

Ok call me an As***le but you asked for it .
I'm sorry but PSI is not to blame for cheap kits being.....cheap? , didn't you wonder why these kits are $2 and their other slimline kits are $5 to $10 and up ? . CSUSA and most other companies carry these same cheap crappy kits . Enough has been said about all of these cheap kits in the past that all you had to do was a quick 5 minute search to find out that you get what you pay for .
If you want to rant about something , how about the Barons and the lack of fit that these supposedly better quality kits made by Berea have . Out of all of these kits that I have done , the fit on 90 percent of them is so sloppy that I have had to glue the clip/finial into the barrel . Or the run of Jr Gents with bad platings , rhodium and Ti Gold with pitting issues . These are not cheap $2 kits but they all had problems , does that mean we should never buy these kits from Berea or CSUSA again ? , I think not .
PSI has many Quality kits that they offer and not one of them sells for around $2 a kit . You also should remember that PSI and CSUSA and AS do not make these kits , they are made in China and sold to these companies . If anyone is to blame it's the people who buy these kits looking to save a buck . As stated "You get what you pay for" .
Sorry for the rant but PSI , while not the best company in the world , gets raked through the coals quite often and most of the time it's not really by any fault of their own . They are a company , like many others , in business to make a profit , buy as cheap as you can and sell for whatever the market will pay . I will never understand why , in a country that aspires to be rich , the rich are always belittled and made to seem evil .
Ok soap box is put away , flame suit on .
Sorry if there is any spelling errors , I'm at work and don't have a spell checker .

 

[Stick Rounder]

Check your math you have a 40% failure rate.

 

[rick_lindsey]

Aside from me cracking the barrels (one in assembly, one when the buffer threw the pen blank into the lathe bed), all of my euro's have worked. The two that I cracked work too, but I try to keep them hidden away

-Rick

 

[GouletPens]

Well, the great thing is that you don't have to buy those kits anymore. Of course, the way things are going, Obama's probably going to determine Berea is too big to fail and want to own a majority stake to tell them what kits we can and can't buy....:tongue:

 

[DurocShark]

Have you called PSI? Or emailed them? I emailed them because a gift recipient cracked a FP nib on their $10 euro styled FP. I wanted the part number to order a replacement. They just sent me a new one, along with a RB tip and refills for both.

Their stuff is quality wise exactly what you pay for. More $$, better quality. Less $$, poorer quality. But the service is great.