Question about putting together a baron

[angboy]

[?][?] I just posted a Baron pen that I assembled. Some might remember seeing part of it before- I'd had a gap in it and asked for help about how to fill it. When I tried to remill that half, it cracked, so I ended up having to take the cap end apart and start over with another blank.

This was the first Baron I've assembled, so I think that this problem is probably from taking the top apart and then using the parts over, but I'd like to know for sure. When I went to push the center part of the top, where the centerband is and there's a black plastic thingy that goes inside that part, the black plastic kind of squished out the sides some. I ended up having to use a razor knife and cut off this extra because then it was showing where I don't think it was supposed to.

You can't tell it now, the pen looks fine, but am I correct in assuming that isn't supposed to happen and that the cause was probably what I'm thinking?

 

[alamocdc]

Angela, I've had the black plastic get "shaved" a bit by the tube a few times. I think it happens due to alignment being slightly off, or pressing the parts too quickly. When I see it happen, I stop about 1/16" before full completion and clean away the plastic shaving. It doesn't always happen, but it seems I've seen it as often as not. I don't think the reuse had anything to do with it.

 

[clewless]

Yeah, I agree with Billy. Some of them may be slightly oversized so they get a shave as they are pushed in. Hey Ang, at least you put it in your cap...I left it out of the first Baron I made[] and had to use the punch disassemble and redo it...needless to say, the first thing I do now is to pre-assemble those parts. Also put the bushings on the threads right away to make sure I don't forget them...[]again...getting old is tough.

 

[Tea Clipper]

Yep, that happens to me too. And I do just like the other guys; stop short and trim excess off before I finish pressing the part on.

 

[Mac In Oak Ridge]

You may find that the brass tubes have a burr on the inside of them that was created when they were cut off the tube stock. If you take a small round file, like a chain saw file and just lightly run it around the inside of the tube before assembly you can remove any burrs that are there.

 

[Ron Mc]

This happens to me on about 80% of the Barons I make. I just attribute it to manufacturing tolerances and move on. It won't affect the functionality or beauty of the pen.

 

[JimGo]

Like Mac, I've had it happen because of "gunk" on the inside lip of the tube. I started using a $5 hand-held countersink bit (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=7939 ) from Harbor Freight to debur my tubes now after I trim them (or at least prior to assembly), and that's made a BIG difference.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I'll ditto the 'gunk' and 'burr' advice. I clean the insides with a knife point and chamfer the insides with a reamer. A tool made for ammunition reloading works also. But, maybe most importantly, is to make sure your parts are in alignment before and during assembly. Those plastic parts are not designed for pressure. Once installed properly they should last almost indefinately. But crushing on assembly was not something they were designed to survive.

 

[alamocdc]

Yes, deburring helps. I've always deburred all of my tubes, but it still happens. No ill effects and nothing to worry about as long as you trim the shaved plastic away short of the final pressing. Otherwise it can be thick enough to throw the look off. I actually had to partially disassemble my first one to correct this. [B)]

 

[mick]

Ditto on the "black thingy getting squished" out......happens to me a lot of the time whether or not I clean the tubes out.

 

[huntersilver]

Happens to me too, as well as the Emperor.

 

[angboy]

Originally posted by mick
<br />Ditto on the "black thingy getting squished" out......happens to me a lot of the time whether or not I clean the tubes out.

I'm good at using the proper technical terms, aren't I? [][]

Thanks for all the input everyone. I'll definitely do the deburring and hopefully that will help. But at least I know I'm not the only one it's happened to. And I was able to trim away the plastic, so it does look fine (plus it's a pen I'm keeping for myself anyway, so I would have tolerated a minor flaw!)

 

[DCBluesman]

Angela - get the chamfering tool from Bill Baumbeck. It will create an interior angle on your tubes which will allow the delrin piece to slide in easier without the slivering you mention. [8D]