Another Manager, this time a fountain pen

[Hippie3180]

This is my latest make, I love the blank, but feel underwhelmed by the pen kit. I ordered several of them and while they aren't terrible, I feel they are lacking in heft and it's disappointing that the threads don't allow the barrels to align the pattern. I will be turning my attention to kitless soon, I feel I will have more control over elements such as heft, design, quality and thread alignment + I'm just excited to learn something new.

 

[egnald]

Although I have no experience with the Manager kit, I learned that the grain or pattern can be matched up on almost any rollerball and fountain pen. The basics can be found in a video by Ed Brown from Exotic Blanks. His video is for a Junior Harold, but I have found the procedure works with virtually every kit I have made that has a screw on cap. Here is a link to Ed's Video: Assemble Junior Series from ExoticBlanks.com.

Even though the pattern gets matched up at assembly like in Ed's video, the caveat I have found is that the customer/end user does not understand how multi-start threads work. Most pens have three or four start threads but only one "start" will cause the pattern to match up when the cap is screwed all the way on. The solution is to carefully unscrew the cap until a different start position is reached. It is usually easy to feel and often there is a little "click" noise. The cap is then screwed back on. The process is repeated until the proper "start" is reached and the pattern matches up when the cap is installed.

Your pen is Gorgeous. The white looks like it has some opalescent quality. - Dave

 

[Hippie3180]

Although I have no experience with the Manager kit, I learned that the grain or pattern can be matched up on almost any rollerball and fountain pen. The basics can be found in a video by Ed Brown from Exotic Blanks. His video is for a Junior Harold, but I have found the procedure works with virtually every kit I have made that has a screw on cap. Here is a link to Ed's Video: Assemble Junior Series from ExoticBlanks.com.

Even though the pattern gets matched up at assembly like in Ed's video, the caveat I have found is that the customer/end user does not understand how multi-start threads work. Most pens have three or four start threads but only one "start" will cause the pattern to match up when the cap is screwed all the way on. The solution is to carefully unscrew the cap until a different start position is reached. It is usually easy to feel and often there is a little "click" noise. The cap is then screwed back on. The process is repeated until the proper "start" is reached and the pattern matches up when the cap is installed.

Your pen is Gorgeous. The white looks like it has some opalescent quality. - Dave

I will check out the video for sure. I've tried to figure out how to make it happen because I thought you could, but I haven't figured it out.

Also, your probably spot on the that the end user probably doesn't give it a second thought.

And yes, the white is somewhat opalescent, also thank you Dave.

 

[derekdd]

What a cool pen.

Did you make that blank? Love the colors and design.

 

[mark james]

This is my latest make, I love the blank, but feel underwhelmed by the pen kit. I ordered several of them and while they aren't terrible, I feel they are lacking in heft and it's disappointing that the threads don't allow the barrels to align the pattern. I will be turning my attention to kitless soon, I feel I will have more control over elements such as heft, design, quality and thread alignment + I'm just excited to learn something new.

View attachment 356079

I suspect that when you glue the tubes in and assemble the components... you could get the alignment set . I have done this repeatedly. It's not the fault of the threads, it is how you oriented the blank on the tube on the insert.

 

[KMCloonan]

I suspect that when you glue the tubes in and assemble the components... you could get the alignment set . I have done this repeatedly. It's not the fault of the threads, it is how you oriented the blank on the tube on the insert.

I agree Mark. I recall a pen (Olympian Elite II) that I painstakingly lined up the segments and scallops during assembly -alignment was perfect! Then I unscrewed the cap for something, and when I put the cap back, it did not line up at all. This was before I knew about multi-start threads. I sort of panicked, not understanding how I could screw it up so bad (literally). But I calmed down, and tried putting the cap on and off several times, and realized the alignment changed almost every time. That's when I learned to unscrew partially until I felt the "click" of another thread start being engaged, like Dave described, and bingo: Perfect Alignment again.

But to your point, if you do not line up the cap and barrel properly during assembly, your odds of getting a perfect alignment by trial and error of screwing on the cap is pretty low.

 

[Hippie3180]

I suspect that when you glue the tubes in and assemble the components... you could get the alignment set . I have done this repeatedly. It's not the fault of the threads, it is how you oriented the blank on the tube on the insert.

Please explain how I could have lined up the cap with the body during assembly and then screwed on the cap to make it align? That just doesn't make sense to me.

How would I have any idea what the alignment would be when I screw on the cap?

 

[Hippie3180]

What a cool pen.

Did you make that blank? Love the colors and design.

Hi,Thank you - I did not make the blank, it's from Exotic Blanks, it's called "Moonglow." It's one of my favorite blanks.

 

[egnald]

If the Manager Kit is like the Jr. Series kits with two tubes (which I think it is), a lower tube with an Endcap and the nib and the upper tube having the Clip-Cap and threaded Center Band.

The process would be to turn the blank with the pattern matching in the center. The center of the blank, where the patterns match, would face each other in the center.

EndCap ----- Lower Tube ------ Nib Center ----- Upper Tube ----- Clip-Cap

The Pattern Alignment happens during assembly when done in this order:

1) press the Nib Coupler into the lower blank.
2) press the Cap into the lower blank.
3) screw the Center Band onto the Nib Coupler
4) Align the Pattern on the Upper Blank with the pattern on the Lower Blank
4) Lightly (by hand) press the Upper Blank onto the Center Band with the desired alignment
5) Carefully unscrew the lightly pressed Center Band (and Upper Blank) from the Lower Blank
6) Press the Center Band all the way into the Upper Blank.
Now, when the two are screwed back together, the pattern should match.
7) Press the Cap-Clip into the Upper Blank.

This is essentially the process that Ed explains in his video: Assemble Junior Series from ExoticBlanks.com.

Dave

 

[Bean_Counter]

If the Manager Kit is like the Jr. Series kits with two tubes (which I think it is), a lower tube with an Endcap and the nib and the upper tube having the Clip-Cap and threaded Center Band.

The process would be to turn the blank with the pattern matching in the center. The center of the blank, where the patterns match, would face each other in the center.

EndCap ----- Lower Tube ------ Nib Center ----- Upper Tube ----- Clip-Cap

The Pattern Alignment happens during assembly when done in this order:

1) press the Nib Coupler into the lower blank.
2) press the Cap into the lower blank.
3) screw the Center Band onto the Nib Coupler
4) Align the Pattern on the Upper Blank with the pattern on the Lower Blank
4) Lightly (by hand) press the Upper Blank onto the Center Band with the desired alignment
5) Carefully unscrew the lightly pressed Center Band (and Upper Blank) from the Lower Blank
6) Press the Center Band all the way into the Upper Blank.
Now, when the two are screwed back together, the pattern should match.
7) Press the Cap-Clip into the Upper Blank.

This is essentially the process that Ed explains in his video: Assemble Junior Series from ExoticBlanks.com.

Dave

nailed it. This kit isn't triple start either so it'll line up every time using this method

 

[Hippie3180]

If the Manager Kit is like the Jr. Series kits with two tubes (which I think it is), a lower tube with an Endcap and the nib and the upper tube having the Clip-Cap and threaded Center Band.

The process would be to turn the blank with the pattern matching in the center. The center of the blank, where the patterns match, would face each other in the center.

EndCap ----- Lower Tube ------ Nib Center ----- Upper Tube ----- Clip-Cap

The Pattern Alignment happens during assembly when done in this order:

1) press the Nib Coupler into the lower blank.
2) press the Cap into the lower blank.
3) screw the Center Band onto the Nib Coupler
4) Align the Pattern on the Upper Blank with the pattern on the Lower Blank
4) Lightly (by hand) press the Upper Blank onto the Center Band with the desired alignment
5) Carefully unscrew the lightly pressed Center Band (and Upper Blank) from the Lower Blank
6) Press the Center Band all the way into the Upper Blank.
Now, when the two are screwed back together, the pattern should match.
7) Press the Cap-Clip into the Upper Blank.

This is essentially the process that Ed explains in his video: Assemble Junior Series from ExoticBlanks.com.

Dave

I did turn the pattern to align, but where I went wrong was in the assembly. I guess I'll turn another one and try this. Thanks Dave, for the good explanation.

 

[egnald]

I did turn the pattern to align, but where I went wrong was in the assembly. I guess I'll turn another one and try this. Thanks Dave, for the good explanation.

Anytime. I've only been turning for 7-8 years and I've learned a tremendous amount from the membership here at IAP. In addition to the membership and all of the tutorials in the Resources section, I have especially learned from Ed Brown (ExoticBlanks.com) and his instructional videos and from Robert Blanford (RJBWoodTurner) on YouTube. Bob is an IAP member and is quite active in the Pen Turning Community and on YouTube, but just not so much on the IAP site. Of course there are many others, but I think I have learned the most from Ed and Bob.

Regards,
Dave

 

[ed4copies]

Thank-you--it is always nice to hear someone benefits from the vids!!!

 

[TonyL]

Beautiful pen and blanks. Did you paint the inside of the barrel and tube? Thank you.