ChrisN
Member
Today I was happily making my first feather pen using Majestic components. I got the blanks turned and polished without incident. They turn very nicely! Anyway, I went to assemble the lower barrel, and I noticed the finial was tight - normally you can slide the components inside the tube ~1/32" before you need to press them in with something other than your fingers. This one barely went in at all. But I started pressing it in anyway and it cracked the blank!
I knocked the finial out of the blank, and checked the diameter of the press fit part. Then I measured the tube in the blank (at the other end), and I also measured the tube that came with the kit. The finial press-fit part was ~0.008" larger than both tubes. So I measure the threaded piece for the other end - it was only 0.004" larger than the tubes! So that would probably explain why the fit was tight and the blank cracked! I measured a finial from another Majestic kit that I happened to have, and it measured the same - 0.008" larger than the tube!
So long story short, do you measure the fit of the components? I didn't this time, but next time I use a high-end blank, I'll definitely check to make sure I don't crack another expensive blank!
I knocked the finial out of the blank, and checked the diameter of the press fit part. Then I measured the tube in the blank (at the other end), and I also measured the tube that came with the kit. The finial press-fit part was ~0.008" larger than both tubes. So I measure the threaded piece for the other end - it was only 0.004" larger than the tubes! So that would probably explain why the fit was tight and the blank cracked! I measured a finial from another Majestic kit that I happened to have, and it measured the same - 0.008" larger than the tube!
So long story short, do you measure the fit of the components? I didn't this time, but next time I use a high-end blank, I'll definitely check to make sure I don't crack another expensive blank!