Don't do what I did!!!

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TonyBal

TonyBal

Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2011
Messages
51
Location
Jacksonville, Florida
I just wanted to share my screw-up with you guys so that hopefully it will not happen to you. I just got finished with a beautiful acrylic pen. It had no scratches that I could see under my huge lit X5 magnifying glass that I have attached to my lathe. My wife thinks it is over kill, but I'm a guy. We prefer overkill! Anyway, after I have assembled the pen & am wiping it down before I put it in the dust free plastic tube I notice that the tip of the refill is just barely sticking out of the nib in the closed position. WTH!!! :eek: It is a cigar style pen & when I was squaring that blank I must have not been paying attention & went to far on the bottom half. I measured it & sure enough it was just a little shorter than all of the other cigar pens that I made. :mad: I have done many pens & never had that happen before. From now on I am really careful when squaring blanks. I just wanted to pass that on to others so that hopefully they can avoid my blunder. Good luck to all!!! :biggrin:
 
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I've had that same problem with the Princess kits from PSI. I'm beginning to think the bottom tube is a hair short since the cigars don't give me any problems.
 
Been there done that kicked myself in the butt all three times I did it. I am a guy.
The first time it happened I was shocked
the second time I was testing a theory
the third time I proved the theory.
 
I may have a fix for that. If that pen has a transmission that you can remove, take it out, twist to extend it to the "open" position and grind that little sucker down (the little brass/nylon tube that comes out). You should be able to take off 1/16 or so with no issues whatsoever.

edit- Not that I've ever made a barrel too short or anything... I just heard that works. (wink)
 
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Or you can add a spacer just above the nib---screw it off, increase the size of the black spacer that is there, screw tip back on, won't screw in as far---problem solved!!

I have been told this by that friend that is REALLY dumb and made EVERY mistake in the book (while he turned several thousand pens).
 
ed4copies said:
Or you can add a spacer just above the nib---screw it off, increase the size of the black spacer that is there, screw tip back on, won't screw in as far---problem solved!!

I have been told this by that friend that is REALLY dumb and made EVERY mistake in the book (while he turned several thousand pens).
Click to expand...

I've got a friend like that. Weirdest thing that he does is stare at me from the mirror when I'm shaving...
 
Tony, I can offer a suggestion, too. If the ink cartridge is a Parker style, the top black plastic cap is staked into the metal cylinder with two punch marks. I have carefully pried the plastic cap out of the cylinder, then lightly ground the cylinder down to just above the punch marks. I reamed the top of the cylinder lightly to remove any burrs, and reinstalled the plastic cap. This will slightly shorten the overall length of the cartridge, and the extension/retraction of the nib point. Obviously, if this method is used, it would require that future replacement cartridges would have to be modified as well.
 
TonyBal said:
I notice that the tip of the refill is just barely sticking out of the nib in the closed position. WTH!!! :eek: It is a cigar style pen & when I was squaring that blank I
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Tony; This is fixable if you want to invest the time in it.

Unscrew the transmission until the tip is in the correct position, then put a drop of RED Locktite on the threads. Include instructions to unscrew the nib to replace the ink cartridge. I do this on all cigar pens that I make. It prevents users from unscrewing the double twist transmission and pushing it up into the cap where it can't be captured.
 
Go with Randy's solution. It is a much simpler fix than anyone else has offered. The pen will work perfectly. The mechanism will never unscrew when some dim bulb keeps turning the barrel lefty loosy and the refill can easily be changed by unscrewing the tip end.

I also lock down all cigar/elegant beauty/jr gent roller mechanisms in this manner.
 
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The refill can be shortened by just shortening the black plastic cap. Grind or sand enough from the end of the black placstic cap to make the refill work properly. But, a pen fixed this way should not be sold since the owner will not know to do that. I would not want to tell a customer to "grind off the refill just a little" when you get a new refill. If the pen will be sold or given away, then one of the other solutions should be used. This repair is good for a pen that will be kept and used by the maker.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

t001xa22 said:
If the ink cartridge is a Parker style, the top black plastic cap is staked into the metal cylinder with two punch marks. I have carefully pried the plastic cap out of the cylinder, then lightly ground the cylinder down to just above the punch marks. I reamed the top of the cylinder lightly to remove any burrs, and reinstalled the plastic cap. This will slightly shorten the overall length of the cartridge, and the extension/retraction of the nib point.
Click to expand...
 
I have two cigar kits from Lee Valley that this has happened, now I mic them before I assemble - 2.09" for the LV kits at least.

Drove me nuts the first time, 2nd time...not sure how I did it, but that was when I started to measure them.
 
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