Help with assembly of Berea Glacia pen kit, please

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magpens

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Here is the link to the Berea instructions for the Glacia pen kit.


I will put quotes around the names of the kit parts that are related to the problem I am having, so please refer to the Pen Parts diagram in the instruction sheet.

The problematic step in the assembly, for me at the moment, is pressing the "Finial" on after screwing the "Transmission" into the "Threaded Transmission Bushing".

It seems that an excessive amount of force may be required to press the "Finial" on to the chrome top of the "Transmission".
The "Finial" does not go on, even a tiny bit. . I have not experienced a problem like this with any other kit.
Usually, you can feel one part sliding onto the other and then tightening up as the gripping of one part by the other is established, but not here.
I am afraid to exert any more force, for fear of damaging the "Transmission" (or something else).

I can't see what, if anything, is wrong with what I am doing.

I would appreciate any comments which you might have. . Thanks !
 
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Dieseldoc

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measure the bore in the finial as it sound like the bore is to small .
I have had that problem with this type set up before. Just ream out the bore a little to get the correct press fit.. You might want to try another transmission.
 

ed4copies

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Hi Mal,

Got about 4 minutes?

Watch this video, starting at 3 minutes--shows assembly of glacia.

Hope they have not changed it!!!!!
Ed
 

magpens

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@ed4copies

Thank you Ed ! . Your process of assembly is exactly as I had it figured out. . So thanks for the reassuring video. . Your videos are always EXCELLENT.

The problem remains, however .... namely, EXCESSIVE force seems to be necessary to push the "Finial" onto the end of the "Transmission".
There is no "gradually tightening up" feel to it as the "Finial" starts gripping the "Transmission". . It just won't go on with reasonable force based on my previous experiences with assembling 2000+ similar pen kits over the past 10 years.

I don't want to wreck anything, so I think I will have to resort to reaming out the "Finial" just a little bit .... enough to get that "right feel" .... just like Dieseldoc (Charlie) suggested in his post above. . I will also do some measurements, as Charlie also suggested, to help plan my reaming process.

Not only do I not want to wreck anything, but if I were to exert more force to get the "Finial" on, I am afraid that disassembly (if needed) would be almost absolutely impossible. . I hate doing things that I "know" are not reversible. . The Glacia is somewhat delicate with that extremely thin feature ring just below the "Final".

Thanks again, Ed. . After watching your video I feel confident that I already had a totally right "take" on the required assembly process.

BTW ... the title of your video refers to a "New" Glacia ... not sure if that means a new video in your repertoire or a new version of the Glacia kit.
In any case, the kit I am working with was bought from you a few years ago, so it is possible that it is an older incarnation of the Glacia.
 
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Chippa

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I had this problem with the virage twist, about 6 of 10 of them anyways, i think it was the plating not going on evenly. I was able to force a few of them the others I stuck a dowel in with sandpaper to bring it down. Hope this helps.
 

eharri446

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I made eight of them and had no problem pressing the finial on. I did have to use a drop of CA on the threads of the transmission to keep it from unscrewing.
 

magpens

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I made eight of them and had no problem pressing the finial on. I did have to use a drop of CA on the threads of the transmission to keep it from unscrewing.

Thanks, Elwin.

I may have to do that myself. . Good to know that you have done that and "got away with it" !!!
 

Troy Cole

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I've encountered this same problem. The only solution I found was that there is a small "nib" or "stub", not sure what to call it, inside the finial. I used a dremel tool to grind it off and then the finial slides on just fine. This doesn't affect the operation of the pen as far as I can tell. A bit of a hassle but it was the only way I found to make it work. I love the look of this kit but don't know why it has this issue.
 

magpens

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I've encountered this same problem. The only solution I found was that there is a small "nib" or "stub", not sure what to call it, inside the finial. I used a dremel tool to grind it off and then the finial slides on just fine. This doesn't affect the operation of the pen as far as I can tell. A bit of a hassle but it was the only way I found to make it work. I love the look of this kit but don't know why it has this issue.
@Troy Cole

Thanks for your reply Troy. .

I see that tiny stub inside at the top end of the "Finial". . I will try your "fix" and post the result .... probably tomorrow.

I think that stub is associated with mounting and retaining the patterned top end of the "Finial", so I am wary of removing it completely.
 

magpens

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@Troy Cole

I've encountered this same problem. The only solution I found was that there is a small "nib" or "stub", not sure what to call it, inside the finial. I used a dremel tool to grind it off and then the finial slides on just fine. This doesn't affect the operation of the pen as far as I can tell. A bit of a hassle but it was the only way I found to make it work. I love the look of this kit but don't know why it has this issue.

Troy, I did not remove the stub inside the "Finial" at the top end. . However, I did make measurements.

It seems that the top end of the "Transmission" would indeed hit the stub and prevent it from going in any further. . But first of all the insertion of the "Transmission" has to start and I haven't been successful in making the start yet. . I will be working on this today.
 

jjjaworski

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Mal,

I'll be interested to see how this works out for you. I have made quite a few of these pen kits and the only issue I ever had was several years back when I first made them and had that stub in the finial. It seems to be leftover from the casting process and was not cleaned out.

Otherwise, I have not had the issues you are experiencing. This kind of frustration can be stressful for sure.

Could well be an excess of plating material inside the finial or the end of the transmission is not properly sized/crimped.

Best of luck solving this.

Jim
 

magpens

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@Troy Cole , @jjjaworski , @qquake and others interested ....

I haven't completed the pen yet but the issue that motivated this thread has been, in part at least, resolved to my satisfaction at present.

I was wary of exerting more force to get the "Finial" onto the "Transmission". . But I did just that, with my hands only, not using any pen press, and it worked. . There may have been some burr on the inside surface of the "Finial" or on the outside surface of the "Transmission", but I could not see or feel any such thing. . Now the "Finial" can be removed from the "Transmission", and replaced thereon, with reasonable ease and I am happy with that, although I would have been happier if I had an explanation. . I will be making more of these pens so I will stay aware.

One thing to report on, which may be of interest, relates to the little "stub" in the "Finial" at the top internal surface ( I kinda think that this stub is related to the retaining of the top external decorative metal disc onto the "Finial" ).

Some folks have reported that they removed this "stub" . . I did not do that. . . But I did verify that this stub does butt up against the top of the "Transmission" and limits the extent of insertion of the "Transmission" into the "Finial". . . I arrived at this conclusion by making measurements with my calipers on the exposed portion of the "Transmission" after inserting it to the full extent possible.

I then carefully milled a 1/8" diameter hole in the top of the "Transmission". . . This hole allowed the "Transmission" to be inserted to a greater depth than previously. . The increase in the depth was 0.052", so that must be the height of the "stub" above the internal surface that it's located on. . The 1/8" diameter of the hole was a guess on my part ... I just wanted it big enough in diameter to allow the "stub" to extend through that hole. . . And sure enough, it seems to have done just that, as determined by further measurements of the "Transmission" exposed portion after the hole milling. . . I believe this is further evidence that the "stub" does indeed butt up against the "Transmission" top .

One result of drilling that small hole in the top of the "Transmission" is that the refill protrusion is changed. . . This may be a bad effect because the refill retraction could now be marginal or inadequate to prevent getting ink on your shirt pocket.

I have to do further analysis as I get closer to completing this pen. . I might have to glue a shim disc to cover the "Transmission" hole that I drilled, but that should be no problem.

Thanks for your interest. . Feel free to ask or suggest anything that comes to mind.

EDIT: . A point possibly worth mentioning is that the "Transmission" is different from many others I have worked with, in that the top end is almost closed, except for a tiny hole which I enlarged as explained above. . Most twist "Transmissions" have an open top end with a slight crimping over resulting in a "basically open" look to the top end.
 
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