Help with stealth pen kit

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Dominic Greco

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Joined
Jun 26, 2004
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49
Location
Richboro, PA, USA.
Hello,
This is my first post here. I can thank Scott Greaves for pointing out this forum to me. :D So far I've picked up a lot just from "lurking". Anyway, I've got a fairly simple question here.

I just got into pen turning. My first pens were made from the Berea Cigar pens kits. Simple enough to make and quite nice looking. I only screwed up 2 out of the first 10. And that was cause I didn't use the correct procedure to press the parts together.

Anyway, on the request of some customers, I started looking for some thinner pens. I chose the stealth pen kit from PSI (I live very close to there showroom in Phila). I also bought the designer pen bushing. That sure helped with sizing the tenon for the band.

My question is about orientation of the blanks.
The cigar pens came with excellent directions. I believe Bill at Arizona Silhouette (great guy BTW) includes them with every kit. The Stealth Pen Kits came with NONE (is that normal?).

The parts went together easily enough. But I had trouble deciding which blank went where. Did the long blank get the bushing for the nib? or was it the short? Since I didn't know, and couldn't really tell from pictures in catalogs, I did one pen each way.

From my viewpoint, the pen with the shorter "cap", looks better balanced. However, the one with the longer cap lets you show off the wood more. It also allows more room for inlays. I inlayed malachite on one pen and I think it came off pretty well. In addition, the black rubber grip takes up a good portion of the lower portion of the pencil. So which is the "correct way"? Or is there?

Thanks in advance

Dominic Greco
 
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fhinde

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Jan 1, 2004
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47
Location
Fairview, TN, USA.
The long tube is the one the nib goes on. You can get copies of any PSI kit instructions at the PSI site. Just find the pen kit you want, then select the kit instructions while viewing the kit page. You will need Acrobat reader installed on your system to see them. Here is the link for the kit in question. http://www.pennstateind.com/library/PKSTEALTH.pdf
 
Joined
Jul 9, 2004
Messages
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Location
South of Casa Grande, AZ, USA.
Hi Dominic, For pen kits try Ryan or Jason at www.woodturningz.com He has the slimline kits for just $1.70 buy 1 or 100 at the same price! [8)]He also sells all the stuff in the PSI catalog less than they sell it![:I]
 

melchioe

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Joined
Feb 2, 2004
Messages
120
Location
Mukwonago, WI, USA.
As I understand Bill Baumbeck's practice at Arizona Silhoutte, he includes a free blank with every STARTER kit (two kits, drill bit, bushings). Individual kits and volume discount sets do not get free blanks. Still a great deal... He has some of the best blanks I've seen, and is an example of the best in the American small business entrepreneur, and just a nice guy. I don't know of anyone else offering that kind of deal. (I'm a satisfied customer, if you can't tell[:)])
 
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