Loose band on a Lee Valley Slimline

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ninetynein

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Jan 18, 2016
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12
Hi Folks,

I've been poking around in the forums to see if somebody else has answered this, as I'm sure it's a common question/mistake I'm making. I've built a few slimline kits from Lee Valley. They seem to go together ok, but I've noticed that the band around the center is often loose. Loose to the point where it moves around. This is the last pen I worked on:
https://goo.gl/photos/jXs14E6nagizdbMn7

and it looks like the band is a bit low, but in reality it's just pushed down towards the bottom. If I was a better photographer, you'd see that the band is proud on the bottom.

Is this just a symptom of a cheap kit? Or am I missing something? Does anyone have any fixes? I was reading about putting tape on some other ill fitting pen parts, but that seems a bit crude. What about removing a section of wood from the brass tube and gluing the band to that? Maybe that's what you're supposed to do?

Thank you!
 
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CREID

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Jul 23, 2008
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I used to run into this problem with the Rockler slimlines and it drove me nuts to have a pen with such a loose center band. I used up the ones I had by putting some Scotch tape around the transmission where the band fits and then started buying kits elsewhere. I don't remember where I started buying them from, I haven't bought any for a long time. Still have a few though. :)
 

magpens

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Feb 2, 2011
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15,913
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Canada
I have made quite a few Lee Valley slimlines (they are actually from Berea) a few years ago.
Your pen looks very typical, Tyson . And it looks good !!

If I were you, I would not remove wood and glue the centerband to the brass tube ... that would throw the design completely off to the point where it would not look right at all. . In addition, the refill would probably protrude out the nib.

If you don't like the centerband "spinning" around, you might consider gluing it to the transmission. . I think that would solve the problem, but I am not sure. But if you try that, please use a glue that you can remove. . Use the pen for a few weeks and see how things work out. . Some blue loctite might be a good "glue" for such an experiment ... available from Lordco, KMS or Princess Auto. Don't use the red loctite though.
 

ninetynein

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Jan 18, 2016
Messages
12
Thanks folks, sounds like I'm not doing anything wrong other than buying some second rate kits ;)

Thanks for the tips!
 

magpens

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Feb 2, 2011
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Location
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Tyson, as slimlines go, the kit you are using is not second rate, IMHO.

But it does have features common to many other slimline kits.
 
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