Refill not out far enough

[Dale Allen]

Has anyone encountered this and if so, what was your solution.
I finished another of the Artisan click cigar pens today an it has the same issue my other one had.
The refill does not come out far enough to suit me.
The tubes were the correct ones from the kits and they were properly sized.
I though on the first one that I maybe left too much of the wood and was going to look at it again later. But when this one did the same thing I don't think it was the wood.
I thought that possibly I could try to shorten the black piece at the nib end but that may compromise the finish.
Probably the best solution is to take one of the sections apart and shorten it.
Not something I really want to do either.

 

[Lenny]

One thing to check is if the hole in the nib is large enough for the tip of the refill to pass through easily. Sometimes the plating will build up and needs to be reamed out a little.

 

[ed4copies]

If all else fails (and I do mean try everything else FIRST!!!): You can take the black piece out of the nib section, the parts unscrew--- and make it thinner or eliminate it.

 

[gbpens]

You can always shorten one of the tubes. Another possibility is to drive the twist mechanism holder down slightly. On the Berea kit it protrudes from the top finial which unscrews. Place the completed pen, without the top finial, in a screw clamp between wood pads. Twist clamp to press the twist mechanism in the distance needed. Test the protrusion until you get the desired length.

 

[ericofpendom]

I have never made any of the cigar type pens nut I would say that if they are a twist style mech then you need to push the mech in a little further. This is something I always check when doing slimline and streamline twist pens. Push the mech to the line as instructed and then check the protrusion, if it ain't far enough then push a little more.

Eric...

 

[Lenny]

I have never made any of the cigar type pens nut I would say that if they are a twist style mech then you need to push the mech in a little further. This is something I always check when doing slimline and streamline twist pens. Push the mech to the line as instructed and then check the protrusion, if it ain't far enough then push a little more.

Eric...

The transmission in the cigar pen is threaded into the twist holder ... no adjustment .... very much tube length specific. If the refill isn't catching in the nib and all parts are pressed tight, then I would suspect the lower tube "grew" on you.

 

[NotURMailman]

I have had a few click pen kits do that. I had to actually shorten the lower barrel to the point of removing part of the brass tube.

 

[ed4copies]

The cigar pen is "tube-length critical".

As Lenny says, there is no adjustment--it is a Parker-type, not a Cross transmission

Theoretically the refills are all the same length (though I have been known to check this). Yes, I have seen nibs that needed to be "reamed" to be large enough to allow the refill to extend. In fact, for years every pen had to be "drilled" to remove enough plating, so the refill would extend easily.

Short of disassembling the pen and re-facing, the ONLY length adjustment is the lower trim piece in the nib assembly.

 

[ericofpendom]

I have never made any of the cigar type pens nut I would say that if they are a twist style mech then you need to push the mech in a little further. This is something I always check when doing slimline and streamline twist pens. Push the mech to the line as instructed and then check the protrusion, if it ain't far enough then push a little more.

Eric...

The transmission in the cigar pen is threaded into the twist holder ... no adjustment .... very much tube length specific. If the refill isn't catching in the nib and all parts are pressed tight, then I would suspect the lower tube "grew" on you.

Cheers Lenny, as I said I have never seen the cigar kit.

Eric...

 

[mrcook4570]

Short of disassembling the pen and re-facing, the ONLY length adjustment is the lower trim piece in the nib assembly.

There is more than one way to skin a cat :wink:

Small adjustments can be made by sanding/filing the bottom portion (brass colored part) of the tranny so it will screw in more before bottoming out.

A spacer (plug-like) can be added inside the tranny above the refill (although I would only use this method if it were my own pen - if a customer loses the spacer, the pen will no longer function properly).

If the refill extends too far, a spacer (washer like) can be added between the tranny and the lower barrel. This will prevent the tranny from screwing in as far.

 

[Dale Allen]

:redface:Thanks all.
I am now embarrassed to say that apparently I did not check both ends well enough.:redface:
I took apart the lower section of the most recent one and sure enough, there was a strong 1/64" of wood before the brass tube. I knew this would mean I had to refinish it but I just had to know.:biggrin:
As stated above, there is no easy fix as this kit is tube length critical.
It's on the lathe now and I'll have it back together tomorrow. And I guess this will be the fix for the other one as well.

 

[Dale Allen]

Took the other one apart while the CA was setting and this time I sanded down the end. Yes, it was the same problem!:redface:
Looks better now. Pay no attention to the smudges on the hardware!
BTW, using a sanding jig instead of the barrel cutter does not leave the end ragged and on this one I did not refinish it. I did notice that the blank is just a bit proud of the hardware.

 

[ed4copies]

:redface:Thanks all.
I am now embarrassed to say that apparently I did not check both ends well enough.:redface:
I took apart the lower section of the most recent one and sure enough, there was a strong 1/64" of wood before the brass tube. I knew this would mean I had to refinish it but I just had to know.:biggrin:
As stated above, there is no easy fix as this kit is tube length critical.
It's on the lathe now and I'll have it back together tomorrow. And I guess this will be the fix for the other one as well.

Cut a piece of wood U shaped, exactly the length that you need for your lower tube. Then, before you mount hardware be certain that your cigar "bottom" fits inside the U. It's much easier to FIX before the hardware is on!!