Round top transmission fit

[cdcarter]

I'm having a tough time with the transmission on the 8 mm round top pens from Berea. Essentially, the extended finial is supposed to fit into the top of the twist mechanism, but on the two I've done it just won't go. Inspecting the parts, I just think the finial tenon is too small. I know the length of the top blank is correct, as I checked it with my digital caliper.

I was able to make it work by using a punch to widen the opening. (I guess shaving down the finial would work too.) But this seems so clumsy I have to wonder if I'm doing something wrong. Anybody else had experience with these kits?

I prefer an 8/Parker Euro vs the 7 mm, but at the moment, I'm preferring the one from (ugh) PSI because of this.

 

[LEAP]

Glad to see I'm not the only one who has had trouble with this kit. I thought it was operator error on my part. I have two of them in the shop as work pens because the mechanism just will not work smoothly.

 

[gerryr]

You have to press the black finial into the transmission first, with the end of the transmission butting up against the shoulder on the finial. If you press the finial into the cap first, it is REALLY difficult to get the transmission seated correctly. And, it is a tight fit.

 

[cdcarter]

Gerry,

That fits except your description of the finial as black. The ones I've been ordering are brass. (I'm guessing there's a black-top version you're talking about and everything else is the same.) The one I'm looking at right now is the Round Top European Double Twist Pen w/ Gold Top from Bear Tooth. Does that match what you're talking about?

At any rate, I got a couple in the mail today. I'll try pressing the finial into the transmission first (which after all IS what the instructions say to do!). [:I]

Carl

Originally posted by gerryr
<br />You have to press the black finial into the transmission first, with the end of the transmission butting up against the shoulder on the finial. If you press the finial into the cap first, it is REALLY difficult to get the transmission seated correctly. And, it is a tight fit.

 

[gerryr]

They sell both a gold top and black top, I just always buy the black.

 

[redfishsc]

I have 5 of those kits at the house and I loathe the idea of making them. **shudder**.

What a shame, too, since they are a nice looking pen.


The transmission in these have a nasty reputation for failure, BTW. Same as the Berea/Woodcraft American style.

 

[cdcarter]

They do look nice, don't they? Center band beats the other Euro styles to pieces. I've cussed a lot making them, but I like how they turn out. Just hate getting them there. It is discouraging to hear about the transmission failures, though.

Originally posted by redfishsc
<br />
What a shame, too, since they are a nice looking pen.


The transmission in these have a nasty reputation for failure, BTW. Same as the Berea/Woodcraft American style.

 

[rherrell]

Carl,
What you said," that is what the instructions say" is correct. I read the instructions when I made my first one and haven't had any problems with the 10 others I've made.

 

[cdcarter]

As a guy who writes for a living, I have to whine a bit about the quality of the instructions for many of the kits. I appreciate them and certainly understand how hard it is to write these things.

Not saying I could do any better. Just wish they weren't so difficult to understand sometimes.

Originally posted by rherrell
<br />Carl,
What you said," that is what the instructions say" is correct. I read the instructions when I made my first one and haven't had any problems with the 10 others I've made.

 

[GBusardo]

Originally posted by cdcarter
<br />As a guy who writes for a living, I have to whine a bit about the quality of the instructions for many of the kits. I appreciate them and certainly understand how hard it is to write these things.

Not saying I could do any better. Just wish they weren't so difficult to understand sometimes.

Originally posted by rherrell
<br />Carl,
What you said," that is what the instructions say" is correct. I read the instructions when I made my first one and haven't had any problems with the 10 others I've made.

I believe the problem comes from trying to translate from Chinese.

 

[cdcarter]

I know there are a lot of specialized instructions in the library, but I wonder if we wouldn't be doing a service to the community if we began to compile our own library of sheets on the more popular kits. Maybe they're in there and I just haven't looked...