Success and failure.

[KenB259]

I have bought a few dust collectors for my lathe. Wasn't satisfied with any of them so I decided to go the DIY route. This time I really like it, works well and didn't get in my way at all, through the whole process. You all in the warmer climates won't recognize the blue funnel for what it really is. I'm betting people from colder climates might recognize it as the best window scraper ever made. It fit my small shop vac like it was made for it. I just made it all out of scraps. The dust collector is the success of the day. The pen, pretty much a failure. Just your common everyday Celtic knot. I bought a small thin kerf blade and wanted to try it out on my table saw, worked pretty well. I think I'm over the single color knots, they're just to plain looking. The bottom of the pen has a gap. Not the first time with this kit and the reason I don't buy them anymore. The kit is the "Cortona". Oh well, we just have another pen to use around the house.

 

[magpens]

@KenB259

Nice going on the dust collection !!!

With regard to the pen, just out of curiosity, do you have any explanation why the gap occurred ?

 

[KenB259]

@KenB259

Nice going on the dust collection !!!

With regard to the pen, just out of curiosity, do you have any explanation why the gap occurred ?

Mal , I have no idea, like I said it's happened before with that kit.

 

[KenB259]

Well I took it back down to the shop, put it in my pen press and it removed the gap. That part, you're not supposed to press as it's where you change refills. Now you can pull it apart and put it back together with no gap. Maybe there was a small burr in there. So no gap, but doesn't help the boring look.

 

[magpens]

Well I took it back down to the shop, put it in my pen press and it removed the gap. That part, you're not supposed to press as it's where you change refills. Now you can pull it apart and put it back together with no gap. Maybe there was a small burr in there. So no gap, but doesn't help the boring look.

OK. . Looks like a little design flaw which could be overcome by lengthening the barrel by about 1/32" - 1/16".
Such an adjustment should have no downside as far as I can tell from the instruction sheet.

EDIT: - I just saw that you already made a correction. . I think you are OK doing the pressing. . They advise against it only for the stylus finial.