Cigar pen problems, please help!

[sachbvn]

Ok, so I made another cigar pen today - this time making dang sure to get the top and bottom barrels correct.

Turning it went fine - I got everything together..... the fricking ink stick won't work right.

The ink stick sticks too far out of the bottom barrel..... here's the thing.... yes the bottom barrel is the longer barrel - and NO I did not trim it too short.

I used the brass tubes that were included in the kit, when trimming the barrel square - I did not scrape any of the brass tube (I was reading Scott's earlier post on mushrooming the brass tube when trimming the barrel) - I made real sure not to trim any more than needed.

The tip sticks out just the tiniest bit when the pen is fully closed. WTH?

This is the second kit to do this to me - is this a manufacturing problem? Both kits came from Woodturningz, not sure where they get them. By no means am I blaming WT - in fact I am sure they would make it right with me on both the kits and the blanks wasted.

What the heck?



Zac

[TDHofstetter]

Press 'em a bit at a time, and test-fit 'em when you're near where you want to be. Stop pressing when the tip doesn't quite exit the nib.

[sachbvn]

Tim - the problem with that is that the fittings are "decorative" and I don't think would look right if not pressed all the way in.

With a slimline - you press the transmission into the bottom tube - in a cigar the transmission screws onto a threaded fitting that is pressed into the bottom tube - that threaded fitting is a partial decorative band.

GREAT NEWS though - well, sorta.... I decided to pull the transmission out of another cigar kit (also from WT) and it works great! The ink stick fully retracts and the ballpoint clears the nib of the pen. I am very pleased about this. I will be telling WT on my next order and getting a new transmission.

My only question is - should I try the other transmissions from the cigar kits I have to see if they have issues??

Thanks,
Zac

[Doug B]

Tim, the Cigars are a double twist mechanism that has threaded fittings. No way to do that. The tube has to be exactly correct length.

Zac, the refill could be long too possibly? I suggest trying another one. Also, the Cigar takes ink gels even though they come with a ball point - You might try an ink gel replacement.

With all the problems with pen kits recently I am wondering if there are some serious issues with the quality control of the kits that are now coming from China that used to come from Taiwan. I don't know if Cigar kits are now coming from China, but I'd be willing to bet they are. I too have been noticing a lot more problems with pen kits now than ever before. It looks like we are going to have to check all pen kit dimensions now.

The only thing I can think of to fix your Cigar pen Zac is that you may be able to add a spacer on the kit where the transmission threads on. To check to see if that is even a possible solution you could unscrew the transmission a couple turns and then replace the upper barrel and see if the ink refill is retracted into the nib enough. I know it will tighten back up as you use the pen so that is not a permanent solution, but that will tell you if it is even worth trying to make a spacer - the spacer is going to be hard to make something that is going to look right - I think I would make it out of plastic but maybe a thin slice of wood would work if you can figure out how to turn it.

Good luck.

<oops, looks like I was typing while you replied Zac. Glad to hear the problem was the ink refill and not the pen. I have had trouble with a couple of ink gels being too big in diameter to fit in the cartridge pens correctly recently. Luckily I have other kits they fit into OK and was able to switch the ink refills between the kits and they fit.>

[sachbvn]

Thanks Doug, I will checking some more things in the future, and I do think a spacer would work if you could make one to look and fit right.... Maybe a rubber O ring.

BTW - it was the twist mechanism I switched out, haven't tried a new ink stick yet...good idea. At this point not sure if the twist mech. Was messes up or if it's the inkstick but a née twist mech. Fixed the prob. I will report any new findings....

Zac

[sdb777]

I'm going to guess that the kit is from Penn State stock.

Did you email them and tell them the trouble you had? I included my invoice number so that maybe they can track down where and when they obtained the kits they sent me.


Glad you made it work, but now you have another kit that might possibly have the incorrect lenght transmission!


Scott (bummer kits suck) B

[sachbvn]

Oh, I am throwing the messed up transmission away - well, not pitching it - but setting it aside.

Update:

This afternoon I tried two additional transmissions and three ink sticks - two other kits worth and a aftermarket gel refill - everything worked except the original transmission.

I will say - it feels like the transmissions need to be "worked in" a little bit - after 6-7 twists they seem to be working a lot better.....the double twist is kind of a weird thing to get used to.


Thanks guys!

Zac

[Leo Voisine]

Zac,

I have a horrible habit of getting the upper and lower parts reversed when I do the turning.

Check to see it you mixed them up.

Dam - I hate it when I do that.

[sachbvn]

Nah Leo - that's not the problem. I already have done that - I know that's not the case here. I appreciate the input, it's real easy to do!


Zac