Pen Turning: Cigar Help Please

[Jim Shaver, Oakville Ont]

Hi,

I have been turning Cigars for a long time. I have had a few go wrong that I can fix but today I had one delevop a gap I can not close. After careful measuring the top is short, by the amount of the gap...I think.

Anyway, I do not know what to do...it's a nice pen otherwise...


Thoughts..


Advice??

[Jason Anders]

What about turning a small little center band/washer type to fill that gap. Something out of black corian/acrylic or contrasting truestone, turquoise or similar type material. I would think one of the truestone/polygem type materials would make it look like it was a planned "jeweled" type feature

[Dominic Greco]

Jim,
Been there done that! This happened to me when I was a little too aggressive with my barrel trimmer. I took too much off the shorter tube.

When this happened to me, I took a stainless steel washer (which just happened to be the right thickness) and drilled it out to size. Then I sanded and buffed it until it shown like the chrome from the kit.

[Terry Quiram]

Jim
Thats a great looking pen. Make a small band using Corian. I had a simular situation and fixed it that way. I think white would look nice.
Terry

[Keith Christopher]

The problem is that you trimmed too much off the top of the pen. These pens have very tight tolerances a couple of mm too much and you can end up with this. Been there done that.

[Stan Mijal]

Jim,

Like others have said a second chrome washer inserted above the black ring would do the trick and not look bad at all.
I measured the clearances in a cigar kit a few minutes ago and the finial threaded insert /tube and the retracting mechanism just meet when the top and bottom halves of the pen are put together. There is a little narrowing at the top of the twist mechanism that can be ground off( and a like amount of the final thread/tube bottom, but only about 1/32" before it might compromise the twist mechanism. robably best to use a washer or make a spacer.
Nice looking pen though. What species wood is that?

[Jim Shaver, Oakville Ont]

Thanks Guy's..


Yes I probably trimmed too much off.

I do appreciate your advice...I might have used a tube from my spare box of tubes that was a hair short...don't know.

The wood is a brown dyed stabilized box elder burl from Arizona Silhouette.

[Joe Melton]

Jim, you need to take out the upper inserted part onto which the cap screws, and shorten it. If you don't have any "transfer punches", you should get a set, as you will be disassembling pens somewhat frequently, if you turn a lot of them. With the transfer punch, you can easily knock out the part that needs shortening.
The set is about ten bucks and available at Harbor Freight or use-enco.com.
Just put a mark on the brass end showing how much you need to remove, and sand or grind it shorter to the mark. Clean off the burrs and reassemble. Voila, pen saved, and the buyer will never know nor care about the repair.
Joe

[Lars Thomas]

I have a cigar here in front of me . . .unscrew the twist mechinism and belt sand the silver end. On mine (Wood Craft), it looks like you could reduce it by 1/8" - 3/32". When you sand it, make sure the pluger is down (in the extended position). Before you do anything drastic, are you sure there just isn't a glue gloob stopping it from seating completely?

You have a great looking pen there, do what you can to save it. Lars