Thread: The Emperor has Fallen!

Ouch!

Sorry to hear that Amos, I was rather looking forward to seeing how you went with the osage on the emperor.

It does bring up a rather interesting point with disassembly of those kits. Something I've noticed as I've assembled the statesman and gentlemans pens is the tightness of the fit of those black inserts. Has anyone found a way to successfully dismantle the caps without the sort of destruction you've had to endure?

Dave, I was thinking of putting some sort of lubricant on them when assembling, eg vaseline!?, but it would defeat the purpose of that tight fit- so that the cap stays firmly in place, also it is sort of a defeatist attitude. I didn't have anything that made a neat fit, the largest drill bit end wasn't quite big enoufg, maybe turning a piece of hardwood to make a neat fit may overcome the problem???Amos

Originally Posted by Woodenink

fracture discolouration where the CA had broken off from the bushing.

Sorry to hear about your problem Amos, this is where the no mandrel setup comes into its own using just a dead centre and live centre you'll eliminate the mandrel and bushes altogether and get nice clean finishes without it sticking to anything.

This following picture is one of bdar's from this thread. This one shows it with bushes for the turning and sanding part but once you're ready to coat it, just remove the bushes and you'll get rid of the problem of sticking the tube to bushes.

Thanks for that DJ, I am in the middle of making a mate for the Imperial and am up to the finishing and am going back to the lathe to try it out, Amos

Another "Oh dear" moment I think!

DJ, after one hour of searching for my new dead centre! I finished the Imperial pen in Xcut Padouk as you suggested above and it is great!, no end fractures of the CA!, thanks. PS, I guess it is ok to turn pieces in that way also? just need to know how much pressure the blanks can take before they spread the end?! Amos

Originally Posted by Woodenink

PS, I guess it is ok to turn pieces in that way also? just need to know how much pressure the blanks can take before they spread the end?! Amos

Great news Amos , glad to be of assistance .

If you put the bushes in the end for when your turning as shown in the above picture, you can put a fair amount of pressure on them, also this will only work for stepped bushes which is most pens except for the slimlines .

Wouldn't recommend turning without the bushes as they'll slip, not to mention not having a bush to work to for the finish size and will differently flare the tubes as the pressure needed for turning is a lot more for when your just sanding or applying finishes.

Amos,
Too bad, it is a bite when you are ready to remove a finished blank and lose it! Cracks in CA is one of the reasons I've abandoned that finish. I just repaired one from a year old pen that , I assume took a fall, and is fine now. I've never had to do a repair or had a complaint on a lacquer finished pen.

Oh dear, sorry to hear Amos, but you hung in there and solved it

Get yourself a set of parallel pin punched for the repair / dis assembly of pens

I also have gone off the CA finish

Hi Amos,

You are a quality turner mate ... glad to see
you did not blame the Osage Orange.

Allan

______________________________________

I once stole a calendar - and got 12 months.

Alan, if I had blamed the Osage Orange, it would have shot me down in flames. That Osage is a beautiful, stunning timber, thanks for getting it to me. No, unfortunately it is a learning curve, it sure hurts when it is something like an Emperor. have been doing it the way Darren and DJ suggested and really working out ok, trying to make another piece , will put it on the Forum when complete. Amos