Thread: Another Sierra

Definately a throwaway you need my address hehe! its that sort of thing sets them apart from the rest ,in a good way , cheers

Ciscokid, if you have any pen blanks in red mallee burl with sapwood throw it my way
Seriously, excellent work. Red mallee with sapwood is stunning. Well done.

Evan

Nice work Al on both counts, you must have some lovely blanks or too many if you want to throw that one out.

I think it has a lot of appeal

Good fit and finish on both and a good choice of plating

Yeah I imagine the contrast probably looks more IRL than in the picture, but still I can't see any reason why that'd make it a reject.

Russell.

Now it's gorgeous and all but the fit ain't that good

Great pen Al,Amos

Originally Posted by funkychicken

Now it's gorgeous and all but the fit ain't that good

It's a Sierra, not an Emperor. Some fit good and some do not, no matter how hard I mash the parts together. I would say about 20% of them have that little gap (.015") where they twist. Maybe I'll take it apart and remake it.

So the sapwood is not a deal killer? It looked more prominant before the BLO and CA. I've got half a dozen half and half amboyna blanks laying around. I've been hesitant to turn them at all, but maybe I should see what they look like?

Originally Posted by ciscokid

It's a Sierra, not an Emperor. Some fit good and some do not, no matter how hard I mash the parts together. I would say about 20% of them have that little gap (.015") where they twist. Maybe I'll take it apart and remake it.

So the sapwood is not a deal killer? It looked more prominant before the BLO and CA. I've got half a dozen half and half amboyna blanks laying around. I've been hesitant to turn them at all, but maybe I should see what they look like?

In my experience that little gap is caused by there being a radius in that corner of the kit stopping the tube going all the way down. Recessing the tube/blank with a hand countersink usually helps. This of course assumes that the end of the blank is perfectly square.

Originally Posted by Big Shed

In my experience that little gap is caused by there being a radius in that corner of the kit stopping the tube going all the way down. Recessing the tube/blank with a hand countersink usually helps. This of course assumes that the end of the blank is perfectly square.

I always chamfer the brass tubes after trimming for that reason and also no rough edges for pressing componants together .I am also looking at modifying my trimmer so it gives a very slight concave end ,so that the outer edges of the fitted parts are always touching,if the wood shrinks slightly then the brass can protrude a small amount and you then get gaps as well,it all depends on how important the fit needs to be

Because of the spring on the refills there's always a tiny gap between the timber and the nib. On Cisco's pen the timber is slightly too big and rounded a bit on the end.

Nice pen Al, It looks like you have fallen fowl of some critics I suppose that means that you need a bit more practice and you will get really good at it. Nice fit and finish. When I get a gap I take the bigger hammer approach it seems to work.
Cheers Mate

Ah well, perfection is a journey, not a destination. If it weren't for constructive criticism, I wouldn't have achieved what little success I have. I don't seem to have these fit issues with the premium kits. Perhaps I should stick with those.

G'day Al I like your Sierra, you can't go wrong with the Red Mallee Burl, can you. Good craftsmanship and finish as always Al. You said the sapwood was noticeable before you used BLO, at a guess that was the problem, the BLO darkened the sapwood on you, I know when I have used oil as a finish on some bowls that it darkens the natural colour considerably. The gap is a minor thing that would not be noticeable if you were looking at it n normal circumstances. An easy thing to fix. As for chamfering the inside the tube, the chamfer tool you use for reloading bullet shells is ideal for this job, as it puts an inside and out side chamfer on your brass when need.
Cheers
Darren

Originally Posted by funkychicken

Because of the spring on the refills there's always a tiny gap between the timber and the nib. On Cisco's pen the timber is slightly too big and rounded a bit on the end.

You must be able to see something that us mere mortals can not, FC!!