Thread: Slimline Cap/clip assembly problem

A small round file will open up the clip slightly ,this part is well hidden so loss of gold is no problem , I think the clips are stainless under the coating, not unusual for these to be tight though , Sometimes as well the slims are a a bit tight in the tubes ,make sure there is no glue residue inside the tube end as well ! a few thousandths of an inch is enough to cause grief ,again if you suspect it of being tight a few swipes with a rat tail file will ease it a bit ,make sure that the sharp corner of the brass tube is also removed, as if not this can have tiny burrs that can catch as you press the finial in and create a tighter than normal fit, lastly make sure that the finial is square to the blank and not off to one side as this will definitely crack a tight blank ,they should be interchangeable from kit to kit ,but that's modern production methods for you ,the slim kits being amongst the cheapest ones tend to have less quality control ,these things happen to us all from time to time ,even bushings are not always correct so pays to measure components against bushes from time to time , a cheap digital caliper is ideal for this sort of thing Cheers ~ John

Tiger,

I trial fit by hand at all stages if the clip is too tight I use a small slow taper reamer from Electronic stores, also use a Cartridge reamer from Gun Dealers that has an internal and external cutter, as well as a Step Drill to ream the barrels of every blank that I glue up that cuts a fine taper at the entrance of the brass this done from either end, the step drill is shorter than the commercial ones and therefore does tot stick out the other end and cut holes in my hands. Pic of my step drill I have been using by hand constantly since at least fifteen years.

Kind regards Peter.

Thanks John and Peter, will take the calipers out, I won't assume that anything will necessarily fit when it comes to pens.

Tiger

I have noticed my latest slimline pen kits have tight clips for the caps. I have used a round file on the clip to open it up a bit but it is a real pain having to do that as the dimensiions should be correct to start with. If you have a little bit of the blank over the end of the tube when you start to assemble the blank will crack as the cap reaches it. Make sure you sand the blank back until the tube just begins to shine. As I have mentioned previously, I use Sika poly glue (from Bunnings) as it remains a little elastic and allows you a little give whereas CA will not.

I use a counter sink bit on the end of a bit of broom stick to put a 45 deg taper on all my tubes to aid in the easier pressing in of kit parts. It also helps to remove excess CA from the inner edge of the tube ends. See pic

^ what they said ^, myself, i use a bit of 60 grit rolled to a funnel after i've end milled the blank and tube, and looked for any excess CA to chip out. i rekon i'd be too rough with a file, although pariss's method i quite like with the countersink bit, might make a handle for one and see how i go.

Neal.

I use a scapel set I bought from Aldi to scrape out the Sika poly I use. It comes out easy in plugs. Then I use the methods explained by dai sensai (the teacher?) to square the blanks before and after the CA is applied. But that idea of yours is very novel Pariss. You must have a few tricks up your sleeve that you are holding back on

Originally Posted by Pariss

I use a counter sink bit on the end of a bit of broom stick to put a 45 deg taper on all my tubes to aid in the easier pressing in of kit parts. It also helps to remove excess CA from the inner edge of the tube ends. See pic

Looks like a good tool to have around... Thanks for the sharing!
Alfred

I do the same as Pariss, this el cheapo set from the local hardware store. I nearly always use this, but was slack the other day and skipped it. Broke the plastic while pressing in the nib, maybe a dag on the tube maybe just careless but the first time it has happened to me for an awful long time.

Attachment 211318

Originally Posted by plantagenon

Tiger

I have noticed my latest slimline pen kits have tight clips for the caps.

Have noticed that everyone of my recent clips is tight. I found that running a 1/4 inch drill bit through the clip hole opens it up enough for the cap to go through.