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Slimline Pen Production

Slimline™ pens use two barrels, each measuring 2.09" (53 mm) long, containing 7mm diameter cylinders. WoodWrite, Ltd. pre-cut, pre-drilled wood blanks are 2.09" long and about 7/16" (11mm) square, and are pre-drilled with a letter "J" (7.03mm) drill bit to accommodate the 7mm cylinders.Also available are WoodWrite, Ltd. Superslim™ wood blanks. These are the same length, with the same hole, as the above, but are 5/8" (16mm) square. Superslim™ blanks are appropriate for use with the KT-16 Copy-Cat Duplicator to produce patterns such as the Gibson Girl, free-hand turning, contour turning, and wherever a little more bulk is required in an otherwise standard "7mm" pen configuration.

1. Move the saddle to the left so that the cutting tool is aligned with the gage point of the mandrel. Turn the micrometer dial counter-clockwise until the tool just touches the gage point ("0") then back the tool away by turning the micrometer dial one complete turn clockwise ("0"). If the micrometer dial does not read "0" when the tool is just touching the mandrel, see Trouble Shooting (Chapter 14) for adjustment instructions.

2. Load two pen blanks with lining cylinders, cured at least overnight, onto the 7mm mandrel, securing them with the knurled nut. Be sure the needle center of the tailstock is tightly engaged into the right end of the mandrel.

4. Turn the micrometer dial counter-clockwise to "25". Make your second cut, moving the saddle from right to left (0.382"[9.7mm] diameter).

5.Turn the micrometer dial counter-clockwise to "10". Make the third cut, from left to right (0.352" [8.9mm] diameter).

6. Turn the micrometer dial counter-clockwise to "0" and make your fourth and final cut, from right to left. The diameter of the wood barrels will now be the same as that of the gage point of the mandrel. Turn the micrometer dial clockwise, one full turn to "0" and move the saddle to the left of the lathe bed to be out of your way for smoothing and polishing, as described previously. Your finished barrels should be 0.330" to 0.333" (8.4 - 8.5mm) in diameter.

7. In summary, your tool settings are as follows, starting with the tool just touching the gage point of the mandrel:

CLK 0 - CCLK 25 - CCLK 10 - CCLK 0 - CLK 0

8. Smooth and polish the barrels.

Pen Assembly

The components of a Slimline™ pen are shown below. You have already used two lining cylinders in the two wood blanks to make the barrels. To assemble the pen you will need one each of the gold cap, clip, decorative ring, mechanism, gold tip and an ink cartridge.

1. Check the clip to be sure that the angle between the loop and stem is acute (slightly less than 90E) to ensure proper pressure on the barrel after assembly.

2. Secure the clip with the gold cap in the end of one barrel. Before press fitting, place a dot of white adhesive (CN-12) on the portion of the top that will enter the barrel. Using the WoodWrite, Ltd. Assembly Press (KT-07), place the clip end of the barrel against the stationary "foot" of the press, and then press fit the cap, clip and barrel together. Squeeze firmly, to position the components together without any visible gap between them. Be careful! Over tightening can cause the barrel to break. A little trial and error the first few times will enable you to seat the components properly without distortion. The clip should be secure; it should not rotate around the pen barrel. With a damp cloth, remove any excess white adhesive that may have oozed out. Prompt removal of the adhesive will prevent any staining or marring of the work. The top is now complete.

3. Press fit the tip into one end of the other barrel. You may also place a drop of white adhesive on the flange before squeezing, although this is generally not really necessary; there is no pressure on the tip during pen use, hence its separation from the barrel is highly unlikely.

4. Press fit the mechanism into the other end of this barrel, inserting the brass end into the barrel. Gently, firmly push the mechanism in until the etched groove just above the brass portion is barely visible. (If you insert the mechanism too far, you will not be able to withdraw the tip of the ink cartridge when using the pen. Conversely, if you do not insert the mechanism far enough, an insufficient length of the cartridge will show. You can correct this latter problem by simply pushing the mechanism in a bit further. If you go too far, however, you will not be able to pull the mechanism back out without damaging it. The first time you make a pen, be conservative - insert the mechanism shy of the etched groove, and proceed as follows.)

5. Rotate the mechanism counterclockwise until it stops. Screw the ink cartridge into the mechanism. Rotate the mechanism to extend the ball point. About 1/8" (3mm) of the point should emerge from the tip of the barrel. If necessary, as noted above, remove the cartridge and ease the mechanism a bit further into the barrel. Recheck ball point exposure. You will quickly get the hang of just how far to insert the mechanism after assembling your first few pens. (Note: this step provides a degree of flexibility should your lower barrel be slightly shorter or longer than specification. If it is shorter, perhaps due to over-zealous sanding to trim up the ends, insert the mechanism shy of the etched groove to compensate. On the other hand, if the barrel is a bit long, insert the mechanism slightly past the groove. When in doubt, be conservative. You can always ease the mechanism in a bit further if necessary.)

6. Slide the decorative ring over the mechanism.

7. Slide the top barrel onto the mechanism to complete the pen.