|
The Berea Hardwoods pen kits are
not the same as the "discount' kits, generic kits or kits for people on
a budget. All of these terms are very often used as a nice way of
saying poorly made and/or inferior kits. Berea Hardwoods makes
every attempt to offer kits that are well engineered, designed and
plated.
"It would be very easy for us to cheapen the kits and sell them at a
lower price. There are many ways to do this such as using a cheap
tumbler 24k "epoxy" coated plating or to use less durable twist
mechanisms or to put less ink in our refills or use cheap center rings,
clips, etc.
Superior Plating
When we use 24k plating we use an upgraded 24k gold "rack" plating where
each part in individually plated on a 'plating tree'. We offer a
wide range of superior platings such as titanium gold, black titanium,
rose gold, real platinum, heavy sterling silver and chrome. We
also offer .925 solid sterling silver.
Superior Engineering
Our twist mechanisms are premium heavy duty ones. We employ good
engineering to our kits to make them durable and able to function
properly for many years. We design and make parts that look crisp
and attractive.
A good example is our Flat Top American Ballpoint
pen. On this kit we drop the twist mechanism down from the top of
the pen. This method provides for superior durability and
function. The center band on this kit is in three pieces and the
black band is acrylic. This provides for a
crisper look as well as increased durability.
Designed For The Kit Maker
Many or our kits have been engineered and designed by us specifically
for kit makers and are not taken from generic pens meant for volume
inexpensive pens in Asia.
The crafting of quality pens
from our quality kits is straightforward and relatively
simple. Pen crafting can be an enjoyable, rewarding and fun
experience. All of our kits have been thoroughly tested and
many have been sold for over 14 years. Pen crafting is,
however, a learned skill. The process requires
practice
and the willingness to
learn. My advise to you is this: If you don't have: 1. The
mechanical ability; 2. The ability to read and follow
instructions; 3. The patience to learn and 4. The proper equipment or the
willingness to obtain the proper equipment... then I would suggest that you might try
another endeavor. In
the vast majority of cases where difficulties are
encountered in making a kit, an error has been made by the
pen-crafter. It is not usually an error with the kit.
Examples include:
1. GLUE LEFT INSIDE THE BRASS TUBES
All glue residue must be completely removed from inside the brass tubes.
Glue residue can cause twist mechanisms to jam, be stiff or interfere
with the fit of the components. Kits requiring exposed brass tubing in
which the center band is to be pressed fit onto the tube requires that
all glue be removed from the exposed brass tube.
2. SHORTENING THE BRASS TUBES
98% of pen kits are 'tube length sensitive'. The brass tubes
cannot be shortened. Frequently, when squaring off the ends of the wood,
brass and wood are removed therefore shorting the tube. This often
happens when a barrel trimmer is used. Shortening the tubes can cause
the pen not to work or cause the ink refill to extend out too far. Leave
about 1/16" of wood extending past the end of the brass tube (prior to
trimming) and trim this extra wood up to the brass tube and stop
trimming.
3. COMPRESSING OR EXPANDING
THE BRASS TUBES
When pressing parts together, great care must be taken to make sure that
the matching parts are aligned, straight and not cocked. If the parts
are cocked, then the matching parts can be compressed or expanded which
can result in a major failure of the kit; the twist mechanism can jam
and the other parts will not fit together properly.
We highly recommend that you purchase an arbor press to press parts
together. An arbor press can be purchased for around $30.00 or less from
Harbor Freight or ENCO. We discourage the use of wood
clamps and horizontal vice assembly tools. No matter what method you
use, make sure the parts are straight and not cocked and press slowly
and carefully. Chamfer the opening of the pen tube to remove the
sharp edge that can cause outward pressure and difficulty in assembly.
4. OVER TIGHTENING THE NUT ON YOUR PEN MANDREL
There is a tendency to over tighten the brass nut when you start turning
a pen blank. This is okay. Once the pen is round, then the nut should be
loosened and gently snuggled up. If this is not done, the pen
blank can crack as you turn the wood down, as it becomes thinner. This
usually happens when the pen is almost completely turned down.
5. INCORRECT DRILLING TECHNIQUES
Pen blanks (wood, plastic, Dymondwood™, et cetera) can crack while
drilling if not drilled correctly. You must run your drill press
between 900 RPM - 1500 RPM. A speed under 900 RPM can cause the
material to crack due to the pressure of not ejecting the chips fast
enough. A speed over 1500 RPM can overheat the material and cause
cracking. |
