Pen Turning Slimlines to Cigar styles - Arbor Press Deal

Dan Mosley

Member
Messages
1,169
Location
Palm Springs, Ca
Decided a while back to play around making pens for a bit - after making a fair amount of them I went over to the Slimline Saturn then to the Slimline Pro and on to the Mesa (Cigar type). I have a friend that asked me "my opinion" on what I think of the kits I have used so far so I thought I would post it on here and he could read other peoples feedback as well.
Opinion - Slimline pen kits are a good starter kit - there cheap - easy to assmble and adjust fitting during assembly - Poor quality pen fills - approx $2.00 per kit
Slimline Saturn - same as above but a better quality kit as far as parts go - a bit thicker mid section (style) - a bit better ink tube - approx $4.00 per kit
Slimline Pro - Nice everyday pen - Gel - a bit more in cost - kits has much better quality in parts - a bit of learning curve to assemble - approx $6.00 per kit - and you
have to be fairly spot on when you trim them so they fit correctly - to short or to long and your assembled pen will not look or work correctly - they will
accept Parker Reills
Mesa - a much nicer kit all the way around if you like that style - approx $6.00-$7.50 per kit depending on if you get the twist or click.

Putting them together - I have been using a Irwin hand clamp and it is easy enough to do - On the Mesa kits it can be done but sometimes depending on how fat the sleeve is it can become a little challanging - So the other day I ready where they opened up a Harbor Freight store near me and decided to go look around - while I was there I saw a Arbor press for $47.00 (1 ton) and thought it would be handy to have one in the shop - if you join there inside track club $30/yr you get $10.00 off on any purchase - so Ill join I can see where I will be going there for other things. The press makes puttting pens together easier but its not necessary -

Thanks Dan
 
Slims are by no means easy! They are the most adaptable and modified kit made. Give me 30 minutes and you'd think it was a mini Jr Gent! They are also the most appreciated kits since we send thousands a year to Pens For Soldiers, Freedom Pens and for my friend Mack...Pens for Canadian Peacekeepers. For a great example of a Slim Mod...look at the featured Pen on the cover of IAP. Macks Delrin idea is great...firm with a touch of give. I have a commmerical press, but put a Pony pipe clamp on an 18" pipe screwed into a flange screwed to your bench...huge space saver!!!! Mesa kits are, IMHO poorly made and until I stopped using them, the most returned kit I used. It's not inexpensive if it keeps coming back! Sierra/EB's are a bit more...but the difference in plating, fit, finish and weight is epic. You can buy a gel to put in anything...buy them in bulk at Costco, Office Depot and sometime Walmart...althought I refuse to go into a California Walmart. I think gels rock in any pen and I use them every day.
 
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Yep - Press is not necessary but for the price less the 10.00 it will come in handy as a new addition to my shop......I am careful about what I buy from HF alot of things are not very good in quality.

Slimline Pen Kits - could be where I buy them or whatever, but I am not impressed with ink cartridges they come with = if your happy with them thats fine but just my experience with them - I still turning them but not my favorite kit - My self I have had good luck with the Mesa and they sold out fast - I have not tried alot of other kits but for me im ok with the results - if the slimlines had better ink cartridges I would have commented differently - as give away to troops etc - I am all for it and would do the same - as a turner and selling them I personally have better luck with the other kits - The Saturn is a tad better look I think and I have turned about a dozen of them - Still for me I think im just moving on into turning a better quality pen slowly.
 
I quit turning slims a long time ago. I have more of those come back because they start turning and don't stop when you go to turn them to bring out the refill to write. I found on IAP that if you prick punch the transmission on the end that helps but shouldn't have to do that. So just don't make'em. Anyway my best seller is the Wallstreet II, Sierra, Elegant Wallstreet II, Navigator and Sedona. So these make up 95% of my sales. I like the Cigar pens but they just don't sell. I think they are two big. I have arbor press I modified for a pen press. It works quite well.
 
Just ordered a few more supplies and some of the Phoenix kits - another style I have not tried but I decided to get 8 of them and test them out for fun - ill let you know and thanks for the comments
 
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