Sierra Diverse Ballpoint Pen Hardware Kit

Sierra Diverse ballpoint pen parts.

Twist Mechanism

Finial

Plated

Tube

Clip

Bushing

Clip

Twist

Holder

Brass Tube

Threaded Nib Bushing

Refill

Spring Nib

Bushings

Brass Tube

Brass Nut

Spacers

Mandrel A

Sierra Diverse Ballpoint Pen Hardware Kit

Requires standard A mandrel, bushings for Sierra Diverse pen (88K83.58),

/32" drill bit, and minimum

/4" square × 3" blank.

Preparing the Material Blank

1. Only one material blank is required for this pen. Cut the material blank

a little longer than the brass tube.

2. Drill the blank through the center, lengthwise, with the

/32" drill bit.

3. Polish the brass tube with sandpaper. This can be done by hand or on a

power machine such as a belt sander. The purpose of the sanding is to

clean off the oxidation and roughen the tube so that the glue will have a

better adhesion surface.

4. Plug the ends of the tube with the material of your choice. Some use base

wax (a dental product), or play dough, or even a slice of potato. Just push

the ends of the tube into a thin section of the material. This will form a

plug to keep the glue from getting into the tube.

5. Clean the tube, after plugging, with acetone or alcohol on a rag.

6. Prepare your glue. You can use a fast-drying, two-part epoxy, one hour

or less. Be sure to mix it thoroughly. (A Post-it

Note pad makes an

excellent mixing place. When you are finished just tear it off and throw

it away.) Polyurethanes and thick flexible cyanoacrylates (CAs) can also

be used. (If not using epoxy, go to step 9.)

7. Place some of the epoxy into the blank using a small piece of dowel or

other small stick.

8. Roll the tube in the epoxy.

9. Insert the tube with a twisting motion until it is almost all the way into

the material blank. Then use the dowel to push it in until the end is flush

with the blank. Use the dowel to rake off the excess glue even with the

blank and the tube.

10. Push the brass tube through the blank until the other end is flush with

the blank. Then rake the glue flush with that end. Now push the tube

back into the blank until the tube ends are equidistant from the ends of

the blank.

11. Set it aside for 60 minutes until the epoxy has had time to reach its

maximum strength.

12. If you are using CA glue, the wait is only about 60 seconds. When using

polyurethane the wait will be about 24 hours.

13. When the glue has cured, use a hobby knife to remove the plugs from the

ends. It is also a good idea to clean the tube with a brass gun-cleaning

brush or a rolled up piece of sandpaper to remove any glue that may have

gotten into the tube.

14. Not cleaning out all glue from the tube is the most common cause of

pen failure. Be certain that all dried glue is removed from inside the

tube before proceeding.

15. Using a barrel trimmer of the proper size, face off each end of the blank

until it just touches the brass end of the tube. Stop facing at this point.

Your pen’s proper operation is dependent on having the proper length

tubes. This facing operation can also be done with the proper jig and a

disc or belt sander.

16. Not having the proper tube length is the #2 cause of pen failure.

Sanding, on a disc sander, using a jig to hold the tube square with the

disc, is a more sure way of getting the proper length. It should be tried

if you have any doubt as to your abilities to square the material with the

barrel trimmer.

17. Another good method of squaring the ends of the blank is to turn the

blank until it is just round. Using a miter gauge to maintain the blank

perpendicular to the sanding disc, just touch the ends to the disc. Once

the blank is square and you can see the ends of the tube brighten, then

return the blank to the mandrel and finish the turning until the desired

contour is accomplished.

Turning the Blank

1. Assemble the blank on the mandrel using the bushings. The bushings

are all the same size.

2. Since there is only one blank to place on the mandrel, you will have to

place spacers on the mandrel in order to tighten the tube for turning.

You can use a piece of wood with a 7 mm hole or use 7 mm bushings

as spacers.

3. Tighten the tailstock before tightening the blank on the mandrel. This

will center the mandrel first. Then tighten the nut that holds the blank.

4. Turn the blank to the desired contour, making sure that the area next to

the bushing is turned to the size of the adjacent bushing.

5. After turning the blank, sand the surface in progressive steps until you

get to 400 or 500 grit.

6. Apply the finish of your choice and polish.

7. Remove the blank from the mandrel.

Assembling the Pen

Please refer to the pen parts photograph.

The third most common error resulting in a non-functional or damaged

pen is the misalignment of the parts when pressing them in place. The use

of a good pen press or small arbor press is recommended, but it can be

accomplished with a good C-clamp and much care. When pressing in the

various parts, by any means, be sure that the parts are straight and in line

with the blank. If a part is cocked or otherwise misaligned, at the very least,

a poor ﬁ tting pen will result. At the worst, you may have a pen that is not

usable. Exercise caution here!

Occasionally, you will encounter parts that are a little loose ﬁ tting. This can

be corrected by using a small spot of glue, usually CA, on these parts before

pressing them home.

1. Press the twist holder into the finial.

2. Press this this assembly into the plated tube.

3. Insert the clip bushing into the other end of the plated tube.

Note: Complete this step by hand; not with a pen press.

4. Slide the clip onto the clip bushing and set the finial/clip assembly aside.

5. Press the unthreaded end of the treaded nib bushing into one end of the

pen blank until the other end of the bushing is flush with the blank.

6. Press the broad end of the twist mechanism into the other end of the

pen blank until it stops, taking care not to force it or press too hard.

7. Press the finial/clip assembly onto the narrow end of the twist

mechanism, taking care not to force it or press too hard.

8. Drop the refill into the other end of this assembly, making sure that the

spring is in place.

9. Fit the nib over the refill and thread it onto the nib bushing. Check for

proper operation.

This pen uses a standard Parker-style pen reﬁ ll (88K78.55, pkg. of 5).

To change the reﬁ ll, simply unscrew the nib. Do not pull.

Distributed by / Distribué par

Lee Valley Tools Ltd. Ottawa ON K2H 1C2 Canada