# Secret Top Pen



## Yorkie UK (May 27, 2009)

Today i aquired a number of these pen kits with just this drawing sheet (below) i have searched the internet to find what bushings to use and other information but to no avail, has anyone seen or made this pen? If so can you please share your knowledge. :wink:

Thanks 

Yorkie.


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## Crashmph (May 27, 2009)

I have never made a white pen like that...

seriously though, I do not see a picture.


.........................................................

Now I see it, but never seen that pen type before.


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## skiprat (May 27, 2009)

Hi Yorkie, welcome to IAP.
The part number is the big clue that you got those kits from Craft Supplies UK ( or one of their re-sellers) 
I doubt that they even made bushes for these, but could be wrong. 
CSUK should change their name to SUCK. 
You may have to measure and make your own or turn it just between centres.
Good luck:biggrin:


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## Robert Taylor (May 27, 2009)

check the "retro" at woodcraft dot com


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## juteck (May 27, 2009)

I checked Woodchuckers in Canada and Craft Supplies UK websites, and neither have a great picture showing this pen. Looks like turning between centers and measuring is the suggested method.  Good luck.

http://www.craft-supplies.co.uk/cgi-bin/psProdDet.cgi/IB743D||@c%20Other%20Pens%20@b|0|user||13|


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## Yorkie UK (May 27, 2009)

Thanks for the replies guys, i checked out the SUCK site skip and found this Secret Pen and your right "Turned between Cone Centers" thou not sure wht this means just yet as i just learnt to turn with a mandrel .. :tongue:

Need to do more searching, i do more searching than pen turning of late ..


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## chuybregts (May 27, 2009)

Hey Yorkie,
as bettyt4420, check out the woodcraft site.  It look very similar to the Retro and they have bushings/instructions there.  If you can measure the points that touch the wood, next time i'm in woodcraft, i could measure their bushings to see if it is indeed the same.  Let me know 

Woodcraft Retro


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## WoodWrite (May 27, 2009)

It looks somewhat like the PK-EXEC (Executive) pen, except the top does not come off as the transmission holds it on. I wish John's web link showed a better picture. I did not find anything on a Google search.


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## Yorkie UK (May 27, 2009)

chuybregts said:


> Hey Yorkie,
> as bettyt4420, check out the woodcraft site. It look very similar to the Retro and they have bushings/instructions there. If you can measure the points that touch the wood, next time i'm in woodcraft, i could measure their bushings to see if it is indeed the same. Let me know
> 
> Woodcraft Retro


 
Thanks for the offer chuybregts, but the Retro bushings i already have and they are all the same size (4 of them) when i bought these sets i thought of this pen .. 


I bought 12 of these sets, i should have guessed there was something fishy as i got them less than half the price which was on the price tabs ..


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## Robert Taylor (May 28, 2009)

*retro bushings*

the retro has two short barrels, thus four bushings. you need only use two bushings for your kit. when i make the retro i leave the center band out. i glue the tubes in from both ends, make sure there is no glue in the center of the blank, turn, finish.


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## Darley (May 28, 2009)

Yorkie UK said:


> Today i aquired a number of these pen kits with just this drawing sheet (below) i have searched the internet to find what bushings to use and other information but to no avail, has anyone seen or made this pen? If so can you please share your knowledge. :wink:
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Yorkie.



This look like the Americana Classic Pen

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/s...mericana_Classic_Pen_Kit___amer_classic?Args=

look at the Product Instructions it may help


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## Yorkie UK (May 28, 2009)

Thanks Darley, that is a big help .. :good:



bettyt44720 said:


> the retro has two short barrels, thus four bushings. you need only use two bushings for your kit. when i make the retro i leave the center band out. i glue the tubes in from both ends, make sure there is no glue in the center of the blank, turn, finish.


 
Thanks for the tip Betty .. .:good:


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## babyblues (May 28, 2009)

skiprat said:


> CSUK should change their name to SUCK.



So, that would make them Supplies United Craft Kingdom.  Well, THAT doesn't make any sense!  :biggrin:


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## sbell111 (May 28, 2009)

That's a Rizheng kit.  Their part number for the bushings is RZ-47#Bushing.  I don't know much about this kit, so I have no clue if the bushings from another kit would work.


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## THarvey (May 28, 2009)

WoodWrite said:


> It looks somewhat like the PK-EXEC (Executive) pen, except the top does not come off as the transmission holds it on. I wish John's web link showed a better picture. I did not find anything on a Google search.



I thought the same thing.  The Executive using a 3/8" tube (0.375").  9 mm is approximately 0.354".  I wonder how much difference 0.021" would make in the turning?

Another thought:  Contact Johnnycnc with the measurments.  He might make you some.


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## sbell111 (May 28, 2009)

THarvey said:


> I thought the same thing.  The Executive using a 3/8" tube (0.375").  9 mm is approximately 0.354".  I wonder how much difference 0.021" would make in the turning?
> 
> Another thought:  Contact Johnnycnc with the measurments.  He might make you some.


The problem is, a 0.375" tube isn't going to fit in a 0.354" hole.  Therefore, these are not compatible kits.

Also, I'm nearly certain that the 'Secret Top' uses a cross refill, while the Exec uses a parker.


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## THarvey (May 28, 2009)

sbell111 said:


> The problem is, a 0.375" tube isn't going to fit in a 0.354" hole.  Therefore, these are not compatible kits.
> 
> Also, I'm nearly certain that the 'Secret Top' uses a cross refill, while the Exec uses a parker.




Yep.  Thinking backwards.  Sorry.


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## workinforwood (May 28, 2009)

Seems to me that if you are using a mandrel, you only need to find any bushings that will fit snuggly in whatever the tube is for that pen.  Once you have a bushing that fits in the hole, you simply turn the outside diameter using calipers to match the corresponding parts.  Turning between cones, is turning between centers.  You just mount a 60" center in the drive side and a 60 live center in the tail, instert the tubed blank between the two and spin carefully and lightly because if you tighten the tail too much you will expand the tube causing it to break the pen.  Either method though relies on the same thing, calipers to measure the end of the blank to the coressponding kit part.   If you have some corian laying around, you can drill a 1/4" hole in it and mount that on your mandrel.  Use a parting tool to make your own bushings out of the corian...again by using calipers of course.  Then you can use those bushings on the rest of the kits..just be sure and not sand or chisel your corian bushings once they are made to size or they will obviously become undersized.


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## bitshird (May 28, 2009)

WoodWrite said:


> It looks somewhat like the PK-EXEC (Executive) pen, except the top does not come off as the transmission holds it on. I wish John's web link showed a better picture. I did not find anything on a Google search.


but the exectutive is 3/8ths.


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## Yorkie UK (May 29, 2009)

workinforwood said:


> Seems to me that if you are using a mandrel, you only need to find any bushings that will fit snuggly in whatever the tube is for that pen. Once you have a bushing that fits in the hole, you simply turn the outside diameter using calipers to match the corresponding parts. Turning between cones, is turning between centers. You just mount a 60" center in the drive side and a 60 live center in the tail, instert the tubed blank between the two and spin carefully and lightly because if you tighten the tail too much you will expand the tube causing it to break the pen. Either method though relies on the same thing, calipers to measure the end of the blank to the coressponding kit part. If you have some corian laying around, you can drill a 1/4" hole in it and mount that on your mandrel. Use a parting tool to make your own bushings out of the corian...again by using calipers of course. Then you can use those bushings on the rest of the kits..just be sure and not sand or chisel your corian bushings once they are made to size or they will obviously become undersized.


 
Thanks workinforwood, this is in my kind of language, very clear and easy to understand... :good:


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## greeneyedblackcat (Jun 3, 2009)

Yorkie, That is a Rizheng kit, $2.60 each. You can see it here http://www.penkits.com.cn/login.asp Part # is RZ-47. I have included a user name and password if you want to check it out. Gold is the only finish available.Way bigger than a Retro, its about the size of a Sierra. The bushings are 94 cents plus airfare from CHINA :O

User = Guest
Password = 222333


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## sbell111 (Jun 3, 2009)

greeneyedblackcat said:


> Yorkie, That is a Rizheng kit, $2.60 each. You can see it here http://www.penkits.com.cn/login.asp Part # is RZ-47. I have included a user name and password if you want to check it out. Gold is the only finish available.Way bigger than a Retro, its about the size of a Sierra. The bushings are 94 cents plus airfare from CHINA :O
> 
> User = Guest
> Password = 222333


Somnetimes, when I'm reading through threads, I accidently don't realize that 1) the thread is more than one page long or 2) the question had already been answered several days prior.

Then I get embarrassed when I notice my mistake.


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## greeneyedblackcat (Jun 3, 2009)

sbell111 said:


> Somnetimes, when I'm reading through threads, I accidently don't realize that 1) the thread is more than one page long or 2) the question had already been answered several days prior.
> 
> Then I get embarrassed when I notice my mistake.


 
That's Funny, I don't recall anyone actually giving up the website plus a user name and password previously in this thread


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