# Plastic Schmastic?



## MatthewZS (Jan 31, 2011)

So I purchased a number of Olympian 2 Elite Kits.  For the most part these kits are very nice looking, no complains, well finished, etc....  However.....  The tail piece, I think refered to as the "Lower Cap" where the cap would post while you where writing looks horrible.  It's finished just fine but it's a dull black plastic very different from the piano polish black on the other parts and it just SCREAMS "cheap plastic junk".  Every kit is like this.  Anyone know if this is the norm or should I contact them and say something?

THanks.


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## thewishman (Jan 31, 2011)

Contact away. Improving the parts makes everyone look better and talking to the company directly is the best way to get results.


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## DurocShark (Jan 31, 2011)

Have you tried buffing one? I've never made that kit, but it may be worth the effort.

Or maybe it's time to start closed end pens!


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## MatthewZS (Jan 31, 2011)

I was planning on these (or at least most of them) becoming closed ended.... but I never throw away a part .... never know when I might use it for something.  But these look bad.... and yeah, I've tried buffing..... no luck.

I'll give them a call and see what they say


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## Dan_F (Feb 27, 2011)

I'll venture a guess - that it is matt finished because if it were gloss it would scuff badly in the event that anyone posted the cap on it. I never post caps on kit pens, as it throws the balance off rather badly. 

Dan


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## robutacion (Feb 27, 2011)

MatthewZS said:


> So I purchased a number of Olympian 2 Elite Kits.  For the most part these kits are very nice looking, no complains, well finished, etc....  However.....  The tail piece, I think refered to as the "Lower Cap" where the cap would post while you where writing looks horrible.  It's finished just fine but it's a dull black plastic very different from the piano polish black on the other parts and it just SCREAMS "cheap plastic junk".  Every kit is like this.  Anyone know if this is the norm or should I contact them and say something?
> 
> THanks.



Hi Matthew,

It happens that I done one of those kits yesterday for a gift, and I got curious when I read your post, as the ones I got from PSI nearly 1 year ago (maybe a little less, huh...? Ms. Keller!) have a glossy finish, actually all black parts of these kits is finished the same way, gloss...!

I took a few pics last night after I finished it, just for my own use but, even tough is hard to see  clearly that part of the pen, looking at the reflection of the clear stand at the bottom, you can see a shine on the black surface, something that would show if was matt.

I'm now aware that are various finishes on the black plastic parts so I will make sure the next time I order some I get the same as those I got now...!

Disclaimer:  The publication of my pics here is for the specific purpose of showing the plastic finish type in the kit used of the same name/type as the OP, only!

Cheers
George


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## JerrySambrook (Feb 27, 2011)

Actually George, you show the piece being refered to best in the last shot, and it is matte as "complained" about.

I also think it is what makes the pen a wee bit different, and would not change it, as I think it is a nice offset


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## robutacion (Feb 27, 2011)

*My mistake, sorry...!*

Well, I have to apologise and stand corrected as I was wrong...!

Was a while since I've done one of these and I honestly didn't take much notice of that plastic part, when I put the pen together was late at night and when I left the shed I put the pen over one of the printers and shot those pics, just for my records as the pen was going to be picked up the following day, Sunday morning.

When I read the first post in this thread, the first thing that come to mind was to open one of the pics of the I did and have a look, obviously I opened a couple of the ones where the part did appear to be shinning from the stand reflection so, I made my judgment call, based on that as I couldn't recall to have seen any major difference between the finishes of the black plastic parts when I assembled it. (I should be blind...!:redface

This morning I was still thinking about the issue so, I decided to go to the shed and have a look at some of these new kits never used and as I did, I certainly brought it to the outside daylight and made sure of what I had, and what I had was not was I said I did on the post so, I come upstairs to correct my statement, when I saw you picking up on my mistake.

I hadn't had a good look at the last pic until just now and most certainly, it doesn't show gloss as I said it was from the other pics, once again, my apologies...! that plastic part has indeed a matt finish...!

I particularly like this style pen and the kit is very inexpensive but the only part I seem to have problems with every so often, is the "coupler" which I tend to smash at the outer threads when assembling.  I use a hand clamp and I know, that is half of the problem, as any small misalignment between the clamp jaws will make the pressure be uneven at both ends but the one that is weaker and therefore smashes is the threaded end which will allow the cap to screw into.

Obviously, plastic parts are not as robust as metals/aluminium, etc., reason why most of the more expensive kits don't have much in plastics if any.
I wonder if parts like these are available for sale as spares...??? I gotta ask...!:wink:

Cheers
George


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## Richard Gibson (Mar 12, 2011)

Matthew. I agree with you about this pen. I like it except for the "cheap plastic" look. I sent an email to PSI. You should do the same. The more they hear how we turners don't like it, the sooner they will change it. (I also told them I won't be using this kit any longer because of the plastic lower cap.)


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## azamiryou (Mar 12, 2011)

I agree 100%, that finial screams "cheap plastic". I got two of these in PSI's "high-end kit" deal where if you buy two of them, you get the bushings, drill bits, and mill sleeves for free. After those two, I've never made another one because of that finial.

It seems to be a much softer plastic, and probably won't take a shine well. I think it's meant for posting the cap, and the softer plastic won't damage the cap threads. That's my guess, anyway. It still looks and feels way too cheap to be on a nice pen.

(On the other hand, no one I've shown the pens to seems to notice it.)


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