# slimline without a center band



## ryannmphs (Jan 19, 2005)

Would there be anything special that I would have to do to make a slimline pen that does not use the center band?  Make the top tube longer to take up the space? 

I have an idea for a custom pen, but to do it I don't want to use the center band (or I could use a piece of the same wood as the center band but I want as few seams as possible).

Thanks

Ryan


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## Fred in NC (Jan 19, 2005)

Ryan, if you take the centerband out of a slimlline and put the pen back together, you will still have a functional pen.  It will be a bit shorter, that is all.  

The reason I make the top tube about 3/16" longer when I don't use the factory centerband is for looks.  Look in my pic album, there are some pens I made that way.


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## woodscavenger (Jan 19, 2005)

Fred, does that mean that you buy generic tubing and cut you r own length to get that 3/16"?


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## Old Griz (Jan 19, 2005)

You can either buy the generic tubes and cut to length or make a shorter pen by cutting the lower tube a little shorter, but if you do it that way.. you have to be careful about inserting the mechanism...


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## DCBluesman (Jan 19, 2005)

I extend the top blank about 4mm to make up for the lack of centerband.  Keeps the original look and feel.  Remember, though, that the cap end needs to have the brass tube flush with it.  Either leave the 4mm extra length in the center unsupported or cut a small piece of brass to fit inside it (my preferred method as the thinness of the wood would make it susceptible to breaking).


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## Fred in NC (Jan 19, 2005)

For longer barrels I buy 10" long 7 mm brass tubes from Woodturningz.  I cut them to size. Makes a stronger pen. 

Cutting tubes is easier if you make a jig. Cut a blank out of soft wood, like pine.  Drill your hole as usual.  Then cut lengthwise so one side of the blank will be slit down to the hole.

This little jig allows you to put the tube inside, and clamp it in a vise with the slit on top. I use a razor saw from a hobby shop to cut the brass tube. The tube retains its round shape this way.




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I apologize for the pic, I will try to take a better one tomorrow.


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## its_virgil (Jan 19, 2005)

I make the bottom  longer when I don't use a CB. I get tubes for the euro and use the longer tube on the bottom of thje slimline. The transmission must be pressed in a little furhter. Sometimes I have made the top too short with a regular length bottom  and the pen did not work.  The longer bottom is pleasing to my eye, but, hey Fred, Your pens look great, so don't change what you do. It would be a boring place to hang if we all did the same thing. Diversity is in the house!
Do a good turn daily!
Don


> _Originally posted by Fred in NC_
> <br />Ryan, if you take the centerband out of a slimlline and put the pen back together, you will still have a functional pen.  It will be a bit shorter, that is all.
> 
> The reason I make the top tube about 3/16" longer when I don't use the factory centerband is for looks.  Look in my pic album, there are some pens I made that way.


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## tipusnr (Jan 19, 2005)

I don't lengthen either the bottom or top when I leave the centerband off.  If anyone notices...they haven't said anything.  In fact, they will fit better in some of the dress shirts that have shallower pockets.

Kind of no blood, no foul!!


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## ryannmphs (Jan 19, 2005)

Thanks for all the tips and advice.

When cutting the long pen tubes can you use a pipe cutter, like the one used for your household plumbing, or does that not go small enough?

Thanks again.

Ryan


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## DCBluesman (Jan 19, 2005)

That's exactly what I use, Ryan!


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## RussFairfield (Jan 19, 2005)

The center-band serves a valuable function. It hides any differences in diameter, wood grain, and eccentricity between the two ends. Very small variances in any of the three become obvious when they are butted together without a center-band.


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## Fred in NC (Jan 19, 2005)

Russ, look in my album for a few variations of Russ-line pens.  I wonder who that Russ is that I copied the ideas from . . .


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## its_virgil (Jan 19, 2005)

If the ends that meet are squared precisely with the tubes, the blanks can be butted against each other on the lathe and the diameters where they meet can be exactly the same and the seam is almost invisible. These aren't perfect, but are pretty darn close.
Do a good turn daily!
Don




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> _Originally posted by RussFairfield_
> <br />The center-band serves a valuable function. It hides any differences in diameter, wood grain, and eccentricity between the two ends. Very small variances in any of the three become obvious when they are butted together without a center-band.


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## Fred in NC (Jan 19, 2005)

I totally agree, Don!   Some designs require a little more care and planing.  Nice pens, Don.


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## ryannmphs (Jan 19, 2005)

Don, nice pens there.  That's about what I was planning and I just knew it had been done before.  Guess that's like re-inventing the wheel?

Ryan


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## woodscavenger (Jan 19, 2005)

I like the idea of the bandless slimlines.  I can buy the cheap slimline kits but make a little more robust and full like some of the other kits and not have them look like a woman with a corsett laced too tight.  Right now I do have problem with the squareness issue, but I have a set of barrel trimmers on order so I hope to soon rectify the situation.  I think I need a little fine tuning on my chop saw as well.


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## woodpens (Jan 19, 2005)

Nice looking pens, Don. I personally prefer a separation material whether it be pick guard or knife separation material. It is awfully hard to make a seamless transition between the top and bottom. A fine black line, or whatever color you like, makes it look less like a mistake to me when the grain isn't perfectly aligned.


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## Gary (Jan 19, 2005)

> _Originally posted by woodscavenger_
> <br />I can buy the cheap slimline kits but make a little more robust and full like some of the other kits and not have them look like a woman with a corsett laced too tight.



Don't get too macho...The Corset was my most requested pen style last month with the ladies.


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## its_virgil (Jan 20, 2005)

I am personally not a fan of the wasp waist pen, or the corset style. Lots of them are made and look nice and this is just a perosnal taste matter with me. As far as the CB or no CB, I have come to like some kind of CB as a transition between the two halves as Jum mentioned. Again, just a matter of personal taste. I don't see many of these modified slimlines sans CB. I put these up just to point out that a "no CB" look is possible. It doesn't have to look like a mistake. The transition between the two halves can be made to look like it was planned if that is the look one wants. I have become a real fan of picguard and other thin plastics sheets. Credit cards make a nice thin separation. 

thanks for the possitive comments on the CB-less pens. I think those were the last ones I've made. I've become a real fan of Russ' takeoff on the KC twist, the russline and have tweaked it a little to make it a little more me. I make the bottom a little longer and recess the finial and clip a little. I also like Russ' fatline and do the same with it. Thanks Russ for the instructions. Here's another sample.
Do a good turn daily!
don



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## woodpens (Jan 20, 2005)

Very nice looking pens, Don. It is amazing what you can do with a slimline, huh? Good job!


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## its_virgil (Jan 20, 2005)

Thanks again Jim. There is no end to what can be done with the slimline.....limited only by one's imagination. It is a very versatile and forgiving kit.
Do a good turn daily!
Don


> _Originally posted by woodpens_
> <br />Very nice looking pens, Don. It is amazing what you can do with a slimline, huh? Good job!


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## Andy Ryan (Jan 20, 2005)

I much perfer a slim lin w/o a center band.  It allows a much more robust pen.  For Those that have problems with thier hands it allows an comfortaable grip.  I also shows the wood grain off more.  You can see pictures of this in my album.  I am waiting on a delivery from BB right now for some of the bigger pens to try.


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## woodscavenger (Jan 20, 2005)

What is pick guard?  By the way the credit card idea sounds cool.  I am going to look around.  Maybe my wife won't miss hers.


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## Fred in NC (Jan 20, 2005)

I think when we say "center band" we are referring to the skinny one that comes with the pens.  But this is confusing, because we make center bands too, and usually they are not the skinny ones.

As far as the "kit center bands" goes, I make pens with and without the skinny bands.  While a robust pen is easier to grip, I find some demand for skinnier pens too.  For example, some women like to keep a pen INSIDE the checkbook.  I make some slimlines with just a little curve in the barrels.  They look better than the straight pens, and still fit in the checkbook.

My best selling slimlines look a lot like Don's gym floor pens above.  Kind of like a KC or Russline pen.


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## jwoodwright (Jan 20, 2005)

Thepickguard is nice with a slimline.  I too dislike the "wasp" look.[:I]


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## its_virgil (Jan 20, 2005)

Picguard is a plastic material of laminated colors that guitar makers use under the strings on the guitar to guard the guitar from the pic scratching it. Hence the word, picguard. Google pictguard or luthier supplies and you'll find some.  
do a good turn daily!
Don
If you have no luck I'll postg a link later today.


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> _Originally posted by woodscavenger_
> <br />What is pick guard?  By the way the credit card idea sounds cool.  I am going to look around.  Maybe my wife won't miss hers.


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## its_virgil (Jan 20, 2005)

Here is a link to pickguard. Luthiers look at the surface color, but we use it for the edge pattern. I like the white/black/white, black/white/black, b/w/b/w/b, red/white/red/, yellow/white/yellow/, y?b/y and others similar. There are other sources. Searching on pickguard gives better results than picguard. 
Do a good turn daily!
Don


> _Originally posted by woodscavenger_
> <br />What is pick guard?  By the way the credit card idea sounds cool.  I am going to look around.  Maybe my wife won't miss hers.


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## esheffield (Jan 20, 2005)

I have a few BOW slimlines without the stock CB in my album. I also cut new tubes from extra stock. Tried a tubing cutter first, but squished the ends too much and I had to ream them out a bit after that. May just be my technique. Use a razor saw now. I'll have to try that jig - I've been wrestling with them in the x-acto miter box.

Out of curiosity, I did a search for "pick guard" over at http://www.grizzly.com and turned up several results. Never used it myself, just remembered Grizzly has been getting into guitar stuff more and more. Their president's hobby apparently.

Eddie


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## Fred in NC (Jan 20, 2005)

Eddie, my little tube cutting jig actually holds the tube with just finger pressure!  Use soft wood like pine. I hold the jig in my vise.   

10" tubes are available in 7, 8, 10 mm, and 3/8" at this time.


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## DCBluesman (Jan 20, 2005)

Here's my favorite links for pick guard material.  http://www.warmoth.com/pickguards/pickguards.cfm?fuseaction=guitar_pickguards_main
http://www.warmoth.com/pickguards/pickguards.cfm?fuseaction=pickgaurds_g_material


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## RussFairfield (Jan 20, 2005)

The next big decision after the pen is made with a perfect diameter and grain match - is it displayed with the writing tip extended or retracted??

Life must be good if that is all I have to worry about.


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## its_virgil (Jan 20, 2005)

Retracted...the position it will be in most of the time and where most people will look at it. But, I understand...I spend lots of time trying to dicide on the same thing myself.  And, yes, life is good.  
Do a good turn daily!
Don


> _Originally posted by RussFairfield_
> <br />The next big decision after the pen is made with a perfect diameter and grain match - is it displayed with the writing tip extended or retracted??
> 
> Life must be good if that is all I have to worry about.


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## ryannmphs (Jan 20, 2005)

I agree retracted - when I hand someone a pen to look at it's usually coming from my shirt pocket.

WOW, lots of info here!!

Thanks to all!

Ryan


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## woodscavenger (Jan 20, 2005)

I usually line mine up retracted.  Here at home it doesn't matter however.  My wife does not have an eye for wood and I usually get the "yea, so, it's a brown wood" look from her most of the time.  Oh well, she got the looks, I got the woodturning skill.  I'll take that trade off every time.


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## Gregory Huey (Jan 20, 2005)

I line up retacted and align the clip with the grain that is pointing toward the nib end.


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