Rusty J Bar

[Fox Point]

Hi all. So I managed to get my non-funtional grey J open and replace the sac as per the excellent pinned instructions, but peeking into the barrel showed that the J bar is definitely rusty. I'm not sure how rusty, or whether this well be a problem if it isn't exposed to water in the future, or how to pull it and replace it (the important bit!) should it prove to be too rusty.

 

I look forward to your comments! I am keeping it open as of now, so that I don't have to pull the section again should I need to replace it. Very hard, though, with a bunch of nibs and ink just waiting on it being fitted back in...

 

Fox Point

[brewsky]

Definitely replace the j bar. I ordered a two piece j bar that I used for my dollar pen. No sense in halfways restoring a pen. If its already open, take some needle nose pliers and pull that sucker out and insert new.

[Fox Point]

How would I put a new one in? What about the shelf - pull that too? I would like to clean out the rust debris, but am not going to pull anything until I know how to put it all back together again. Am I missing any pinned J bar/shelf repair threads?

 

Thank you!

Fox Point

Edited October 18, 2014 by Fox Point

[OcalaFlGuy]

Removing and replacing a J-bar is stressful to it and should be avoided if not necessary.

 

Get a bright LED light to shine down in the barrel so you can see what's happening down there. If I see some light surface rust on the front half of the bar, I'm not so concerned. I'm much more concerned when I see rust on the final 1/3 of the bar towards the J. That's where it's already naturally stressed and rust will only speed up it failing there. If there is more than just light surface rust on it There, I pull it and clean all the rust off with 00/000 steel wool.

 

No need to replace bars willie nillie until you hear them go TING! (snap).

 

Removing them. 6" Stainless hemostats.

 

Replacing them. Fingers. Wooded coffee stirrer.

 

Sac trays. Dont mess with it.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[estie1948]

Bruce has a lot of experience with restoring Esterbrooks and he does quality work. If I were you, I would feel very comfortable following his advice. I would feel very comfortable following his advice and, while there are times when I may not fully agree with him, I have made a bit of a habit of following his advice. Now, I will go a bit further on this issue and admit that I replace a J-bar only as a last resort. I willingly admit that I have two pens, an Esterbrook LJ and a Sheaffer Balance, in which I really should have replaced the J-bars. While replacing the J-bar in some pens is easier than replacing the J-bar in others, the very idea of replacing a J-bar in any lever-filler makes me break out in a sweat. While I have been successful in replacing several J-bars, I would say that process is extremely stressful. So much so that, whenever I find myself with the feeling of confidence sufficient to replace a J-bar, I usually lay down until the feeling passes.

 

-David.

Edited October 19, 2014 by estie1948

[Fox Point]

I wish I could take a picture and show you, but the software on my phone doesn't allow it to do double duty as a torch and a camera.

 

I see rust, about 1 mm deep on each edge of the curve of the J bar. I also see quite a lot of rust dust around the bar where it is against the pen edge and at the very bottom of the pen. However, even close to the edge, I can see unrusted metal mixed in with the rust, which suggests that while it may be everywhere it isn't that deep. Pull and clean?

 

Thank you for your informative and humorous replies. Feeling faint, indeed!

 

Fox Point

[Fox Point]

Or, scrap the 1 mm bit - I'm not certain how wide a J bar curve is, but 2/3 rusty with a clean central 1/3 strip.

[jdllizard]

I would replace it given the info you've provided. They can easily be found, and for less than $5, I think it's worth it. All it takes is a needle nose pliers to gently yank out the old one, (it will sound and feel worse than it is), and something to push the new one into place, I use my needle nose to place it, make sure you have it lined up with the lever, then make sure it's pushed all the way in.

I've bought several things, including J-Bars, from these guys recently but am in no way affiliated.

 

http://fountainpensacs.com/j_and__pressure_bars.html

[brewsky]

I don't understand what is so stressful for everyone in regards to replacing a jbar. It is literally a thirty second process. I have done about five of them with no issues whatsoever.

[Fox Point]

Cheers all! I think I will order a replacement, try to find some fine steel wool, pull and clean the existing one and if the rust isn't very deep, put the original back and keep a spare. This will likely increase the stress of the process, with two potential replacements, but the original still has very good external condition at least! The tray will be Left Alone.

 

Is there much debate about the stress on the pen of replacing J bars?

 

Fox Point

[Freshink]

I've replaced two, and attempted a third. The first two went smooth as silk. It went so smooth, in fact, it seemed to make sense to me to just disassemble all my acquisitions in their entirety...that was until I started on number three.

 

The third one just wouldn't come out...kept getting hung up on the fill lever...I tried numerous times, and decided to abandon the attempt.

[Tweel]

If I can save an Esterbrook's j-bar, I do. They're nicer than the generic replacements, and have that stop punched into them that keeps the lever from flipping over.

[Hobiwan]

Is there much debate about the stress on the pen of replacing J bars?

 

 

There can be. New replacement J-bars have more strength, and are not made to Esty specs (the curved part of the "J" flares out farther than the original). So I take needle nosed pliers and bend it in a bit, so there's just enough stress against the barrel to hold it well. This'll prevent any chance of "barrel pregnancy" occurring.

[Fox Point]

Hmm! So it seems like getting the rust off the original would be best, if it isn't too compromised. Would I be able to do so with micromesh instead of fine steel wool? If I could use an option I have on hand, that would be great.

 

Fox Point

[pajaro]

 

There can be. New replacement J-bars have more strength, and are not made to Esty specs (the curved part of the "J" flares out farther than the original). So I take needle nosed pliers and bend it in a bit, so there's just enough stress against the barrel to hold it well. This'll prevent any chance of "barrel pregnancy" occurring.

 

Thank you. That explains the "barrel pregnancy" I have seen and wondered what caused it.

[FarmBoy]

Isn't the Rusty-J Bar a dive on the South side of Gretna just off County Road BB (that's Double .

[Brian Anderson]

Hmm! So it seems like getting the rust off the original would be best, if it isn't too compromised. Would I be able to do so with micromesh instead of fine steel wool? If I could use an option I have on hand, that would be great.

 

Fox Point

I use an emory board. cheap and quicker than using micro-mesh

[Flounder]

Cotton buds in a dremel tool + autosol polish, nice!

 

http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Summit%20S125/SummitS125JBarRemoval010.jpg

 

http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Summit%20S125/SummitS125JBarRemoval014.jpg

Edited October 24, 2014 by Flounder

[Fox Point]

Emery sounds great, but oh my, Flounder, I wish I had a dremel!

 

Fox Point

[Flounder]

It's just a generic dremel-style mini thingy, nothing special.