Skyline Cap Question

[1maddog1]

I have a skyline in which the derby has sheared off even with the gold cap. Any suggestions on how to remove this?

[rtrinkner]

Is the derby one of the standard plastic musrhoom-shaped derbies? In which case the threaded portion remains inside the cap, while the dome portion has come off in your hand?

 

It's not hard to get a replacement derby (there are some black and blue ones on sale on eBay at the moment, if I remember right). If you can get a replacement in the right color, I'd be tempted to just drill the sheared stump out of the cap (being careful not to damage the inner threads of the cap). You can probably just drill a bit of a hole in the top and then use a larger screw driver wedged into the drilled hole to unscrew the remains. If the derby remnants are stuck inside the cap, I'd try ultrasounding and then some heat before trying to unscrew it out.

 

If you want to try to glue the two pieces together to reuse them, you'll need to be minimalist in your drilling so as to leave as much as possible of the stump left to glue to the dome top. The glued/repaired derby will take stress whenever the pocket clip is used, so you'll want to make sure that the two pieces are really well attached. Again, since finding replacement derbies is pretty cheap, I'd recommend getting a new derby that will be structurally sound.

 

And pray that a previous tinkerer didn't superglue the derby into the cap. :-)

 

Richard

Edited February 23, 2015 by rtrinkner

[rtrinkner]

Here's a link to the eBay auction for the spare derbies. They're brown or blue. There are some other auctions for single derbies of different colors as well.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Whal-Skyline-w15300-Top-for-Skyline-Caps-Brown-Navy-color-Fountain-Pen-Parts-/131420845523?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e994af5d3

[1maddog1]

Is the derby one of the standard plastic musrhoom-shaped derbies? In which case the threaded portion remains inside the cap, while the dome portion has come off in your hand?

 

 

 

Thanks, and you've described this correctly. I actually have a spare derby, but have thus far been unable to get it to budge.

[viclip]

 

Thanks, and you've described this correctly. I actually have a spare derby, but have thus far been unable to get it to budge.

 

What have you been doing in your attempt(s) to remove the derby's stump from out of the inner cap?

[1maddog1]

 

What have you been doing in your attempt(s) to remove the derby's stump from out of the inner cap?

 

The threaded portion of the derby is even with the top of the cap. I used a dremmel to carefully cut slots on opposite sides of the remaining part of the derby. I then cut a piece of sheet metal to fashion a "screwdriver' to unscrew the derby. I thus far can't get it to budge.

[viclip]

 

The threaded portion of the derby is even with the top of the cap. I used a dremmel to carefully cut slots on opposite sides of the remaining part of the derby. I then cut a piece of sheet metal to fashion a "screwdriver' to unscrew the derby. I thus far can't get it to budge.

The derby may have been shellacked in place &/or otherwise stuck to the inner cap, which latter item you don't want to crack. I would apply dry heat to the last inch or so of the cap area as though you were removing a shellacked section & then gently try to unscrew the stump. BEFORE doing that however, to guard against releasing the inner cap from the outer cap, I would insert a thin wire through both air vents in the cap so as to maintain the position of the inner cap relative to the outer cap. Note that the holes aren't at 180 degrees, more like 150 degrees, but you can thread the wire through if you bend it prior to insertion in the entry hole. Then if the inner cap does let go during the stump extraction process, you can easily wicker some shellac between the inner cap & the outer cap to re-institute the seal. This is the easiest method to configure these items.

[rtrinkner]

You might try soaking/ultrasounding, too, in addition to the heat. There's probably dried ink in the derby's threads. You could also try applying a few drops of alcohol to where the threads will contact the inside of the cap. Alcohol can mar or dull plastics, so keep it off of anything that will be visible from the outside. Some of the wiser minds on this board may be able to suggest other solvents.