Parker Duofold Deluxe - Cap Not Screwing On

[Joehek]

Hi All,

 

I have a problem with a beautiful Parker Duofold Deluxe that I picked up a few weeks ago. The problem is the cap will not screw on when I put the nib section on the pen. I tried removing the derby because I thought perhaps the nib was placed too high but that did not work either, still will not close. When I remove the section it closes fine (see photo) only when I have the section on the pen is when I experience the problem. It almost seems as though the section is being blocked from moving up the cap thus not allowing a complete connection to the threads. I did use an ultrasonic cleaner but I checked the threads through a loop and they all seem to be okay. Any suggestions beyond sending this off for repair? Thank you in advance!

 

 

Joe

 

Edited March 22, 2015 by Joehek

[icardoth]

You can try to reduce the length of the inner cap. This way the cap can go further into the threads. But you need to be very carefull, as the nib can touch the inner cap botton and damage itself. To avoid this problem you can try to seat the nib & feed deeper into the section.

[Joehek]

Thank you icardoth, is there a specific procedure to reduce the length of the inner cap?

[penmanila]

Trial and error, pretty much. I get rough sandpaper and shave off as much as I need to make the threads engage without pushing up the nib against the inner top of the cap. Shaving off too little is better than shaving off too much.

[Joehek]

Thank you penmanila.

[kirchh]

Altering the inner cap will have no effect. Joe wrote, "I tried removing the derby because I thought perhaps the nib was placed too high but that did not work either."

 

--Daniel

[Joehek]

Daniel,

 

Can you recommend anything?

[daffie]

Hi,

 

You can also try to put the nib and feed further in the section.

 

Regards,

daffie

[kirchh]

You can also try to put the nib and feed further in the section.

 

Putting the nib and feed further in the section.will have no effect. Joe wrote, "I tried removing the derby because I thought perhaps the nib was placed too high but that did not work either."

 

--Daniel

[kirchh]

Daniel,

 

Can you recommend anything?

 

If the cap cannot move far enough down the carrel to catch the threads without the cap's blind cap ("derby") installed, something inside the cap seems to be interfering with the section. This is unusual. Take a look down into the cap tube from the top with the blind cap removed and see if you can observe the front edge of the section striking some obstruction or narrowing inside the cap as you attempt to screw the cap on.

 

--Daniel

[mitto]

It might be the nib itself and not the nib section. I am fraid the nib is not properly installed. As can be seen in the picture, it looks too high as if not seated at all and may be the width of the wings of the nib is interfering with the pen to go up the narrow cap top. Well, just a guess. If you can remove the nib altogether and see if that solves the problem.

[Joehek]

Mitto, the nib is as low as I can get it, the nib should not matter because I have taken the derby off and it still does not screw on but thank you for the suggestion.

 

Daniel,

 

I checked the cap with the loop and I cannot see any obstruction. I think it boils down to two things:

 

1. Somehow durning the ultrasonic clean the threads were effected, can they be re-threaded?

2. The section somehow expanded and will not move up the cap as far as it once could (less likely scenario).

[kirchh]

Mitto, the nib is as low as I can get it, the nib should not matter because I have taken the derby off and it still does not screw on but thank you for the suggestion.

 

Daniel,

 

I checked the cap with the loop and I cannot see any obstruction. I think it boils down to two things:

 

1. Somehow durning the ultrasonic clean the threads were effected, can they be re-threaded?

2. The section somehow expanded and will not move up the cap as far as it once could (less likely scenario).

 

If the cap shell screws on with the section removed, but it does not screw on with the section installed, the section is hitting something in the cap shell that prevents the barrel from entering the cap past a certain point. Did you look down into the cap as you place the cap shell onto the barrel with the section installed? Did you identify what part of the section is hitting some part of the interior of the cap?

 

--Daniel

[farmdogfan]

Maybe the section had been replaced with a wrong one.

[Joehek]

It is the correct section, it was the only pen I had been working on.

 

Daniel, I did not see any obstruction going into the cap.... This one truly has me stumped!

Edited March 24, 2015 by Joehek

[mitto]

It seems some kind of deshaping has taken place either in the section or the cap shell during the cleaning process.

[Joehek]

Apprecaite all the help folks, I am giving up and will send it out for repair.

[Ron Z]

So, to clarify, you tried putting the cap on with inner cap (not derby) in place and the section in the barrel. It wouldn't go in

 

You tried threading the cap on with the section out, and it went in.

 

You tried threading the cap on with the section in the pen and the inner cap removed - it would not screw on, or I gather go in.

 

To paraphrase Sherlock Holmes, if all other possibilities have been eliminated whatever remains, however improbable, must be the answer.

 

The barrel fits into the cap with the section out, but not with the section in place. Therefore there must be something going on with the section. The section should clear (as in not touch) the inner wall of the cap, it should be smaller in diameter than the threads of the barrel. Look at the nib end to make sure that nothing is sticking out, look at the thread end of the section to make sure that the section does not stick out past the barrel at any point.

[kirchh]

Daniel, I did not see any obstruction going into the cap.... This one truly has me stumped!

 

You said that without the section, the barrel goes far enough in to engage the threads, but with the section in place, the barrel can't enter the cap shell far enough for the threads to engage. Therefore, the section is contacting something in the cap shell that is preventing it from penetrating past a certain point.

 

Try putting just the section into the cap shell (without the blind cap installed, obviously). Does the section stop at a certain point, or does it pass all the way through?

 

--Daniel

[Joehek]

Thank you all for the assistance and sorry for the delayed reply as I was traveling. Turns out the issue was with the cap, something happened to it in the ultrasonic cleaner. I tried to use the cap on another duofold with the same result.