Hi,

I just got a Deluxe button fill Wearever with a great pattern, and even one of those marvelous semi-encased gold nibs, and it's barely used. However it was probably poorly stored, and the little black plug that holds the button (top hat style I think it's called), and has the threads for the blind cap, has shrunk and popped out of the barrel. I used a small rat tail jewelers file to open up the hole in the plug for the button to move smoothly, but the trick now is getting the plug to stay in the pen barrel, and to be seated well so that the blink cap will fit correctly (it too is ever so lightly droopy, and so this isn't a forgiving situation!) I'm not sure, but it seems like a slightly different material -- a bit flexible perhaps.

This little plug is loose enough that I think it might need some build-up or infill, AND, I'm not sure of how, once that's done, to correctly seat it without the blind cap screwed on, which would seem to risk gluing or fusing the blind cap! Silicone carefully applied to the inside threads and bottom edge of the blind cap?

Suggestions for materials? for methods?

The next problem is that this must have begun as one of the partially clear sections, however, most of the black has come off the top part of the section. I assume that if I carefully dip it into the right black stuff it will again appear to be solid black. What might that black stuff be???


Thanks for any suggestions!

ciao,
Gretchen

Hi Gretchen,

Sorry, just to clarify, is the problem to do with the blind cap....or the little threaded bit onto which the blind cap fits?

From reading your post, I am guessing:
(a.) it is the little threaded bit
and
(b.) the part has become loose and you are asking how to make it stay in place so that the blind cap will still thread onto it, without the part become stuck on the blind cap.

Am I right?

Hi, yes thank you, that is exactly correct! I wasn't too sure what to call the little threaded bit! It appears to have been originally held in with a single dab of black goop. And it is quite loose -- loose enough to wobble and hence change the angle on the thread.

I was also wondering, after scraping off the bits of corrosion on the pressure bar, if there is anything else to do that might help at least slow its disintegration.

All suggestions welcome!

ciao,
Gretchen

It's probably gone for good -- it was shellaced in at the factory, most likely, but if it's hard rubber or bad celluloid (equally likely), it's shrunken and there is no way to every get it to stay in place.

You need a replacement -- check with Richard Binder or Ron Zorn (and maybe others, Tom Mullane may be able to help, too) who can turn one for you.

Peter