Suggestions For Section Ring Repair

[macball]

As I understand it, there are have been two designs for the end of the section in MB 146s. In one design the end ring is a plastic flange cast with the feed. When the feed is screwed into the barrel the flange forms the ring at the end of the section. In the other design the end ring is a separate piece that is adhered to the section. It is clearly attached to, rather than cast with, the section because the plastic ring is a different color (in the case of the 146R the ring is darker and has a different red hue from the section) and texture from the section (gloss section; matte ring). Under high magnification you can see where a possible adhesive was applied because there is a residue on both the section and the ring. If this residue is an adhesive then it could have been applied during the manufacturing process or is evidence of a prior repair that failed.

 

The end ring makes contact with the inside of the cap forming a seal that prevents the nib/feed from drying out, so it is an important part of the pen. If there were a leak of ink or moisture in the cap it would serve a minor role of preventing it from leaking out of a capped pen. This would be a minor role because as soon as the pen was uncapped the ink/moisture would come out of the pen anyway. Overtightening of the cap may form a snug fit between the ring with the cap interior, breaking the adhesive bond between the section and the end ring. When I acquired the pen I assumed that the end ring was missing, but eventually figured out that it was stuck inside the cap.

 

This problem has been described on this forum before on a black 146 of this design. The poster was advised to send the pen for repair knowing that many parts might be replaced and followed that advice. One member suggested that I purchase a new feed with the integral end ring, which he happened to have. Unfortunately, the feed threads are different on the two designs and this was not a solution.

 

This is the only issue with this pen and it seems as if sending it to MB for a $100+ level 1 repair is an expensive solution. Would I be advised to repair this myself? If so, what adhesive would have been used by MB to glue the two parts together when this design was manufactured? The residue appears to be cyanoacrylate (crazy glue) but I don't know if this adhesive would have the strength to bond the two pieces together sufficiently to resist the shear forces when unscrewing the cap. On the other hand, perhaps the two pieces were fused with heat and the residue is simply the surface where the two parts were connected. The two parts are clearly different plastics so they must have been put together somehow.

 

Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

[CS388]

On the black pens (I have no experience of the146R), the collar is part of the feed case, which fits inside the section. It is made from a different material to the section and this is visibly apparent. These collars can become brittle and fragile with use - and can end up breaking off completely, like the one in your picture.

 

I'm not sure if gluing this piece back into place will be an effective fix, as I'm not sure that it's a separate piece?

If the reisdue that you can see is definitely glue (not sealant?), then I would guess that your pen may have been previously repaired? There should be no glue at that joint - as far as I'm aware.

 

I have seen collared feed cases (including the burgundy/bordeaux variant) for sale on ebay, in the past.

My guess would be that replacing the feed case would be the best repair, in the long run.

 

Good luck.

[macball]

There are two versions of BOTH the black 146 and the burgundy 146R. The ring collar was never part of the feed case in my pen. It is a completely separate piece. There would be no glue or sealant at the joint only in pens where the ring is part of the feeder case. I was offered a collared feed case as a solution, but I can see from my other pens with a collared feed case that this is not the same. Furthermore, the collared feed cases in both black and burgundy 146s have a different thread than the non-collared feed cases so will not fit the barrel.

[macball]

Here is the difference between the two designs.

Black 146 feeder case with integral section ring:

 

Burgundy 146R feeder case with integral section ring:

 

146 feeder case without section ring used in both 146 and 146R:

 

This is what the barrel would look like on my 146R. This is a 146. Note that the end ring is attached to the section, not the feeder case:

 

The fracture point on my pen is between the section and the ring. The ring was never part of, or attached, to the feeder case. It is possible, but I am skeptical that the residue on the ring and section (complementary surfaces) was due to a previous repair. There is no glue residue on the feed case or on the section which would have been difficult to do without taking the pen apart. Furthermore, the picture above shows an example of the ring attached directly to the barrel in a 146.

 

I would like to know how that ring is attached to the section.