Estie Restore Question 2, Getting The Lever Tight

[Witsius]

On my last post, Ron Zorn posted suggesting I grind down the channels on the new Jbar so that the lever would close firmly into the barrel. I ground the channels as far as I dare (there is a little bit of channel left). If I grind any more, I may wind up grinding the spring.

 

The lever has some play in it. It did with the old Jbar as well. I'm not sure that grinding the channel flush to the spring would solve the problem, and I don't want to damage the spring. Is there another way to get the lever to snap back tight? What else could I do? Suggestions?

[ac12]

Get a damaged/broken Esterbrook, and hope that the J-bar is in decent condition, and scavenge the J-bar from it.

That is what I do.

 

It could also be that the end of the lever is worn, and nothing but a lever replacement (or build up of the worn part) would fix that.

 

Alternatively, just live with the lever not being tight.

[Witsius]

I think I have the problem licked. I bent a little bump in the spring right about where the end of the lever rests against it when closed. Seems to be working like a charm.

[gweimer1]

I think I have the problem licked. I bent a little bump in the spring right about where the end of the lever rests against it when closed. Seems to be working like a charm.

 

Good deal! The more I work on these, the more I'm finding that the J bar is an art form all by itself. I have a few perfectly good J bars that don't seem to match up to a pen well, and I've also checked the lever ring inside the barrel.

[pajaro]

Esterbrook must have made a whole lot of these pens, and there must be production variations and vagaries. "Art form" would describe this part of a restoration well. In the past replacement parts for anything would have to be adjusted in various ways to fit or work. Too much today we just replace parts.