Vacumatic Blind Cap Stuck On Retaining Collar

[VacNut]

I am looking for a clever idea.

 

I do not remember when I purchased the pen. I was cleaning a Vacumatic and the retaining collar for the filler screwed off from the barrel when I went to remove the blind cap. The cap is tight on the collar and I cannot remove the cap. Inside the cap is the brass cap for the spring. I have repeatedly tried dry heat without luck. The tapered profile of the end cap is difficult to grip, even with section pliers.

Has anyone comes across this problem? Any clever ideas on how to remove the collar?

[VacNut]

Sorry, I forgot to mention I also tried several dips into Naptha without success.

[joss]

If I am correct, these blind caps have an aluminium bush so possibly the bush is corroded onto the collar. So I would start by dropping a micro amount of penetrating oil onto the threads where they meet the blind cap, avoiding oil on the plastic (although it already withstanded a Naphta soak), and allow the oil to sit there a few days.

 

To enhance grip on (and protect) the blind cap I would cover it with tape or a piece of rubber. I would do the same with the collar or fabricate a small plastic ring that fits the collar threads and that allows you to firmly grip the collar with a plier without ruining the threads. The Loggerhead "Bionic Wrench" is an ideal tool for such work provided that you can safely protect the object that you are wrenching.

[FarmBoy]

I'm afraid to say the filler is likely dead with the top pulled off--is the shaft split at the top of the tube?

 

You want to heat only the celluloid. If you own a proper sized vac wrench for the exposed end of the filler grip the threads with that to get a good hold then heat the celluloid (remove the jewel) and then grip with a rubber sheet and it should come off. If the threads on the filler nut are messed up you may need to drill it out, no big loss the jam nuts are not in short supply relative to the other parts of the lock-down filler mechanism.

[VacNut]

Thank you for the advice.

The filler was a complete loss, as the alum sleeve was cracked.

I tried the Vac Wrench, except the end cap is for an OS, so the jam nuts are a larger diameter than the wrench. It looks like at one time the tassie came off the pen and a previous owner “jammed” the end jewel into the threads as it does not unscrew. Does anyone know a method to remove the end jewel? Is it possible to gently knock out the jewel from inside the cap?

In looking through the forum post, it looks like dry heat, a rubber sleeve to grip the end cap, and pliers with protected jaws may be the best option.

I will give it a try and report back