Repairing jewel on Estie cap

[HokieGeek]

I have an extra cap for a green SJ which is in awesome condition other than a crushed jewel. I would love to swap out its jewel with another, but I don't seem to notice an easy way to do this. Does it just screw on? Did it probably get crushed by someone attempting to do the same thing I want to do? Thanks!

[asimplemaestro]

Where'd ya get that junkie cap anyway? ;-)

[FarmBoy]

I have an extra cap for a green SJ which is in awesome condition other than a crushed jewel. I would love to swap out its jewel with another, but I don't seem to notice an easy way to do this. Does it just screw on? Did it probably get crushed by someone attempting to do the same thing I want to do? Thanks!

The jewel is press fit. To remove it you need to take out the inner cap and then drive the jewel out using a long narrow punch. If you try to pry it out it will almost always crack or chip or something else bad.

 

Finding a donor jewel is not impossible and several people are known to make replacements from steel, plastic, and even copper.

 

For a good used jewel figure ~5 and shipping. The larger J cap jewels and the odd colored jewels are more when you can find them for sale. The usual way to get one is to buy a whole pen and part it out. This unfortunately leaves you exactly where you started, with a pen minus a jewel.

 

Todd

 

 

[Ron Z]

Close - most of the ring type buttons are press fit. But there are some that are threaded in. Mostly found on the so called transitional pens. The ribbed buttons are threaded.

 

The best way to get at the button is to remove the inner cap, put the top of the cap on a knock-out block, and bump the stud out. The button presses in. Press, don't whack it with a hammer. A dowel mounted in a drill press pressing the cap down from the inside, with a block of wood and a piece of leather to cushon the button under it. Don't use any more force than you have to.

 

Many years ago, before I got a lathe, I made several buttons using cast 1/2" acrylic rod stock, some wood carving tools and a 1/2" drill clamped in a vice. Crude, but it worked. Just be careful and watch your fingers if you decide to do something like that.

[OcalaFlGuy]

Unfortunately, a limiting factor to me now in progressing much more with Estie repairs is that pesky inner cap and thusly the required inner cap

puller.

 

Even one in a specific size to fit the Estie cap would be $50. A nice one that fit's more than one size cap is $125.

 

That's a fairly substantual investment for someone just doing this for fun.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

 

 

[HokieGeek]

Where'd ya get that junkie cap anyway? ;-)

I love a project

 

I have an extra cap for a green SJ which is in awesome condition other than a crushed jewel. I would love to swap out its jewel with another, but I don't seem to notice an easy way to do this. Does it just screw on? Did it probably get crushed by someone attempting to do the same thing I want to do? Thanks!

The jewel is press fit. To remove it you need to take out the inner cap and then drive the jewel out using a long narrow punch. If you try to pry it out it will almost always crack or chip or something else bad.

 

Finding a donor jewel is not impossible and several people are known to make replacements from steel, plastic, and even copper.

 

For a good used jewel figure ~5 and shipping. The larger J cap jewels and the odd colored jewels are more when you can find them for sale. The usual way to get one is to buy a whole pen and part it out. This unfortunately leaves you exactly where you started, with a pen minus a jewel.

 

Todd

Oh very good to know... inner cap... so very good to know about this. I have sort of been banging and mucking with this cap. I should have first asked this question :bonk:

 

Unfortunately, a limiting factor to me now in progressing much more with Estie repairs is that pesky inner cap and thusly the required inner cap

puller.

 

Even one in a specific size to fit the Estie cap would be $50. A nice one that fit's more than one size cap is $125.

 

That's a fairly substantual investment for someone just doing this for fun.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

Oh well geez! I had no clue I still haven't even spent $125 on a single pen, let alone on a tool to work on them! :blink:

[OcalaFlGuy]

Unfortunately, a limiting factor to me now in progressing much more with Estie repairs is that pesky inner cap and thusly the required inner cap

puller.

 

Even one in a specific size to fit the Estie cap would be $50. A nice one that fit's more than one size cap is $125.

 

That's a fairly substantual investment for someone just doing this for fun.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

Oh well geez! I had no clue I still haven't even spent $125 on a single pen, let alone on a tool to work on them! :blink:

 

FWIW, I have seen a post in the repair forum and have it bookmarked but not on the computer I'm using now, where someone used a proper sized diameter

drywall type plastic expanding anchor to reach in, expand, grip the inner wall of the inner cap and pull it out with.

 

It may be worth a try.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[FarmBoy]

Close - most of the ring type buttons are press fit. But there are some that are threaded in. Mostly found on the so called transitional pens. The ribbed buttons are threaded.

Ron,

 

Have you ever seen a threaded SJ or LJ cap jewel? I've not seen one as of yet. I find the threaded barrel jewels the most interesting.

 

There are some tells with respect to when to expect a threaded jewel. But it is a big can of speculation.

 

Todd