Inner Cap

[rdh]

Hi all,

 

I have a nice brown SJ that I really like. Of course there is a problem with it. Ink accumulates on the end of the section and gets on the fingers. I thought it was a problem with the section or the nib/feed, but swapping parts eliminated those possibilities. Then I happened to look inside and saw that there was a big chip missing from the inner cap. Looking through the forum, I saw that some of the older pens have brittle inner caps that tend to chip and crack. So, I want to repair it, but want to get a good inner cap. Any advice on finding the right inner cap and how to replace it would be greatly appreciated.

 

Dave

[FarmBoy]

You will find the correct inner cap in any SJ or LJ cap willing to act as an organ donor.

 

But are you sure that is causing the leak?

 

Check the section very carefully for cracks. Make sure the Renew Point is completely screwed in, and has the sac in the pen been replaced? A pin hole in the sac can cause what you describe and if it hasn't been replaced I would just as a matter of practice.

 

On the inner cap, you almost always need an inner-cap puller to remove the inner cap. It is one of the few specialized tools I don't know of a good replacement for, there are work around ways of getting the task done but I don't recommend them.

 

Fortunately an inner cap for an Estie is not an expensive thing and most Spa Estie Franchises would replace it at parts value if the pen were in for a rehab as a matter of practice.

[rdh]

Thanks FB.

 

Well, nothing is for certain, but I switched nibs with a NOS that did not leak in another pen. I looked at the section with a microscope and couldn't see any cracks. I also pulled the section. The sac looked new and solid. No evidence of leaks at all. So it is just the process of elimination at work here.

 

 

Another symptom that might be helpful is that the ink that accumulates on the section is always darker than what I have in the pen. My thought is that ink that leaks is drying out and getting darker because of the poor seal with the inner cap.

 

The pen actually works fairly well, its just that I want it to be like my other Esties. As Mary Poppins would say, I want it "practically perfect in every way."

 

Dave

[OcalaFlGuy]

Get a firm grip on the nib up where in screws in. Be sure all your force is behind the vent hole. Get a good grip on the section with your other hand and be sure the nib is TIGHT. I contend there are two issues. Those ebonite threads are over 50 years old, if nibs have gone in and out (rinse and repeat) there may be a bit of slop in them. More likely is that ink has leached it's way into both ends of the threads gunking them up some. (That's why I sonicate my sections into the next galaxy before I resac them.) If you grip the nib and feed as one unit close to the threads you can really "lean on" the nib to be sure it's in and sealing as best it can.

 

Just a month or so ago, similar symptoms stopped when another FPNer here found her nib just a hair less tight than it should

have been.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[rdh]

Get a firm grip on the nib up where in screws in. Be sure all your force is behind the vent hole. Get a good grip on the section with your other hand and be sure the nib is TIGHT. I contend there are two issues. Those ebonite threads are over 50 years old, if nibs have gone in and out (rinse and repeat) there may be a bit of slop in them. More likely is that ink has leached it's way into both ends of the threads gunking them up some. (That's why I sonicate my sections into the next galaxy before I resac them.) If you grip the nib and feed as one unit close to the threads you can really "lean on" the nib to be sure it's in and sealing as best it can.

 

Just a month or so ago, similar symptoms stopped when another FPNer here found her nib just a hair less tight than it should

have been.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

 

Thanks Bruce.

 

I was out of town and just got back. I thought I had it really tight, but it can go tighter. I really torqued it down and now we'll see what happens. If I still have a problem, I'll sonicate it a lot, and if necessary, I'll re-sac it. I'll update you in a few days.

 

Thanks again.

 

Dave

[rdh]

Thanks again, guys.

 

It looks like that little bit of extra force did the trick. Part of me says I should sonicate it, but another says why....it should hold until the sac needs to be replaced.

 

Dave