Jump to content

Tighten Cap On M2

johnmont007

By johnmont007
in Esterbrook

 Share

Recommended Posts

johnmont007 Near Mint

johnmont007

Posted
Posted

My Esterbrook M2 comes loose very easily. I do not want to force the issue, and so I am wondering if there are some direct steps to make the metal cap stay tightened on the plastic plastic section. Section has plastic threads the cap is metal. Thanks for sharing your thoughts/ideas/advice.

 

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 15
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • johnmont007

    4

  • watch_art

    3

  • gweimer1

    3

  • FarmBoy

    2

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

johnmont007 Near Mint

johnmont007

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Threads on clean; pen is a great writer, probably one of my smoothest, with a 2556 nib. No adjustment by me.

 

I obtained the pen less than a year ago and it was clean and in great shape from a seller on FPN. But a good thought, thanks!

 

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ZeissIkon Antique

ZeissIkon

Posted
Posted

Then maybe add ink? :vbg:

 

Or apply a very light coat of shellac (maybe put a few drops of shellac with a few drops of denatured ethanol to make the shellac thinner) to the threads, let dry completely, and see if it's helped? Repeat if necessary, sand very, very lightly if too tight.

 

Very important: do not leave the pen in a hot car after doing this, or the cap may wind up securely glued to the section... :yikes:

Does not always write loving messages.

Does not always foot up columns correctly.

Does not always sign big checks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
johnmont007 Near Mint

johnmont007

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Then maybe add ink? :vbg:

 

Or apply a very light coat of shellac (maybe put a few drops of shellac with a few drops of denatured ethanol to make the shellac thinner) to the threads, let dry completely, and see if it's helped? Repeat if necessary, sand very, very lightly if too tight.

 

Very important: do not leave the pen in a hot car after doing this, or the cap may wind up securely glued to the section... :yikes:

Thanks ZeissIkon, for this possible solution. I will think about it some more. I have not done anything just yet. Does silicon grease on the threads make a tighter fit, or is that incorrect? Anyone know?

 

Thanks again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ZeissIkon Antique

ZeissIkon

Posted
Posted
Does silicon grease on the threads make a tighter fit, or is that incorrect?

 

No. In fact, it'll make things worse if the threads are worn enough to skip, because it'll reduce the force needed to skip over a thread. Worse, it'll also make for a high probability that a later attempt to repair with shellac will be short-lived, because the shellac won't stick where the silicone grease wasn't completely removed.

 

BTW, the other bit of the shellac method that I forgot to mention is, if possible, to apply the shellac to the inside threads in the cap, rather than the external threads on the barrel or section -- less visible, and better protected from environmental conditions and handling that could cause the shellac to come off.

Does not always write loving messages.

Does not always foot up columns correctly.

Does not always sign big checks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
FarmBoy Museum Piece

FarmBoy

Posted
Posted

My Esterbrook M2 comes loose very easily. I do not want to force the issue, and so I am wondering if there are some direct steps to make the metal cap stay tightened on the plastic plastic section. Section has plastic threads the cap is metal. Thanks for sharing your thoughts/ideas/advice.

 

John

M2 caps are often split. Only cure is another cap. Split caps fall off and it sucks.

 

Hatchet

San Francisco International Pen Show - The next “Funnest Pen Show” is on schedule for August 23-24-25, 2024.  Watch the show website for registration details. 
 

My PM box is usually full. Just email me: my last name at the google mail address.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 5 years later...
gweimer1 Antique

gweimer1

Posted
Posted

M2 caps are often split. Only cure is another cap. Split caps fall off and it sucks.

 

Hatchet

 

Has anyone tried to repair those cap splits? I just took in a couple of M2 pens that looked perfect, but when I started to clean the cap, I felt the split. Would a weld/glue from the inside work?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
FarmBoy Museum Piece

FarmBoy

Posted
Posted

 

Has anyone tried to repair those cap splits? I just took in a couple of M2 pens that looked perfect, but when I started to clean the cap, I felt the split. Would a weld/glue from the inside work?

You can give it a shot. Most of the ones I have looked at were not just split but split and separated. I no longer buy them.

San Francisco International Pen Show - The next “Funnest Pen Show” is on schedule for August 23-24-25, 2024.  Watch the show website for registration details. 
 

My PM box is usually full. Just email me: my last name at the google mail address.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
gweimer1 Antique

gweimer1

Posted
Posted

You can give it a shot. Most of the ones I have looked at were not just split but split and separated. I no longer buy them.

 

I'll report back...eventually. Ironic that the metal caps seem to be more fragile than the plastic ones. Got any recommendations on a good metal sealant? Both mine are less than 1" splits at the rim. Very clean, and I didn't even see them. I felt them as I cleaned the cap. I actually like the M2 a lot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
gweimer1 Antique

gweimer1

Posted
Posted

My short analysis of the cap issue is that the metal caps don't provide any give, and once the cap splits, it might require a complete disassembling, and then finding a way compress the cap, and hope you have something that's strong enough to hold against the pressure.

 

I think on this one, I'm going to defer to Farmboy's expertise. I may have just added another misfit toy to my personal collection. M2 caps are now on my pen show search list.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
pajaro Museum Piece

pajaro

Posted
Posted

Most of the pens I have I have several of each type. Considering how old the pens are and that there are few parts available, I have come to view most of my pens as potential donor pens. I have already cannibalized Js and Safari pump fillers.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33559
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26744
    5. jar
      jar
      26101

  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      Links to web pages or articles about Chinese typesetting, signwriting, etc.

      By Shanghai Knife Dude · Posted

      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By A Smug Dill · Posted

      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By adamselene · Posted

      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By A Smug Dill · Posted

      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By adamselene · Posted

      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o

  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More

  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...