A couple of restoration questions if I might

[OcalaFlGuy]

I inadvertantly loosened the top jewel on a blue transitional I was polishing.

I used a piece of bicycle inner tube (thinner and tackier than say motorcycle

innertubes) and my fingers to tighten it back down. I guess I'll know if I got

it on tight enough if it works loose again. Does anyone put a smidge of shellac

under a screw on jewel to help keep it set? What do YOU use to tighten them

down with?

 

There was a bit of rust on the j-bar of a blue dollar pen I was working on so I

pulled it to polish the rust off. I made note of it's position so I could get it back

in right but didn't cycle it through before I pulled it (kinda wish I had now). I

didn't think about it when I put it back in until after getting it back where I KNOW

it was supposed to go, the fill lever went a full 180 deg forward. Oops! So I got

my nuclear Fenix light and looked down in there and hungh? The little lever

catch tabs are right at the very end of the j-bar. They appear to be a good

1/2" away from where the lever end would contact them (it?) at the 90 deg point.

(Again, I am SURE the j-bar is in right and pushed into where it should be.)

 

Now, there was NO sac in this pen but also no residue. Looks like someone

has been inside it already(?). Does it sound like someone has put another pens

j-bar inside? (This is the 4 7/8" long capped Dollar pen) But now, even if it's

not the stock j-bar I'm wondering what j-bar would it be to have the lever

stop about 1/2" further foward than usual. Yall got any ideas here?

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[bomber60015]

I can't answer your J-bar query . . . .

 

as for the transisiton jewels, I use one of two things (which ever is on the top of the drawer) . . . .

 

I've got a small rubber-ish jar opener aid device -- waffle-pattern embossed -- it's left over from my daughter's Girl Scout days (it's in the shpae of a heart, blue, with the GS logo on it) -- puts a smile on my face whenever I use it.

 

THe other "tool" is a 6X5 (or so) piece of thin (I mean really thin) leather -- the sueded side if good for removing polish and the like, while the "skin" side is pretty grippy (it's absorb some oils from my skin over the years, which makes it grippier) --

 

The leather is more flexible, which means it works a mite better on small items like the jewel, though the jar opener is great, especially if you place it over a dry kitchen sponge -- this allow the rubber to conform to the shape of the jewel.

[johnboz]

The Trans-J jewels should tighten sufficiently without any adhesive. I would strongly recommend you not use any adhesive, as future repairs become very frustrating and difficult when foreign substances are introduced to pens. The "ribs" should line up with the clip. That's when you know it's tight.

 

If the j bar has the catch tabs, it's probably the correct one. I haven't seen those on too many other bars. It's entirely possible that someone replaced it and used the wrong one, but without knowing how the lever behaved before you pulled the j bar, it's hard to tell how it "should" behave. If it works, it's probably not a big deal. If you're selling it, you might mention it, but otherwise it shouldn't affect the value or performance of the pen.

[OcalaFlGuy]

Thanks John and Bomber,

 

John, I can't see that the lever would have stopped at the normal 90 deg point prior to me

removing the J-bar with the lever stop tabs being so far away from that point of contact

with the lever end and J-bar. I was (and still am) wondering what pen this J-bar came from

as like I said, they are at the very end of the J-bar, easily 1/2" away from where the contact

point would be with the lever end at it's 90 deg point.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[ANM]

Are you sure you put the J bar in right side up? Is the short end under the lever or at the other side of the barrel?

[Ron Z]

I'm having a hard time following your question about the J bar. (tired and just came in from blowing and shoveling show) Not all Esterbrooks had the lever stop on the J bar, though a significant number did. Not one of the details that I worry about. The main question is whether or not the end of the J bar clears the the end of the section by enough that the sac won't be torn or stressed when you press the lever down. I like to see about 1/2" You do see some pens where an eraser was inserted in the end of the pen to hold a short J bar forward a bit. I've seen this in enough pens that it's reasonable that Esterbrook did it when they made the pen.

 

The transitionals with a ribbed button have a notch on the cap, and a bump on the clip to hold the clip in position, and the ribs will line up with the clip.

 

I use my thread sealant to hold jewels and buttons in position. It's tacky enough to hold things in place so that they won't unscrew on their own, but will release if you warm the cap a bit. You can use a piece of rubber tubing, or a rubber stopper to remove the buttons that unscrew.

Edited December 20, 2008 by Ron Z

[OcalaFlGuy]

I'm having a hard time following your question about the J bar. (tired and just came in from blowing and shoveling show) Not all Esterbrooks had the lever stop on the J bar, though a significant number did. Not one of the details that I worry about. The main question is whether or not the end of the J bar clears the the end of the section by enough that the sac won't be torn or stressed when you press the lever down. I like to see about 1/2" You do see some pens where an eraser was inserted in the end of the pen to hold a short J bar forward a bit. I've seen this in enough pens that it's reasonable that Esterbrook did it when they made the pen.

 

The J-bar question in on a 4 7/8" capped Dollar pen. It didn't have the eraser (spacer).

 

The few J's I've worked on had one thing in common re; J-bar positioning that this dollar pen also had.

There's a very distinct line inside the barrel, around the circumference of the barrel about 1/2"-3/4" down into it.

All my J-bars have had their ends maybe 1/8" below that line. That's where I insert the bar ends to and check

to see the lever stops against the stop tabs before I close it up. The lever stop tabs on this J-bar are at

the very tip end of the bar, proably in it's first 1/4". That's probably 3/4" away (up the barrel) from where the end of

the lever would contact the J-bar in the levers 90 deg up position.

 

I just can't figure out what Estie that J-bar would fit into with a bar with the lever stop tabs in that

position is all. No big deal, just curious.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[OcalaFlGuy]

Are you sure you put the J bar in right side up? Is the short end under the lever or at the other side of the barrel?

 

Yes, the "hook"/J-end is at the closed end of the barrel, but thanks!

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

 

[OcalaFlGuy]

Well, it's happened again. Is this an epidemic?

 

This time it's a silver 3-rib transitional. This time, I DID cycle the lever before pulling the section. Interestingly

enough, the lever goes the full 180 deg without hitting a lever stop tab. Everything was super clean inside so

I left the J-bar in there without pulling it.

 

And, once again, just like that Dollar pen, the tabs appear to be right at the end of the J-bar seemingly way

too far forward for them to act as a lever stop. Also again, there's no barrel spacer and the J-bar hook is solidly

against the bottom of the barrel. The J-bar is also in the right position just under the lever.

 

I am NOW officially perplexed.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL