Esterbrook Section Won't Fit Back Into The Barrel

[BamaPen]

I recently bought an Esterbrook desk pen in pretty good condition. The section was not pushed entirely into the barrel, but I didn't think much about that. I heated and pulled the section, cleaned the old sac remains off the nipple, fitted a new sac, and attempted to reinsert the section into the barrel. It won't go!

 

When I say it won't go, I mean that I can't even get it started into the barrel at all. I don't know how something that came out pretty easily won't even began to go back in. I've heated everything and tried to reinsert with no luck at all.

 

What should I do?

 

John

[LedZepGirl]

Use some gentle heat on the barrel threads and then try putting the section back in. That should do it, you could also try putting the section in the freezer to make it smaller.

[Ron Z]

Use some gentle heat on the barrel threads and then try putting the section back in. That should do it, you could also try putting the section in the freezer to make it smaller.

 

hmmmm... I like the idea of heat better than cold. Cold makes plastic brittle, and even a section could break when frozen. Warming the threads though will help to keep the barrel from cracking. It needs to be a snug fit, and you'll find that when it gets most of the way it, it will tend to pop/lock into place, but you can rotate the section so that the nib is in line with the lever. All a bit unnerving, I know... Your caution is to be commended.

[DanDeM]

Use some gentle heat on the barrel threads and then try putting the section back in. That should do it, you could also try putting the section in the freezer to make it smaller.

 

hmmmm... I like the idea of heat better than cold. Cold makes plastic brittle, and even a section could break when frozen. Warming the threads though will help to keep the barrel from cracking. It needs to be a snug fit, and you'll find that when it gets most of the way it, it will tend to pop/lock into place, but you can rotate the section so that the nib is in line with the lever. All a bit unnerving, I know... Your caution is to be commended.

 

...and just before you put it back together, lightly dust the neck of the section with talc. It works as a lubricant.

[ANM]

Are you sure you have cleaned all the old sac off the nipple? If there is some left, the new sac will not let the section slip back in.

[Ron Z]

Are you sure you have cleaned all the old sac off the nipple? If there is some left, the new sac will not let the section slip back in.

 

Good point. The need to do that is a given, but I've seen the old sac still on the sac nipple often enough that I shouldn't assume that it's been done.

[BamaPen]

Thanks to all for your suggestions. I had indeed made certain that all the old sac was off the nipple - I took Ron Z's seminar at the Ohio Pen Show and he stressed that repeatedly. Ron's suggestion to use heat and not be too shy worked perfectly. I warmed it up to about 140 degrees and gave it a push with my section pliers and in it went. I used some of the Main Street Pens pen polish on the barrel and taper and it looks like new.

 

Mission accomplished.