Lazy Lever Fix Plus J-Bar Seating Questions

[sr1sws]

I recently acquired a lever-fill Esterbrook desk set with the 8 ball receptacle. The sac (ossified) and j-bar (rusted and broken) were shot and I replaced both, using a 54mm j-bar purchased new.

 

It all works OK, except the lever wants to sag open. Previously I was advised this was due to lack of tension in the j-bar, but this one is new and appears to fit flush against the barrel.

 

Any other suggestions to make the closed lever stay flush with the barrel?

 

Question 2: Is there a rule/guideline/suggestion on seating replacement j-bars? Do you slide them in until they stop with reasonable force, far enough to clear the section nipple plus "a bit more"?

 

Thanks!

Steve

[Ron Z]

The modern replacement J-bars have a U channel that's fairly deep, and the spring sits down inside the channel. Some pens have a lever that penetrates fairly far into the barrel when the lever is flat against it on the outside. But many pens have a lever that sits almost flush with the inside of the barrel. In those cases the J-bar can not hold the lever tight against the barrel as you would expect it to. If that's the case you'll have to grind the sides of that channel flat or nearly flat with the spring. In some cases it helps to bevel the outside edge when you do this so that it fits within the curve of the barrel.

 

Sometimes you have to play with the J-bar and spring to get it so that it sits tight against the barrel for the entire length, or as close to it as you can get.

 

You should also check to see that the end of the J-bar is not too close to the sac nipple. I like to see at least 1/4" between the end of the J-bar and the edge of the sac nipple. It's possible that the J-bar is binding, but releases when you pull the section out, so it looks like everything is OK.

 

That's a start for you.... just keep plugging away and you'll figure it out.

[sr1sws]

Ron - thanks for you guidance, as always.

 

I'm visualizing what you're saying and I think it's spot on. I know the new j-bar has that channel and I believe the old one did not... in fact I think it had a small hump running down the length.

 

That gives me something to work on. I'm pretty confident I can achieve the result one way or another. Seems like epoxying in a shim in the j-bar channel might work as well.

 

Thanks for the guidance and suggestion!

 

Steve

[Ron Z]

That ridge running down the middle served to keep the lever from wandering off center on the J-bar as well as to raise the middle up closer to the lever. I suppose that you might get away with a rigid bar on top of the spring. Just slip a piece of waxed paper between spring and bar so that you don't accidentally glue them together.

[sr1sws]

Giving it a try. Cut a donor section from a broken j-bar with the ridge, ground down sides to fit and epoxy is curing now.

 

If it doesn't work worth spit, I can use my heat gun to weaken the epoxy and remove the 'addition'. I'll then pursue the 'grind down the edges' route with my trusty Dremel.

[sr1sws]

Urrrp... bag the plan to epoxy a donor ridge on the j-bar.

 

Whipped out the Dremel and ground down the edges of the channel. Worked like a champ and less time than screwing with the epoxy.

 

Thanks

Steve

[OcalaFlGuy]

Just dremel the ridges down. Easy peasy, quick n easy.

 

Also be sure that there is proper tension in the j-bar to keep it from shifting out of position, that the sac tray if there is one is directly under the lever and if an SJ that there is a spacer behind the j-bar to keep it from shifting.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[sr1sws]

Thanks Bruce. Yeah, Dremel is way easy. No sac tray in this one, it's a desk pen... and it writes very nice. Will be a good addition to my office desk.

 

Steve

[OcalaFlGuy]

Yeah I noticed the desk pen once I'd hit post.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl