Warped Barrel

[P.D.Peterson]

I just bought this Whal-Eversharp Doric Airliner (I believe it is) and there is one problem with it. Part of the barrel where the lever is has been warped outward. I'm am wondering if there is a way to fix it or someone I can send my pen to to fix it for me. Thanks.

 

http://i719.photobucket.com/albums/ww191/ParkerDeanPeterson/temporary-24.jpg

[RMN]

I would say someone put a screwdriver in there and started to wiggle....

 

Alas I know nothing about how to repair that...

But I an interested to learn the possibilities

 

D.ick

[Vintagepens]

This is a very common flaw. The C-shaped piece of spring wire that anchors the lever often exerts considerable outward pressure. It may be enough to cause gradual cold creep in the barrel material over a period of decades, though more often the gapping around the lever requires the barrel to be exposed to enough heat to soften its material.

 

To fix it, you'll first have to take out that lever retaining spring, then use heat to restore the original shape of the material around the lever opening. Very easy to do irreversible damage, though.

[FarmBoy]

As stated, non trivial application of heat is required. May be best to make a mandrel and sleeve to reform the barrel while hot .

[Vintagepens]

Special caution is required with facetted pens, inasmuch as many of them had facets heat-formed rather than cut. The material has a memory, so overheating can turn them back into round stock.

[Ron Z]

Special caution is required with facetted pens, inasmuch as many of them had facets heat-formed rather than cut. The material has a memory, so overheating can turn them back into round stock.

Indeed! I've also found that when heating material, the corners/edges are where it gets the hottest and therefore where it's most likely to ignite, not the wide flat parts like the facets. The first clue that it's gotten too hot is the poof of smoke and smell of burnt celluloid.

[FarmBoy]

Special caution is required with facetted pens, inasmuch as many of them had facets heat-formed rather than cut. The material has a memory, so overheating can turn them back into round stock.

My sleeve would have the flats as inserts. Might even use graphite as the material. Easy enough to make but time consuming for a single pen...unless one were to make just a collar.

 

Would be nice if the original tooling had survived.

[P.D.Peterson]

Thank you everybody for the help. I have taken the grip section and the j bar out. Now what would be the best way to heat it up to bend the plastic back into place? I really don't want to damage this pen.

[Vintagepens]

There is no J bar in a Doric, unless the original pressure bar has been replaced improperly.

You do not want to heat the barrel until you have removed the lever and its retaining spring.

[P.D.Peterson]

This is what was in the pen when I got it.

 

http://i719.photobucket.com/albums/ww191/ParkerDeanPeterson/temporary-26.jpg

Edited March 12, 2014 by parkerdpetesron

[P.D.Peterson]

How am I supposed to remove the lever?

[framebaer]

You need to pop the c-wire out of the groove in the barrel.

 

If you have never done this before, perhaps best to practice on a less meaningful pen until you learn the physics or geometry of doing it without breaking something.

[Inkling13]

I would say someone put a screwdriver in there and started to wiggle....

 

Alas I know nothing about how to repair that...

But I an interested to learn the possibilities

 

D.ick

Nope. Wrong. It's from the constant pressure from the ring that holds the lever. See the second post.

 

This is a very common flaw. The C-shaped piece of spring wire that anchors the lever often exerts considerable outward pressure. It may be enough to cause gradual cold creep in the barrel material over a period of decades, though more often the gapping around the lever requires the barrel to be exposed to enough heat to soften its material.

 

To fix it, you'll first have to take out that lever retaining spring, then use heat to restore the original shape of the material around the lever opening. Very easy to do irreversible damage, though.

[Vintagepens]

You need to pop the c-wire out of the groove in the barrel.

 

If you have never done this before, perhaps best to practice on a less meaningful pen until you learn the physics or geometry of doing it without breaking something.

 

It's a lot easier to break a pen than to unbreak it.

Especially when heat is involved. . . .

[P.D.Peterson]

If this is a near impossible task I think I'll just put a new ink sac in it and leave it be. It should still work just fine.

[viclip]

There are plenty of 3rd tier pens around suffering the same affliction as your Doric. If you're not inclined to send your valuable Doric to a seasoned professional, then I'd strongly recommend not trying to heat shrink its barrel unless & until you've mastered the technique on relatively expendable 3rd tier pens.

[FarmBoy]

There are plenty of 3rd tier pens around suffering the same affliction as your Doric. If you're not inclined to send your valuable Doric to a seasoned professional, then I'd strongly recommend not trying to heat shrink its barrel unless & until you've mastered the technique on relatively expendable 3rd tier pens.

Likely different material so the experience isn't quite the same but close.

Good luck to all in your heating celluloid past Tg.

[P.D.Peterson]

There are plenty of 3rd tier pens around suffering the same affliction as your Doric. If you're not inclined to send your valuable Doric to a seasoned professional, then I'd strongly recommend not trying to heat shrink its barrel unless & until you've mastered the technique on relatively expendable 3rd tier pens.

 

I would love to send my pen to someone to fix it, I just don't know anyone who can.

[FarmBoy]

I would love to send my pen to someone to fix it, I just don't know anyone who can.

Several that could have answered here.

[P.D.Peterson]

Who would be willing to fix this barrel for me and for how much?