Cap doesn't fit on right

[sheafferkid]

One of my friends let my brother and I take his Parker Vacumatic Speedline. It is a red double jeweled model. I don't know much about the Vacumatics, but the cap on this one will not screw down all the way. When we take the nib section out, it screws on more, but requires an awful lot of force. What could be wrong? Is the inner cap too far down? Something messed up with the threads? I'd like to get this pen in as good a shape as we can get it in. My brother has already replaced the diaphragm, but we'd like to try and figure out whats wrong with the cap. Thanks!

 

Evan

[SMG]

Ok, lets deconstruct this.

 

First, if the cap takes alot of force to thread on there is definitely something wrong. No fit on a pen should have to take too much force. If you feel that you are having to force something, STOP. You will most likely break it if you force it. Better to have not repaired the pen, and left it intact than to have broken it further because you could not give up and accept defeat.

 

Second, it probably needs a good cleaning inside with a test tube brush to get rid of all of the crud in there. I have also chased the threads with a dental pick and removed a ton of junk from them as well, even after a good scrubbing.

 

Second again (or third if you will), if the cap threads on further with the section out, then you have identified one of the issues here. Be very careful when you install the section with the nib and feed. When you thread the cap on the first time you could bend the nib and twist it something fierce. BTW, be very careful threading the cap onto a pen without a section in it. There is no radial support in the barrel to offset the crushing load applied by the cap if it is tightened too much. The result could be a cracked barrel. This is the same reason that you do not try to install a section without a feed and nib in it.

 

AFAIK Ron Z always measures the clearance between the nib and the cap when he has knocked the nib and reset it. I now do the same, it is a nice measure of safety that keeps you from having to straighten a nib, or replace it. The procedure for this measurement is pretty involved, and I am way to tired now to try and describe it. Ron might chime in here and explain it. Then again he is pretty crafty and I think that he has some top secret gadget for this. It involves gamma radiation and peanut butter though, so who knows if it works.

 

Can you post a picture of the barrel threads? They might be stripped and the cap is just not gripping well. Could also be that the cap is not the original for the pen and is slightly out of whack with the barrel.

 

Cheers,

SG

[sheafferkid]

Ok, lets deconstruct this.

 

First, if the cap takes alot of force to thread on there is definitely something wrong. No fit on a pen should have to take too much force. If you feel that you are having to force something, STOP. You will most likely break it if you force it. Better to have not repaired the pen, and left it intact than to have broken it further because you could not give up and accept defeat.

 

Second, it probably needs a good cleaning inside with a test tube brush to get rid of all of the crud in there. I have also chased the threads with a dental pick and removed a ton of junk from them as well, even after a good scrubbing.

 

Second again (or third if you will), if the cap threads on further with the section out, then you have identified one of the issues here. Be very careful when you install the section with the nib and feed. When you thread the cap on the first time you could bend the nib and twist it something fierce. BTW, be very careful threading the cap onto a pen without a section in it. There is no radial support in the barrel to offset the crushing load applied by the cap if it is tightened too much. The result could be a cracked barrel. This is the same reason that you do not try to install a section without a feed and nib in it.

 

AFAIK Ron Z always measures the clearance between the nib and the cap when he has knocked the nib and reset it. I now do the same, it is a nice measure of safety that keeps you from having to straighten a nib, or replace it. The procedure for this measurement is pretty involved, and I am way to tired now to try and describe it. Ron might chime in here and explain it. Then again he is pretty crafty and I think that he has some top secret gadget for this. It involves gamma radiation and peanut butter though, so who knows if it works.

 

Can you post a picture of the barrel threads? They might be stripped and the cap is just not gripping well. Could also be that the cap is not the original for the pen and is slightly out of whack with the barrel.

 

Cheers,

SG

 

Thanks for the reply! Well, the "forcing" I mentioned was not good wording on my part. It is not the kind of forcing in which it will not go on and I'm trying to make it. The cap is just a tight fit. The pen is in spectacular condition and really does not seem to need any cleaning. When we got the pen, the right tine was already pushed in a little. This could be why. The former owner of the pen may not have considered this problem and just kept using the pen. I also considered the fact that the cap might not be original. I had this happen with one of my Sheaffer's. I can't get any pics tonight, but I will try and get some tomorrow afternoon. Anyways, thanks so much for the help!

 

Evan

 

[jirish1957]

When you screw on the cap, it should stop when the section hits the inner cap. If the inner cap is too far up it may be hitting the nib (not a good thing.) It sounds like you may need to get the inner cap adjusted. If it isn't the original cap, this would make sense- remember that when the pen was made it was hand assembled, so there may be some variation in tolerences in what are basically identical pens. Jeff

Edited June 7, 2007 by jirish1957

[contravox]

The cap could be suffering from shrinkage. I seem to remember hearing that vintage celluloid could sometimes shrink over time.