Replacing Pocket Clips

[Autopoint]

Here are some tricks I found helpful:

 

1. Do little damage to the inner cap when removing it, so the nib won't go dry later.

 

2. Add some thin rubber or tub sealer to the top of the wooden "rest", to keep the eyelet from rotating while drilling it out.

 

3. Don't lose the brass finishing washer – it's a critical part.

 

4. If you use Bates long eyelets, file off a little bit of "tube" length before using.

 

5. Leave the swedging tools/bits long, so they hold fast in the chuck better.

 

6. Rotate the cap 90 degrees several times, when swedging.

 

7. During swedging, you can use more pressing force than you'd suspect.

- - - Happy Fixin', Jim

[Autopoint]

If you want to download this entire "how to" document, simply go to http://vintageautopo...Estie_clips.doc , download the Word document with pictures, and you should have a copy you can locally archive.

 

Hope you enjoyed the trip.

- - - Jim

[watchin]

Excellent tutorial!! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. I know i will follow in your footsteps.

 

-William-

[PenFisher]

If you want to download this entire "how to" document, simply go to http://vintageautopo...Estie_clips.doc , download the Word document with pictures, and you should have a copy you can locally archive.

 

Hope you enjoyed the trip.

- - - Jim

 

I have followed your thread from the start and all I can say is Your journey and the subsequent pictorial documentation has been fascinating and extemely helpful in dealing with a very common yet difficult issue in restoring those loose Estie clips. Your time, deligence and patience in making this information available to all of us is greatly appreciated. Very well done! :clap1:

[Tom Heath]

Jim

Thank you very much for posting all your research and experimentation with the Esty "J" clip issues.

 

 

Your attention to detail would make, Ben Franklin or Thomas Edison proud.

 

I can not wait to try your "solution " to my problem caps.

Tom Heath

[Autopoint]

FWIW, this method is readily repetitive, with reasonably simple tools. So much so that I now pick up every Estie I find with bent pocket clips (they're usually real cheap). Rather than using a metal letter opener to straighten the clip, it makes a much nicer job to remove the clip, bend it to the appropriate angle with my fingers, and re-swedge the clip to the cap. It's not hard work, and does take a little time, but the result is clearly worth the extra effort. Great job for cold winter nights. YMMV.

- - - Happy fixin', Jim

[ac12]

Here is the new link to the document, as provided by the author.

http://vintageautopoint.com/Estie_clips.pdf

Edited November 11, 2015 by ac12

[Autopoint]

Here is the new link to the document, as provided by the author.

http://vintageautopoint.com/Estie_clips.pdf

 

Many thanks for posting that for me. Hopefully having the entire document together with the related pictures (again) will be helpful to the large Esterbrook community on FPN. (The document only disappeared due to a change in my web hosting arrangements!)

- - - Jim

[Ron Z]

The one thing that is missing is that there should be a short pin on the part that flairs out the eyelet. This prevents the eyelet from buckling in as you flair the end out. Buckling reduces the ID of the eyelet, making it a bit too small for the pin on the button.

 

The rod that goes inside has to be steel. Aluminum is just elastic enough that it will compress as you flair out the eyelet.

[Autopoint]

The one thing that is missing is that there should be a short pin on the part that flairs out the eyelet. This prevents the eyelet from buckling in as you flair the end out. Buckling reduces the ID of the eyelet, making it a bit too small for the pin on the button.

 

The rod that goes inside has to be steel. Aluminum is just elastic enough that it will compress as you flair out the eyelet.

 

I never had that problem, Ron. Could be that I "swedged" the eyelet more slowly or more carefully, since I was doing it as a really low volume experimental "test process", but none of my eyelets ever buckled or rippled or got crushed. In fact it was amazing how much force I could apply to flaring out or swedging the eyelets, without the cap of the pen cracking or breaking. Note that what worked best involved two different shaped tips for "swedging", with completely different tip profiles, and I used them in sequence. Of course, I also had some good advice how this was done on a production line from Al Kahn, the equipment guy for the Wearever Pen Company. The key to my success was taking my time and not forcing anything as I worked, and having a "test mule" that I could repeatedly assemble and rip apart. YMMV.

- - - Jim

[dremelts]

On 11/11/2015 at 6:15 PM, ac12 said:

Here is the new link to the document, as provided by the author.

http://vintageautopoint.com/Estie_clips.pdf

I just acquired an Esterbrook J with a damaged cap jewel and broken clip.  I found this excellent article but am unable to access the pictures or the Word doc that you link to - It says I have been blocked.  Is there another way to get the document?  I have a small lathe, drill press etc and could probably accomplish the task just by following the written instructions in the posts but the pictures would really help.  Can someone share their copy with me?

Thanks.