How To Fix Loose Cap Bands On Vintage Celluloid Pens?

[OMASsimo]

Vintage celluloid usually shows some shrinking to various degrees. Depending on the kind of celluloid and brand, the shrinking can be enough for the cap bands to loosen. Sometimes you see such pens which even lost cap bands due to this problem. Is there any good way to fix this issue? Can you tighten the cap bands somehow?

[siamackz]

Yes by swaging them on. Its not the simplest repair, for me atleast. There should be some threads on this on FPN, In sure. Francis G and other experts have shared their techniques in the past. Good luck!

[OMASsimo]

Thank you. That's what I thought but I'm not sure how. My search here on FPN didn't give any results. Do you have an idea where to look or maybe even a link?

[fabri00]

I did several trials, also making some tools for this purpose. You can find my posts here.

But I never found a really well working solution.

It depend also very much from how loose are the rings/bands.

A possibility working well is to expand the cap from inside, but this is possible only if the cap screw very tightly in the body.

[siamackz]

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/331093-how-to-tighten-loose-caps-rings/

[OMASsimo]

AWESOME! Thank you so much. I will use collets then. But they are in my metal workshop and I can't get there right now due to convid-19. So, this kind of repair will have to wait.

 

I only wonder why I couldn't find this old thread using the FPN search function. I even faintly remember that I read that thread and forgot all about it.

[siamackz]

AWESOME! Thank you so much. I will use collets then. But they are in my metal workshop and I can't get there right now due to convid-19. So, this kind of repair will have to wait.

 

I only wonder why I couldn't find this old thread using the FPN search function. I even faintly remember that I read that thread and forgot all about it.

Hope it works out. All the best. And tell us how it turns out whenever you get to it

[Greenie]

AWESOME! Thank you so much. I will use collets then. But they are in my metal workshop and I can't get there right now due to convid-19. So, this kind of repair will have to wait.

 

I only wonder why I couldn't find this old thread using the FPN search function. I even faintly remember that I read that thread and forgot all about it.

 

The search feature here does not work well. It is better to use google. Put in your search terms followed by "site:fountainpennetwork.com" and Google searches this site only. Works great.

[OMASsimo]

Thank you so much! I feel like an idiot not knowing this simple option. You learn a new thing every day...

[WLSpec]

 

The search feature here does not work well. It is better to use google. Put in your search terms followed by "site:fountainpennetwork.com" and Google searches this site only. Works great.

A simple fix to a problem I've had as well. Thanks, Greenie

[fabri00]

AWESOME! Thank you so much. I will use collets then. But they are in my metal workshop and I can't get there right now due to convid-19. So, this kind of repair will have to wait.

 

I only wonder why I couldn't find this old thread using the FPN search function. I even faintly remember that I read that thread and forgot all about it.

 

be careful, because is not easy also with collets.

I tried, and at first you need to keep the cap screwed in to the body otherwise the collet will crack.

And even with the cap screwed is easy to make bigger damages.

[OMASsimo]

be careful, because is not easy also with collets.

I tried, and at first you need to keep the cap screwed in to the body otherwise the collet will crack.

And even with the cap screwed is easy to make bigger damages.

 

Thank you for your warnings. I'm thankful for any suggestions by people who have experience with this. And yes, it's clear to me that this is one of the more intricate repairs to do and comes with a fairly high potential for destruction.

 

Depending on the relative positions of cap bands and threads, I could machine a fitting aluminum insert on the lathe to serve as a kind of anvil instead of using the also fragile pen's barrel as a support. I'll have plenty of time to think about this because I can't get to my metal workshop anyway.

 

Stay healthy and safe!

[lcoldfield]

There are two pages on cap band

issues in 'Pen Repair' 4th edition.

Not everything is on the internet!