Kaweco Dia no. 83
22/06/2022
CS Wordsworth Shingle
25/06/2022
It happens more often than one would believe. When excessive force is applied to the piston knob, the ring which retains the helix rod inside the knob itself snaps; the main reason for this is that the ring ends are not welded, so it may get deformed and jumps the groove where it sits.
One of the best thing about this entire system of retention is that the rod will snap if the ring would not accommodate some leeway of the rod inside the knob. By juggling within, the rod can become detached, but this is not a major problem. The opposite situation would be that in which the rod is glued onto the knob and one forces the piston: this would certainly break the rod or worse.
Job done. The ring was re-formed, by means of a round straight steel rod, and the MB tool seen in the photo had its job beautifully done. The long tool is actually a straight piece of steel tubbing, slotted on its length, and of the perfect diameter for inserting inside the knob. It has a rounded lip, which sets onto the groove within, and presses the ring into the recess (groove). The piston had to be dismantled obviously, in order to install the piston shaft onto the connector and match the knob on its length inside. So, the helix rod goes into the slotted tube, and the slotted tube goes into the knob where it forces the ring to set into its groove.
Once that was done, the pen itself was cleaned up, lubricated and piston assembly inserted. The green stuff you see in the photo was a smidgen of brass oxidisation, which was of course cleaned prior to inserting the piston in the reservoir. The threads of the connector were given some rosin in order to make everything tight and secure.,
As said, job done, and another client smiles. A good day for both of us.
