# Click pen ink cartridge not retracting enough.



## les-smith (Oct 18, 2006)

I just built a click pen that I bought from Woodcraft.  I posted questions about the same pen earlier.  When I click the pen to retract the ink cartridge it doesn't retract far enough.  It sticks out far enough that you can still write with it.  It's close to going in far enough, but it looks like to me if you put it in your pocket the way it is now the ink may leak in your pocket.  Also, it just looks odd the way it is when it is retracted.  Can I adjust this some how?


----------



## mrcook4570 (Oct 18, 2006)

I'm not familiar with that kit, but if it uses a parker refill and you over trimmed the blank, then that may very well be the cause.  You can make it useable by sanding some of the plastic off the refill, but I wouldn't sell it to anyone like that.


----------



## Russb (Oct 18, 2006)

Yup, sounds like you might have trimmed the blank along with the lower tube a bit too much.....


----------



## ed4copies (Oct 18, 2006)

IF you can take it apart and add an "oops" ring, it will solve the problem.

OR, keep it in the "GOOFED" pile and reference it often - MAY stop you from doing it again soon.  (My "GOOFED" pile is now about 50 pens).


----------



## ctEaglesc (Oct 18, 2006)

There is a fix you can do that will work for a personal pen but I wouldn't sell a pen that has been "corrected" this way.
Take a spring from another refill and intertwine it arounfd the spring that came with the kit you assembled.
What you are trying to accomplish is to lenghten the distance  between the recess the spring sets in  inside the nib.
It will also increase the tension thus retracting the refill a little farther.This may be enough to solve your problem.
You didn't say which kit  you used but there is always one thing to check before gluing in the tubes.
MAKE SURE OF THE LENGHT OF THE TUBES BEFORE YOU DO ANYTING!
If they are the same lenght then everything is O.K. if they are different lenghts go back and check teh destructions before cutting, drilling or doing anything to the PArts.
Parker pens regardles whether they are click or twist have a critical length on the bottom tube (as you found out).
Since you also said the tube showed through the blank and your odds of taking the top apart to salvage the kit without destroying are slim, make it a personal pen as a reminder of what to what out for in the future.


----------



## Blind_Squirrel (Oct 18, 2006)

> _Originally posted by ed4copies_
> <br />OR, keep it in the "GOOFED" pile and reference it often - MAY stop you from doing it again soon.  (My "GOOFED" pile is now about 50 pens).



[:0]  I've only made somewhere between 50 - 75 pens total!


----------



## les-smith (Oct 18, 2006)

I like the idea of the goof ring.  So, I think I'm going to go that route.  My goof pile as well is getting larger, larger than I like.  Hey, has anyone thought of grinding up all of your goof pens and casting them.  Then you could make a true "Goof Pen".  Anyways, thanks for the input.


----------



## les-smith (Oct 20, 2006)

I tried a thicker center ring.  No luck, the click mechanism won't work with it.  It doesn't allow the machanism to go far enough down to cause the machanism to activate.  Moral of the story:  On click pens "DO NOT" trim the barrels to far.


----------



## ctEaglesc (Oct 20, 2006)

> _Originally posted by les-smith_
> <br />I tried a thicker center ring.  No luck, the click mechanism won't work with it.  It doesn't allow the machanism to go far enough down to cause the machanism to activate.  Moral of the story:  On click pens "DO NOT" trim the barrels to far.


Withou seeing which kit you have it is kind of difficult to understand what you mean by a "thick" center ring.
If you have another kit,measure the bottom tube's length.This is how long the one you have made needs to be. On Prker s you can't use an "arbitrary" length.


----------

