# Working on modifying a schmidt click mechanism.



## mredburn (Nov 7, 2014)

I have been working on this project for a while now. Its been hit or miss having the time but I finally got this done
I like the Schmidt chome click mechanism but I wanted something other than chrome plated brass for the parts that show. Mainy to match the hardware or blank material I want to use in a pen. These are available from a couple of sources. Richard Greenwald comes to mind.

Push Button Mechanisms [10179] : Richard L. Greenwald, LLC, Pens, Pens Parts and Photographs

First I disassemble the mechanism. The little ball that makes the whole thing work is 1mm in dia. They are very easy to lose.  













I then mount the cup in a brass mandrel I have tapped to hold it, m7 x .75
and cut the side walls off of it until only the bottom is left. I then turn that down to 8mm in diameter.















I mount the stem in the lathe and cut the chrome button down to .185 leaving a small step at the bottom .230 in diameter and .040 thick. It is then put in a collet chuck and tapped for 10 -32 threads.  I could have also used 5mm x .8 they are pretty close to the same size.














The cut down threaded piece is now ready to have the hex pattern cut on it so I can use the brass socket to install it when Im ready. I mount the threaded piece in another mandrel made just for this and put it on my Taig mill. Using a rotary with a controller I cut 6 sides that make it a 7mm hex.













With the hex cut and the stem threaded its ready for reassembly. I cleaned all the parts and used a toothpick with grease to put the ball back in its groove inside the original cup piece.













I made up a dozen of them while I was at it.  There were some issues in threading I had a couple of failures where the stem broke at the E clip slot.
I can now make a threaded cup and button that will work with my next pen Im designing.

I hope  you enjoyed it.


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## wyone (Nov 7, 2014)

well way more skill than I could imagine having..  but I want to see it in a pen now.


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## thewishman (Nov 7, 2014)

So glad you got around to doing this modification. I can just imagine some of the materials that you will make into buttons...


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## BRobbins629 (Nov 7, 2014)

Nice. I think Richard sells the parts to that as well. May save time.


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## BSea (Nov 7, 2014)

BRobbins629 said:


> Nice. I think Richard sells the parts to that as well. May save time.


I was thinking that too, but it's a press in mechanism with no threads.  I've used it, and I do like it, but I see the benefit to having the threaded parts.

The pen in my avatar used the part from Richard Greenwald.

Here's the link: Vintage Push Button Mechanism [10279] : Richard L. Greenwald, LLC, Pens, Pens Parts and Photographs


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## mredburn (Nov 8, 2014)

I have had these for quite awhile. I may order some of the those Bob posted the link to.  I want to be able to disassemble the click parts if I need to.  I wonder if the mechanical actions are the same if there is a patent on them. I can duplicate the stem if I want to but thought there might be a patent on it I wouldnt want to violate.


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## Dalecamino (Nov 8, 2014)

Nice work Mike. Thanks! I will do this too when I get my mill. Which will be.....um......NEVER:redface:


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## skiprat (Nov 8, 2014)

Nicely done Mike....I love your 6 jaw self centering chuck too !!:biggrin:

I'm assuming you cut the hex just to suit the socket? ( I have never seen a brass socket before ) Will this hex now sit outside / proud of the blank because it's bigger than the threads? Could you have cut the hex so that it would be smaller than the threads and therefore screw in deep enough to be recessed? 
How will you secure a clip?


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## mredburn (Nov 8, 2014)

Thanks Steve, its a Buck 4 inch 6 jaw I mounted on my 6in Atlas lathe.  I made the hex so a 7mm socket or wrench would will fit it.  I made the socket. Its 8.8 mm in diameter made to fit down the cap/finial im designing for the pen. I wanted to be able to screw it into the cap, then screw on the button. I guess I could just make it press fit but I wanted to be able to disassemble it if I needed to. This way if it goes bad I can replace it. I can use material from the blank to make the cup and or button or make it out of my normal metals.


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## BSea (Nov 9, 2014)

mredburn said:


> I have had these for quite awhile. I may order some of the those Bob posted the link to.  I want to be able to disassemble the click parts if I need to.  I wonder if the mechanical actions are the same if there is a patent on them. I can duplicate the stem if I want to but thought there might be a patent on it I wouldnt want to violate.



Instead of making the hex, would it work to have a slot cut in the 1st few threads for the button, and just use a small flat head to screw in the mechanism?  That would solve any problems of the hex not seating properly.


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## mredburn (Nov 9, 2014)

The button and shaft are separate from the cup piece I cut down to form the hex. If I cut a slot instead of a hex I have to screw that piece in with a screw driver before I can assemble the button piece and The E clip would be very difficult to snap in up inside the bottom of the cap/ finial in my design, and removing it after wards would be mean a spanner socket to fit over the shaft and into the slots.  If I understand your design correctly.


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## BSea (Nov 9, 2014)

mredburn said:


> The button and shaft are separate from the cup piece I cut down to form the hex. If I cut a slot instead of a hex I have to screw that piece in with a screw driver before I can assemble the button piece and The E clip would be very difficult to snap in up inside the bottom of the cap/ finial in my design, and removing it after wards would be mean a spanner socket to fit over the shaft and into the slots.  If I understand your design correctly.


Ok, I had to go get one of the mechanisms to really understand. It's funny how you can use something, and not really understand how it works.  I get what you're saying, and I agree the slot wouldn't work for screwing in the mechanism because the stem and button threads spin freely inside the hex piece.

But now I have another question.  How are you going to screw on the custom button?  It seems like you'll have to find a way to hold the stem so the button can be screwed on the the top threads.


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## mredburn (Nov 9, 2014)

When the assembly is threaded into the cap the shaft is long enough to stick down below the part of the cap that goes in the tubes. You dont have to gorrilla torque it to make it work, a Drop of loctite or CA will keep it from unthreading from use and still allow disassembly if needed.


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## bluwolf (Nov 10, 2014)

Very nice work Mike. I saw the first prototype of these. They look fantastic. I can't wait to get my hands on a couple.

Mike


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## penmaker56 (Nov 11, 2014)

Mike,
This part Push Mechanisms [10205] : Richard L. Greenwald, LLC, Pens, Pens Parts and Photographs is basically the same cam/ball bearing mechanism without all the work, except for the threading which is M4.2 x.35


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## mredburn (Nov 11, 2014)

Thanks Richard,  does that one screw in from the bottom?


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## penmaker56 (Nov 11, 2014)

mredburn said:


> Thanks Richard,  does that one screw in from the bottom?



yes Mike it does


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## mredburn (Nov 11, 2014)

Here is a quick shot or two of how I intend to use it on some rough parts.

the first one shows the Brass nut inside the cap with one of the assemblies screwed in and a second assembly with the button I will use.







the second shows the mechanism inside 





The next ones show the button screwed on and how it looks all the way up and all the way down


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