Another Sierra Question

[bruce119]

For all of you that sell Sierras...how do you instruct your customers on how to change the refill?? Unscrew it or pull it apart then unscrew it. Or do you show them both ways.

I ask because I had an embracing incident last year showing a customer how to change the refill. I unscrewed the end then had a brain malfunction and push the end in without screwing it on first. Well that pushed the mechanism back out of reach of the screw on the NIB part. What a mess I could not get the mechanism back for the life of me with limited tools at the show. I needed a knife or something to grab at the threads to pull it back down to were I could screw it back together.

Well I know how to fix this now but some of you had to experience this with some of your customers. Just wondering how to avoid it in the first place.

Thanks
Bruce

 

[JimMc7]

These work for me...

Button click (short) Sierras (think this would work with long Sierra & Uni-ball refill, too)
Unscrew the lower 1/3 pen body to reveal refill. Tap the spring from the lower 1/3 and place on the new refill, then replace.

Button click (long) Sierras (Parker refill):
Unscrew the lower 1/3 pen body to reveal refill. Transfer chrome top spacer to the new refill. Tap the spring from the lower 1/3 and place on the new refill, then replace.

Twist Sierras:
Pull apart from lower 1/3 and unscrew interior refill cover to replace refill.

0.7mm Sierra pencils:
Ensure all lead is out before replacing with new. Hold pencil with point up and push top button while feeding new lead from the pencil point.

 

[bruce119]

These work for me...

Button click (short) Sierras (think this would work with long Sierra & Uni-ball refill, too)
Unscrew the lower 1/3 pen body to reveal refill. Tap the spring from the lower 1/3 and place on the new refill, then replace.

Button click (long) Sierras (Parker refill):
Unscrew the lower 1/3 pen body to reveal refill. Transfer chrome top spacer to the new refill. Tap the spring from the lower 1/3 and place on the new refill, then replace.

Twist Sierras:
Pull apart from lower 1/3 and unscrew interior refill cover to replace refill.

0.7mm Sierra pencils:
Ensure all lead is out before replacing with new. Hold pencil with point up and push top button while feeding new lead from the pencil point.

Thanks Jim but I think you missed my question.

But I think I answered it myself. I know how to deal with it and I am just speaking of the standard Sierra. It is the unknowing customer I am concerned with. I think educate the customer is the key.

Here is something to try. Unscrew your Sierra don't pull it apart now with it unscrewed push it back together without screwing it in and see what happens now it has become a PIA.

 

[Hosspen]

sierra instructions

I had almost the same thing happen to me. So I started putting a small amount of CA glue on the top of the transmission before I slide the top of the pen on it the first time. I make sure it is all the way down, & screwed completely clockwise, then unscrew it from the lower portion immediately to allow the glue to dry without worrying about it running inside gluing the bottom to the top. (I don't think this would happen anyway with a small amount of glue but why take a chance.) Then when you screw the cap on, the only way to get it on & off is to unscrew it or screw it back on.
It just eliminates the chance of someone pushing the top of the tranny up into the cap too far, because it is glued in place.
This will make the instructions for future sierras much simpler: "screw it on to the right until tight, unsrew to the left to change refill."
I hope this helps.

 

[mickr]

I have stopped making sierras for this very reason..at shows people would do this to the pens & I'd have the same problem as you did...so many times, so I just didnot want it to look like a bad pen to a customer, I quit making them

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

Not to steal this tread but along the same lines. How many of you had your capped pen's like the Jr. series or the Baron pulled by the customer so hard that they pulled the pen apart or even after taking the top barrel off correctly they have a brain fart and push the top on and push in the female threads especially on the Baron. Seems to happen when we're the busiest and both of us are working a customer. Just for this reason I stopped making the Baron.

 

[bruce119]

Not to steal this tread but along the same lines.

Not a problem Roy I would like to hear any problem pens as far as selling goes and potential fixes. Thanks for posting yes I seen people trying to pull the caps off.

Not sure if I like the idea of gluing in the trany. It would have to be a small drop because you mite have to remove it sometime. Then eventually the customer will break it loose.

I just had an idea and hadn't even tried it yet. How about a small piece of dowel tack glued in the tube. It would act like a stopper and would prevent the trany from being push in too far. I think it mite work shouldn't interfere with any workings of the trany. I will try it this afternoon or when I have time and report back.

In the mean time keep the ideas coming. And please report and other issues and fixes.

Bruce

 

[JimMc7]

<snip> It is the unknowing customer I am concerned with. I think educate the customer is the key.
<snip>

Bruce, sorry my answer wasn't clear. I provide a business card sized information card for each item I do and this card contains:
photo, price, item #, plating type, kit type, refill type, any "gotchas" related to the item (e.g., don't leave the cap off a rollerball), refill change instructions, and any extras included.

The examples in my 1st reply are the refill change instructions I provide for each type of Sierra I've done. I have another thread going which shows an example of one of these cards for a Baron. Consensus of that thread is I'll soon grow tired of doing a unique card for each item and I agree. When I get tired of the unique cards, new plan will be a generic card by pen type so I'll still provide the refill type & change info but I won't bother with item photo (which is too small to be very useful, anyway).

 

[Hosspen]

Please let us know how that dowel thing works out for you. I've never had a transmission on a sierra GO bad yet (I've had a couple that CAME bad out of the bag), but you never know. If you ever have to redo a transmission your idea would be more forgiving.
Would you be gluing in the dowel or just pressing it in? Just thinking, since it will be such a short dowel, it may be easier to insert it into the cap end before pressing the cap into the tube that you've turned & polished. Good luck with it, we look forward to hearing more on this solution.

 

[tdibiasio]

Just yesterday I had a sierra returned to me with the top of the transmition pushed up in the cap - First time I had seen this happen. For the life of me could not figure out how this happend. With your description it is now clear exactly what the women did and now I am armed with the information to tell her what not to do. THANKS SO MUCH FOR THIS TIMELY POST !!!!

By the way - I had to remove the cap with a center punch to fix the issue. I inspected the transmition VERY closely and there was no dimpling at the end and seems to work like new - should I be concerned that I have damaged it in any way ?

Thanks again

 

[bkersten]

I fixed one with about a 1/4 in long dowel that fit right up in the cap. Used a dab of silicone on it to hold in place. In case you trim off any of the tube too much when squaring it up, you will have to measure the length you need after the pen is made then put it in place. Solved problems for me.

 

[bruce119]

I fixed one with about a 1/4 in long dowel that fit right up in the cap. Used a dab of silicone on it to hold in place. In case you trim off any of the tube too much when squaring it up, you will have to measure the length you need after the pen is made then put it in place. Solved problems for me.

That is exactly what I did. A couple of tips I made a tool to put the 1/4" piece of dowel in. Cut a piece of dowel long enough to reach into the body of the completed pen. Now push a tack or something like that into the end of the long dowel (now a handle) sharpen the end of the pin on the end of your handle. Now take the piece of 1/4" spacer dowel just prick it on your new tool (handle) put a drop of glue CA or Gorilla glue works well. Now you can easily insert it into the end of the completed pen. Leave it set a few minutes then pull your tool out and your all set.

A few things to do first...check you 1/4" dowel to make sure it will work and the size is correct BEFORE you glue it in. Simply just drop it in and it will settle in place. Insert your trany when you have the correct size than glue in place with the above method.

Beware different manufactures use slightly different size parts in the finals. For example for CSUSA a 1/4" piece works fine BUT like Berea is slightly narrower or tapered and uses a smaller piece.

I hope this will help some of you. I really don't like the idea of gluing in the trany it self. It works and just a small tack would probably be OK. But I avoid glue as much as I can when assembling my pens I like to keep them serviceable.

Bruce

 

[bruce119]

Just yesterday I had a sierra returned to me with the top of the transmition pushed up in the cap - First time I had seen this happen. For the life of me could not figure out how this happend. With your description it is now clear exactly what the women did and now I am armed with the information to tell her what not to do. THANKS SO MUCH FOR THIS TIMELY POST !!!!

By the way - I had to remove the cap with a center punch to fix the issue. I inspected the transmition VERY closely and there was no dimpling at the end and seems to work like new - should I be concerned that I have damaged it in any way ?

Thanks again

To get the trany back to reach all you need is something to reach in and grab the threads. A bolt close to the threads you only need to catch one or 2 threads. A tap would be a good tool to use they are tapered and you don't need that much force to pull it down just a bit. Then you can screw on you NIB and pull it out the rest of the way.

 

[KenV]

Never had this happen -- but potentially could happen to cigars too (or any unscrew the transmission which is held by friction) -- just a matter of that old saw -- Why is it so hard to make things fool proof --- answer -- because fools are so creative.

 

[nava1uni]

I have had this happen and used a dental pick and I was able to grab it and pull it out.