Button Click spring

[Tea Clipper]

I just put a few of these button clicks together this afternoon and ran into a 'problem' if you don't know the secret. I just got these kits from BB and noticed that the spring was not on the refill like I'm normally used to. Well, it's easy enough to put a spring on, right? I just slipped it on the end and noticed it went on pretty easily. Well, after assembling the pen, I tried out the clicker and noticed that it was very inconsistent. Sometimes it would work fine, other times it would not retract the refill - either partially or fully. [}] I've always had good results from these button clicks in the past, so this took me by surprise. Hmmm... I thought I read something here recently about springs, and I thought that it was kinda weird that the spring just slipped on so easily... so I took the spring off and turned it around. It became immediately apparent that the other end is smaller; I now realize that the spring is tapered. With the spring in the proper alignment, the refill feels much firmer when you put the pen back together and after a dozen or so test clicks, not a single failure. So how about that... it's not just a spring, but a tapered spring. Doh! [:I]

 

[Geo in Winnipeg]

Thanks Ron. I've made dozens of those and never noticed (looked?). Lucky I guess.

 

[bob393]

Who would have thought, silly right.

 

[Tea Clipper]

This has me thinking about springs, so I take apart a few other ballpoints and examine theirs. Come to find out, they are all like that. [B)] Since all the pens I've done previously had their springs attached, I never knew this. I've even replaced refills before, but realized that I've always done it in such a way as to put the spring on in the same manner as it was taken off. Well, don't I feel silly. [:I]

 

[Jim15]

That is very interesting, I'll have to check the ones I have that don't work right. Thank you.

 

[woodmarc]

Thanks for the heads up on this one. How do you like those pens, and are the well received by the public at large. Good Profit margin?

 

[Tea Clipper]

Those are all very good questions Marc that I don't have the answer for. I've made a few awhile back, and now a few more to round out my line. I like them when I put the spring in right. [] I've only sold a few and haven't heard back one way or the other. I guess no news is good news. []

 

[Randy_]

I just looked at a few pens I have laying around. None of them have tapered springs??

Not clear to me from your post.........which way is the tapered spring supposed to go??

 

[Tea Clipper]

Randy, take a spring off and play with it. In one direction, the spring slips on and off easily. The other way provides some resistance. It's the latter that you want. The spring should catch (but not necessarily stop) on the little bump aprox 1/4" ahead of the major step which is 1" in from the tip.

 

[Tea Clipper]

Um, this is in reference to Parker style ballpoints, btw.

 

[Randy_]

Thanks, Ron. I don't have any tapered springs to play with; but I guess you are saying the small end of the spring goes on the refill first.