Slimline Transmission Problem

[crokett]

I was assembling a stylus pen - basically a slimline with the stylus cap - and I had a problem with the transmission. It seems to work normally without the cartridge screwed in, but once the cartridge is in it won't retract far enough - you can't twist it as far as you can with no cartridge. Another transmission from another kit seems to have the same problem. These are PSI kits I got through Woodturningz. Is this something I am doing wrong?

 

[1080Wayne]

Not certain I understand , but it sounds as though the transmission may have been inserted too far into the barrel .

 

[asyler]

could the refill be hitting the stylus insert??

 

[crokett]

So some details would help. Sorry! After finding a faulty transmission 2 weeks ago AFTER I pressed it into the pen I decided to start testing them before I put them in. Today I took a transmission out of the bag, held the brass end and twisted it, it seemed to work. I pressed it partially into the lower barrel. I put the cartridge in, then tested to see where the tip ended up. the transmission would not rotate as far to retract with the cartridge in. I took the cartridge out and tried it again, it seemed normal. I put the cartridge back in, and it seems like it doesn't want to rotate as far. It needs to be pressed in further but I am afraid it won't retract the tip all the way.

Another completed slimline I have rotates more when you twist it. I took another transmission out of the bag of another kit and it seems to do the same thing as the one that isn't working.

I am not sure I have used these kits before, my other slimlines have come from Woodcraft, so maybe I am worried about nothing?

 

[Smitty37]

So some details would help. Sorry! After finding a faulty transmission 2 weeks ago AFTER I pressed it into the pen I decided to start testing them before I put them in. Today I took a transmission out of the bag, held the brass end and twisted it, it seemed to work. I pressed it partially into the lower barrel. I put the cartridge in, then tested to see where the tip ended up. the transmission would not rotate as far to retract with the cartridge in. I took the cartridge out and tried it again, it seemed normal. I put the cartridge back in, and it seems like it doesn't want to rotate as far. It needs to be pressed in further but I am afraid it won't retract the tip all the way.

Another completed slimline I have rotates more when you twist it. I took another transmission out of the bag of another kit and it seems to do the same thing as the one that isn't working.

I am not sure I have used these kits before, my other slimlines have come from Woodcraft, so maybe I am worried about nothing?

The question is does it rotate far enough to extend and retract the tip properly? If it does you don't have a problem.

 

[crokett]

Yeah. that occurred to me. I didn't want to press it in further and figure out there was a problem. I think I will attempt to measure it and see before I do anything else.

 

[RDH79]

top too short??

I would say that the top section is to short. There is not much room sometimes if your top section is less than 2 inches.

 

[crokett]

The top isn't on the pen yet. I was testing this without the top on. In any case, I have another transmission not installed in a pen that does the same thing.

 

[johncrane]

Check the nib hole is big enough and not blocked, and not restricting the refill from going all the way out. if it is you can run a drill thru the nib end.

 

[crokett]

Nib hole looks ok, but the same thing happens with a transmission and cartridge that aren't installed in a pen. The transmission seems to have more range of motion when a cartridge isn't in. I will check to see if the cartridge will fully retract - I may be worrying about nothing. It was just something I noticed while testing the transmission before I put it in the pen.

 

[asyler]

take one more shot, try a little 3-in-1 oil ,, i have had some that were 'tight'

 

[crokett]

Well I figured out tonight what is happening. If the transmission is turned to the fully retracted position, then twisted to extend without a cartridge installed it works normally. With a cartridge installed the cartridge is somehow acting like a depth stop so if you turn it to extend the cartridge out of the pen, it doesn't turn all the way and fully extend. I have some transmissions that work normally and at least 2 that aren't working.

 

[Smitty37]

The cartridge might be the problem...try a cartridge that
works in another transmission and see what happens. The transmission may be good and the cartridge the culpret. I seem to remember this happening to me some time back where I had to chuck a refill or two because the pen wouldn't work with them.

 

[crokett]

I thought I did that, but I will double-check. It probably would be best to take a cartridge from an assembled pen that is known good and see if that changes anything.

 

[Smitty37]

I thought I did that, but I will double-check. It probably would be best to take a cartridge from an assembled pen that is known good and see if that changes anything.

That's what I'd do, it's as easy to have a bad refill as a bad transmission.

 

[Lucky2]

You could be tightening the refill to tightly into the transmisson, just snug it up, don't twist it in to tight. And another thing that you could check is the nib itself like John Crane has suggested, sometimes they have to be drilled out a bit so that the refill tip will pass through it. I've faced both of these issues last week, and I did the above fixes to solve my problems, good luck.
Len

 

[crokett]

The problem was the nib was too small. I was certain I checked that, but I guess not.

 

[CharlesJohnson]

A punch rod set and you don't have to worry about getting it apart after testing this. I would not be with out the set. Only problem, you "may" have to use a small drop of blue thread lock putting it back together. Carefull, "very" liguid. Let it dry good before reassembling the rest. A peice of the rubber mess type shelf liner is great to wrap around the punched out part and to hold the pen while tapping the rod. Have fun.

 

[crokett]

I didn't have to take anything apart. I took the cartridge out of the pen, put a drill bit in my bench vise, put the nib over the bit and turned the pen by hand on the bit until it slid through.

 

[Smitty37]

I didn't have to take anything apart. I took the cartridge out of the pen, put a drill bit in my bench vise, put the nib over the bit and turned the pen by hand on the bit until it slid through.

Easy fix - this also occurs occasionally when putting Schmidt refills in Sierra Style pens - the Schmidts can be just a smidgen bigger and bind just a little.