Removing pen parts from a closed ended FP

[Parson]

A customer returned his Jr. Gent pen to me for service. The hardware pressed into the base of the pen works its way out a 1/4 inch or more when he evidently over tightens the cap.

It's not loose enough to yank out so I can epoxy it and make it stay put. Since it's a closed end base, I can't drive it out from the other end.

Any tips to pass along to get it out short of taking vice grips to the hardware and ruining the hardware and possibly the wood?

 

[SteveG]

I have no direct experience with this challenge, but if you decide to go the vice grip route, try inserting something that is a snug fit (transfer punch, or ?)into the hardware you will grip. By doing this, the part will not deform when you squeeze the vice grip and you are less likely to split the wood. Another approach is if you have a matching threaded piece, you can screw it onto the piece to be removed, and do the gripping on that piece instead of the part to be removed and preserved. I hope it works, and at least you can save the turned barrel.

 

[hewunch]

Skiprat has a tool he made for this reason. It is listed in the library I do believe. http://content.penturners.org/library/tools_and_jigs/closedendrepairthingy.pdf

 

[mredburn]

Can you continue to tighten the capto use it to pull the lower unit out? Maybe use a washer as a spacer to help it along?

 

[PenMan1]

Take a 1/16 " thick piece of flat aluminum bar (2.99 at HD for a 3' piece). Cut a groove down the middle of it, just slightly narrower than the ring that decorates the thread flange. If you plan to use this more than once (and you should "plan to", if you make many closed end pens), use the Dremel or a bench grinder to sharper the two prongs to make it look like the claw on a carpenter's hammer.

Slide the tool between the pen tube and the beauty ring. Gently "rock" the tool until the beauty ring and thread adapter loosen. GO SLOWLY until the ring and the threads are free from the tube.

FIND the reason that this worked loose. My bet is on too much spring tension rather than cap overtightening (cap threads are plastic. If over tight capping were the problem, the plastic threads would fail first). FIND and FIX the real problem, then reassemble with Loctite thread Compound where the ring and threads meet the pen tube.

DAMHIKT

 

[workinforwood]

If you can get it out a quarter inch, I'd mix up some epoxy, spread it on the exposed area, press it back in and wipe off the excess. Should be plenty of glue on the 1/4 inch of exposure to not need the part to come completely out.