Problem with Jr. Gent II. Please help!

[mpex]

I'm having a few problems with JR. Gent II kits. So far it is by far my favorite kit. Seems a lot higher quality that a lot of the other kits out there but I've got some major issues.

1.The cap will not stay on. I carry my pen in my pants. I don't wear a shirt with a pocket. Seems like even if I tighten it tighter than I think I should, it still comes off and ruins my pants. So far I've gone through 4 pairs of pants (yes, I should have learned my lesson after the first 1 or 2 pairs.) I also don't like having to over tighten it because when I hand it to someone to look at or use, they can't figure out how to get the cap off. Can anything be done to keep this from happening?

2.The one I just did this evening, the plastic threads stripped out almost immediately after tightening it. SEE UPDATE BELOW! I do not feel like I over tightened it. I just felt it skip the threads as I tightened it. So, 2 questions. How would I go about disassembling the kit? I have a punch set. Do I need to pop the top off first? Should I ask the vendor for a replacement? Is this a known issue for these pens?

Last question, what other kits should I look at that might be better for me?

Thanks!

New info:
It does not appear that it is stripped. It looks like the threads are just quite a bit more recessed on this one than the other. the cap on the left is the problem, the one on the right threads properly. See photo 1 post down.

 

[yort81]

I concur

I have ruined 3 of my embroidered work shirts with the same Pen Kit....I stopped carrying it :frown:

It is by far my favorite pen kit for the price... Quality and good looks... but dang!!... that cap coming off is a killer!

 

[mpex]

New info:
It does not appear that it is stripped. It looks like the threads are just quite a bit more recessed on this one than the other. the cap on the left is the problem, the one on the right threads properly.

 

[mpex]

For some reason the photo wont post. Here is the link. If there is a moderator that can fix the photo link, please help. It is putting in ***** in the name of the image.

IAP Home - Photos - Jr Gent II cap issue

 

[ed4copies]

Its' reading it as a dirty word.

Substitutes *** for as$, (change $ to s) for one.

 

[tim self]

To carry it in your pants, I recommend a leather/leatherette sleeve. As for the "bad" cap, I'd think the threads may be pushed into the barrel to far. Knock off the end and see if the threads will push back in. If so, a drop of epoxy on the end of the black will help.

 

[edstreet]

This is actually a known problem. The black plastic inside tube comes loose from the ring. What you may have to do is punch off the clip top and tap the plastic ring back down where it should be then spot glue it in place.

 

[crabcreekind]

I believe I have the solution to your problem. You need to find jr gent 2 with the newer or (older) threads. They are Flat threads and have about 3. I have both in my collection of jr gents 2's I've made. They seem to not unscrew as easy but still feel good.

 

[edstreet]

The thread patterns did indeed change but that will not solve the problem here, which is this. ....

As pointed out above in post #4 and #5

This image is brought to you by the letters "P I S S" which tripped the profanity filters so a simple TINYURL which is OFF SITE that redirects to THIS SITE.

FYI there are far better solutions to the problem than enabling profanity filters.

It seems to me that the admin and staff owes one to mpex for being patient in dealing with the broken setup.

 

[mpex]

What is the best way to punch the top off? I have a punch set. If I put it in a clamp, it will damage the finish. If I just hold it in my hand, there is not enough leverage when I hit the punch with a hammer. I tried holding it by hand and it looks like the gold top is starting to pop, not the whole piece.

 

[jeff]

...snip...

This image is brought to you by the letters "P I S S" which tripped the profanity filters so a simple TINYURL which is OFF SITE that redirects to THIS SITE.

FYI there are far better solutions to the problem than enabling profanity filters.

It seems to me that the admin and staff owes one to mpex for being patient in dealing with the broken setup.

Oh come on, Ed, it's not a big deal. A small configuration issue that I did not anticipate. I made a small change so "capissue" is no longer an issue.

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

Moishe, the gold top will come out and can be pressed back just keep at it and the CB will come out for you to repair.

 

[edstreet]

...snip...

This image is brought to you by the letters "P I S S" which tripped the profanity filters so a simple TINYURL which is OFF SITE that redirects to THIS SITE.

FYI there are far better solutions to the problem than enabling profanity filters.

It seems to me that the admin and staff owes one to mpex for being patient in dealing with the broken setup.

Oh come on, Ed, it's not a big deal. A small configuration issue that I did not anticipate. I made a small change so "capissue" is no longer an issue.

I was trying to be somewhat sarcastic, somewhat serious and somewhat funny. May have failed in that and I was very tired. No harm done I hope. Thank you for the change and the fast response to this.

What is the best way to punch the top off? I have a punch set. If I put it in a clamp, it will damage the finish. If I just hold it in my hand, there is not enough leverage when I hit the punch with a hammer. I tried holding it by hand and it looks like the gold top is starting to pop, not the whole piece.

Hold it in your hand. put the rod in the blank, cap down and tap it with a mallet, it will come out. If you look in the center of the cap you will see a rivet style blob, that is the stake that holds the cap embellishment on. Try not to hit that as that part may come out separate from the rest of the cap. Also do not push down on the clip as that could dig into the blank and if you want you can put tape under that to keep scratching down to a minimum.

 

[mpex]

Got it! Popped it off and punched the plastic threads back in place. Put the cap back on the top. Doesn't look like I punched it down far enough because the postable end is still not threading. I will try again later. It does appear that the first thread got partially stripped out, as the threads have a difficult time getting started.

@edstreet and Jeff: no big or even small deal about the image not working. Glad it got worked out. I used to run a forum and ran into this stuff all the time. Having to add and subtract words from the list etc. I don't envy the job! Thanks for getting it worked out!

I believe I have the solution to your problem. You need to find jr gent 2 with the newer or (older) threads. They are Flat threads and have about 3. I have both in my collection of jr gents 2's I've made. They seem to not unscrew as easy but still feel good.

How do I know what I have and what I should look for? The threads on my pens appear to be flat/squared. I am buying new stock from a few places. Where should I get the kits you are talking about if different from what I'm using?

THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE HELP!!!!!!

 

[edstreet]

On the smaller section the insert rings with threads on them. There are in fact TWO thread patterns. One is deep longer, the other shallow and short. The shallow and short is the posting end while the deep and long is the nib end.

the posting end is mostly to lightly hold the cap when the pen is in use and not for storage with the cap in place as it takes nothing to remove it.

I am not shocked that the cap threads are stripped, I have even seen that ring break in half at times (most of them were trying to remove the center band)

There are many places that sells the kits. These 3 are the same kit but with different bling and trim. There is a 4th but I forgot who sells that one right now.
Artisan Jr. Gentlemen's II Postable Rollerball Pen Kit | Pen Making | Craft Supplies USA

Artisan Jr. Statesman II Postable Rollerball Pen Kit | Pen Making | Craft Supplies USA

Artisan Venus Rollerball Pen Kit | Pen Making | Craft Supplies USA

In one thread I posted the difference in trim.

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f14/venus-rollerball-vs-statesman-jr-vs-gent-jr-99717/

This afternoon I will do some macro work on the 2 different thread patterns.

 

[Dale Allen]

I know this is an old thread but there is something I wanted to add.
The last time I was playing around with the plastic only section of this centerband section, I recall that there seemed to be a bit more threads then were necessary. My experimenting indicated that the nib took 1.5 turns to seat the ring into the centerband metal piece. However, it would go another half turn with the metal piece removed due to more threads in the plastic piece.
So.........maybe in this case where the first 1 or 2 threads were stripped out, one could cut back the end of the plastic and cut the stop back the same distance. If my brain can remember this the next time I have this come up, I'll try it.:biggrin: