Retractable Rollerball?

[Dan Masshardt]

Upon realizing that the refills from my plastic g2 gel pens slide right into the rollerball kits, I find myself wondering...


Does anybody make a retractable rollerball kit - twist or click? Im not aware of any.

Maybe a twist wouldn't work because of the type of refill, but the g2 is a click pen so it has to be possible. Maybe just not marketable for suppliers?

If not, why not?

Thoughts?

 

[BRobbins629]

Many of the rollerball refils require to be capped else they will dry out. If you find ones that won't dry out, you could make a custom click pen quite easily. There's a tutorial in the library to guide you. You may need to modify the length, but other than that there is no reason why not. Richard Grenwald sells some great click mechanisms.

 

[Smitty37]

Bruce is right...it is due to the ink used in rollerball refills that precludes retractable rollerballs, not the mechanics.

 

[Dan Masshardt]

Many of the rollerball refils require to be capped else they will dry out. If you find ones that won't dry out, you could make a custom click pen quite easily. There's a tutorial in the library to guide you. You may need to modify the length, but other than that there is no reason why not. Richard Grenwald sells some great click mechanisms.

That makes sense. I like capped pens so its not a big deal. Personally, I prefer the g2 refill to even the upgraded Schmidt Parker style or the parker brand gel which is part of the reason I asked.

 

[PenMan1]

As Bruce suggests, you CAN make your own custom click roller ball pen just by using the Schmidt stainless click mechanism, a pilot G2 refill, and a couple of cheap, standard taps and dies (7 & 8 mm) from a "cheap set work well enough. The only real requirement is accurate measuring.

 

[Kretzky]

I don't quite understand... the way I see it, there is probably more air trapped inside the cap of a capped pen, than there is in the end of a "retracted" refill inside a nib section. Both are subject to external temperatures, humidity etc. So why would a retractable rollerball dry out more or quicker than a capped one. Enquiring minds would like to know :redface:

 

[Displaced Canadian]

I think you can get the G2 in a click pen and if so it should be fine. As far as the whole kitless thing goes, it's not that hard. You just have to jump in and try it.

 

[PenMan1]

I think you can get the G2 in a click pen and if so it should be fine. As far as the whole kitless thing goes, it's not that hard. You just have to jump in and try it.

The G2 does work well as a click pen.

 

[Dan Masshardt]

Anybody made one they'd like to share a pic of?

 

[1080Wayne]

Re Kretzky`s post

An excellent question . I know nothing about the solvent system used in rollerball ink , but I would suspect that it is a question of reaching equilibrium vapour pressure in a fairly small volume (the cap) versus the nib end which is exposed to the whole atmosphere . The refill will dry out to some degree when capped , and will dry out faster the more times it is capped and uncapped . Once ( or if ) that pressure is reached within the cap , drying should cease , although there will always be limited air exchange around the threads .

 

[tim self]

I use a rollerball in the shop and never cap it. It has the refill included in the kit and has not dried out in 3 months. Might just be lucky. I've been considering trying to build a click for our rollerballs as well.

My experience has been that the link will leach into clothing if left uncapped.

 

[Dan Masshardt]

I was just looking at an executive - given the simplicity of the mechanism, I'm thinking that just extending the tube length a bit will allow me to use a g2 refill. Anybody see a reason why not?

 

[Displaced Canadian]

Should work. You may want to check the size of the tip to see if it will go through the nib.

 

[Dan Masshardt]

Should work. You may want to check the size of the tip to see if it will go through the nib.

Yes, the nib is fairly narrow but I think it might work. If it doesn't work, a cigar nib probably will.

 

[Smitty37]

I don't quite understand... the way I see it, there is probably more air trapped inside the cap of a capped pen, than there is in the end of a "retracted" refill inside a nib section. Both are subject to external temperatures, humidity etc. So why would a retractable rollerball dry out more or quicker than a capped one. Enquiring minds would like to know :redface:

It's actually the same reason that water will not evaporate as quickly from a capped jar than from an open one although unless you have a perfect seal it will evaporate eventually.

 

[Smitty37]

I was just looking at an executive - given the simplicity of the mechanism, I'm thinking that just extending the tube length a bit will allow me to use a g2 refill. Anybody see a reason why not?

If it will work with an exec it should also work with a Polaris...they have the same diameter tube and same basic structure.