Sierra click problem

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J

Jans husband

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Doncaster England
I've just been asked to do a batch of pens to be given out at the end of school year and so set up a system of label casting with the school logo. The Sierra click was the best option for the pen components.
However, I have made a couple (15 to go) and have now stopped until I can resolve the problem I have encountered.
One of the two is fine, but on the other, I can't get the nib to retract far enough into the nib housing. The pictures show retracted and forward positions.
I have taken the refill out and tried to reposition it in the click mechanism (in the same way as replacing a refill) many times but without success. I have also tried disassembling the click mechanism by unscrewing the finial and re-assembling.
The length of the turned blank is accurate.

Any ideas anyone?

Thanks in advance

Mike
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It might help if you could please show the complete pen, including the click mechanism's button at the top.

Two pics .... refill retracted and refill extended. . And also a pic of the refill, with spring, outside of the pen.

You said you have made two such pens, one of which is OK. .

How do the lengths of the two refills compare ? . There is a Uni-ball refill which is about 0.4" longer than a normal Parker refill .
 
@Jans husband
Mike,
Thanks for the extra pics.
Unfortunately, I haven't, at this stage, come up with anything more.
The refill looks just like I hoped it would .... meaning the look of a usual "Parker-style" refill

There is a consideration which I will describe ..... not sure it bears on the problem, though.
Quite a few years ago .... eight or so .... the Sierra Click pen kit came with a metal refill extender piece ( about 0.5" long ).
That extender had to be fitted to the end of the refill for the extension to be correct. . ( Loss of the extender caused malfunction ).

Then, about 3 or so years ago, the Sierra Click pen kit was redesigned with a longer mechanism. . Extender piece no longer needed.
The current listing on .... BereaHardwoods.com .... shows this design.

So my thought is that MAYBE you have in your position a mix of the original kits plus some of the present kits .....
..... and MAYBE a finial piece from a present kit has been mated with the parts from an original kit including the metal extender piece.
That could give the over-extension of the refill as your first set of pictures show. . But I think this is a long shot.

That scenario does seem a bit unlikely to me, ..... but I will ask the next question anyway .....
..... is there any sign of a metal refill extender, about 0.5" long, that is intended to fit onto the rear (top) of the refill ?
You would remember placing that extender on the refill .... or placing it in the pen barrel that you made, before inserting the refill.

I know that you joined IAP just over a year ago, so unless you have been making pens for 5 years or so altogether, you might have no memory of the refill extender piece that I am referring to and its association with the original Sierra Click pen kit.

I will have to leave it there for now, but I will keep thinking about the problem. . I hope I have not presented my thoughts in a confused way.

It might be worth making one more pen to see what happens .... paying close attention to the look of the pre-assembled top end clicker and presenting a picture of it here.

And also paying close attention as to how the refill top end fits into the clicker mechanism before you press things together.
Check all the kits you have for any variation in the look of the clicker mechanism sections. . The two types of mechanisms look different.

It is possible that your supplier of those Sierra Click pen kits provided a mix of the old and the new types.
But the old would be identifiable by the presence of the metal refill extender piece in the package, as well as a shorter click mechanism.
 
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just a thought, by chance did you trim the brass tube down to far, the picture with the clicking mechanism not click yet would be to short of the brass tube, or you got to long of ink, compare your brass tubes to the ones you have not done yet
 
This might not be it, Mike, but I had something similar with the refill not retracting properly. I found that the nib was catching in the hole in the housing which needed to be drilled out a tad. I have a feeling that this may not be your problem.

Alan
 
Just an additional thought .... . You make a point of saying ....

"I have also tried disassembling the click mechanism by unscrewing the finial and re-assembling.
The length of the turned blank is accurate."

I don't recall a Sierra Click finial design of a type that can be "unscrewed". . The click mechs are pre-assembled and cannot be disassembled.

And there is no threaded part at the finial end of a Sierra Click.
 
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I have the same issue with the new super click kit. The second one I made I deliberately trimmed short of the tube and it barely retracted into the nib. I have not much more research on adjustments that could be done. I am going to reach out to the vendor next to see if they have suggestions.
 
RGABEL said:
I have the same issue with the new super click kit. The second one I made I deliberately trimmed short of the tube and it barely retracted into the nib. I have not much more research on adjustments that could be done. I am going to reach out to the vendor next to see if they have suggestions.
Click to expand...

The thing about the "Sierra Super Click" is .... I think the issue lies in the SKM-88 click mech .... its range of travel seems less than the old clicker.

Would be good to measure and compare the range of travel for the two clickers ..... haven't done that yet.
 
magpens said:
The thing about the "Sierra Super Click" is .... I think the issue lies in the SKM-88 click mech .... its range of travel seems less than the old clicker.

Would be good to measure and compare the range of travel for the two clickers ..... haven't done that yet.
Click to expand...
Thanks for all the help and suggestions.
It appears that the Sierra and its offsprings are a difficult pen kit to follow.
I have bought 15 click pen kits from UK Pen Blanks and their "clone" has the same tube length as the Sierra Twist. I note that their pen is named Cerra, and the mechanism is in 3 separate pieces. I have successfully made 4 of those so far without problem

Mal:- Here is a photo of the unscrewed finial. The mechanism doesn't drop out when the finial is removed, but I thought that if I jiggled it about ( note how I have acquired pen turner's vocabulary!!) it may resolve the problem. I started turning pens in 2015, but I don't think I came across the Sierra until 2018.

I have checked the tube of my pen length and it is correct. The other I made is the same length, and the refills are the same

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There will be nothing lost in a disassembly and checking for anything in the tube which may be causing the problem.

Thanks again,

Mike
 
@Jans husband

Mike,
I now see what you mean by the "unscrewing" .... did not realize it was just the button .... thought it was most or all of the whole finial.
That is not a construction I am familiar with. . . . I will have to check out the Cerra .

Keep in touch ... I am interested in your tracking down and resolving the issue.

Mal

EDIT: - Just had a look at the Cerra on ... ukpenblanks ... seems like a kit of good repute. . Hope you have success in rooting out the prob.

I am a bit puzzled by the statement above that the tube length for the click kit is the same as tube length for the twist kit.

With the Berea Hardwoods Sierra (original design that everyone else has copied over the years) the twist tube is 2.20" and the click is 2.42".
 
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Sorry about the confusion (again). In my instruction sheet it is described as the finial and not the button. The white bit is one of the 3 parts of the mechanism and the finial (button) screws on to it, but I agree it all comes ready assembled with the clip etc. for pressing into the tube with a block to protect it.
I will let you know the eventual outcome.

Mike
 
Yes, the Berea is 2.42 (62.4mm) for the click pen, but the Cerra is the same as the berea Twist at 2.20 (55.88mm). Annoying, because I had already prepared 4 tubes with labels and had cast them at 2.42, and had to spend time shortening them to 2.20!
I agree the Cerra is a good kit, apart from having to make up the click mechanism during assembly.
I have spent an hour or so messing about with the imperfect pen, and pushed the refill hard against the mechanism. It moved a bit, but not enough. I'll keep trying and report back

Mike
 
@Jans husband

INTERESTING to learn .... that .... Cerra Click brass tube length = Cerra Twist brass tube length ... never seen that b4 for Sierra clones !!

I will be anxious to hear from you about your project. . Good luck ! .
I might even order some Cerra kits to check them out for myself. . I've been a big fan of the Sierras "all my life" !!!! :D . Cut my teeth on them !
 
magpens said:
@Jans husband

INTERESTING to learn .... that .... Cerra Click brass tube length = Cerra Twist brass tube length ... never seen that b4 for Sierra clones !!

I will be anxious to hear from you about your project. . Good luck ! .
I might even order some Cerra kits to check them out for myself. . I've been a big fan of the Sierras "all my life" !!!! :D . Cut my teeth on them !
Click to expand...
Thanks Mal,
You learn something every day.
At our age we are lucky still to have teeth to cut!
Mike
 
To Join the Thread; Never press on the clicker button when pressing in the blank. Make a push block to avoid pressing on the clicker button and mechanism. Drill a hole in a scrap (1" or 25mm long ) just a bit larger than the clicker in the top of the pen. If you want, you can also make a "relief" with a larger drill bit.

Sierra Click Push Block.jpg
 
randyrls said:
To Join the Thread; Never press on the clicker button when pressing in the blank. Make a push block to avoid pressing on the clicker button and mechanism. Drill a hole in a scrap (1" or 25mm long ) just a bit larger than the clicker in the top of the pen. If you want, you can also make a "relief" with a larger drill bit.

View attachment 311254
Click to expand...
I always use a block for click pens. It sits in a special place near my workbench
Mike
 
Just to update, I thought I would try spending a few more minutes sorting out the problem.
I have nothing to lose with this particular kit, because if it doesn't work I can't give it away.
I clicked the refill to the extended position, and pressed it against the hard bench top with downward force with my thumb on the button.
Hey Presto.
There was a sound from inside the pen and the nib retracted.
I will keep clicking the pen many times a day to make sure the problem is solved and doesn't reoccur.

I surmised that the click mechanism had not been fully inserted during manufacture, and it needed a bit of extra help to seat it properly inside the finial. There has been previous discussion about other similar Sierra clones coming with the mechanism in 3 pieces and of the need to assemble the click mechanism as part of the pen assembly process, whereas the Sierra generally comes with the click mechanism already complete.

Mike
 
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