Click stops not clicking on Componon S

[Robert Oliver]

Cleaning the gunk out of the grooves...

[Robert Oliver]

Cleanup barely helped... Seems whatever engages the grooves on the brass was removed or it wore off.

[BrianShaw]

Isn't a ball bearing supposed to be sitting on the dimple of the metal spring (10 oclock position) in your second pic?

[Robert Oliver]

I'm not sure...

When you slide the switch, it moves a brass shim up a ramp. Not sure what is supposed to click.

There definitely weren't any springs or bearings in there when I opened it up. I have a feeling there is some spring steel that is missing.

[Bernard_L]

I had this problem on a 80mm Componon from a yard sale. Turns out the small steel ball was missing. That is sitting on a leaf spring (phosphor bronze??) and engages radial v-grooves. Selected a ball from a ball point pen, "bold" writing (~1mm diameter ball). Free the ball from the pen tip using a jeweler's file. Clean thoroughly in lighter fluid or similar. Epoxy where it belongs: a small depression in the leaf spring; wait for epoxy to cure; re-assemble: works!

[BrianShaw]

Most times the ball is not epoxied in place, but sitting in a dimple, or in a "tube" with a spring behind it.

[BrianShaw]

p.s. I never thought of salvaging a ball from a ball point pen, but it makes sense. I keep looking in the carpet beneath my work bench when I need one. There must be at least 2 of them there at this time.

[Robert Oliver]

I had this problem on a 80mm Componon from a yard sale. Turns out the small steel ball was missing. That is sitting on a leaf spring (phosphor bronze??) and engages radial v-grooves. Selected a ball from a ball point pen, "bold" writing (~1mm diameter ball). Free the ball from the pen tip using a jeweler's file. Clean thoroughly in lighter fluid or similar. Epoxy where it belongs: a small depression in the leaf spring; wait for epoxy to cure; re-assemble: works!

I didn't see any place for a ball bearing to go... Don't see an indent.

[Robert Oliver]

...durrr!

I get it now, I was thinking the shim moved up the ramp engaged the click stop. Took a bit of reverse thinking to realize it disengages it.

Now to find a ball-point pen. Maybe I will ask Siri where to find one.

Thanks!

I had this problem on a 80mm Componon from a yard sale. Turns out the small steel ball was missing. That is sitting on a leaf spring (phosphor bronze??) and engages radial v-grooves. Selected a ball from a ball point pen, "bold" writing (~1mm diameter ball). Free the ball from the pen tip using a jeweler's file. Clean thoroughly in lighter fluid or similar. Epoxy where it belongs: a small depression in the leaf spring; wait for epoxy to cure; re-assemble: works!

[Robert Oliver]

Harvested a ball bearing from a donor ball point pen, and installed it in the hole.... Seems like it might be a little bit too small. Can't wait to test it after it cures.

Not sure I would have engineered it the same way!