UPSB v3
Approved Tutorials / Retractable HCMX (rsvp ink) tutorial
by K4S
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Date: Mon, Jun 16 2008 05:50:47
Welcome to the Retractable HCMX (rsvp ink) tutorial!
The 13th tutorial by me, K4S
I decided to make this mod after seeing how well my retractable flex MX turned out. This is the third mod of my comssa quadrilogy.
I originally wanted to make a retractable HCMX but have it use HGG ink to keep it as similar to the original as possible. In the process of designing the HGG ink version I decided to make the rsvp ink version first as “practice†since it was a lot easier
(I assume no responsibility if you are careless and sustain eye damage or dismember your finger/hand from trying to follow my tutorial to make this pen mod. Remember, you can’t spin pens without fingers.
)
Some basic stats/info:
-21.0cm
-COG is 0.5cm from COP, toward the back (slightly back heavy; similar to the original HCMX)
-slightly lighter than an rsvp MX
-single sided
-retractable (uses rsvp ink)
-Total cost is about $8 (give or take depending on how much grip you use and where you get your pens)
-Very minimal rattling when spun if made correctly.
So let us begin…
1.
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg96/jt...bleHCMXrsvp.jpg
Pens you need:
1x comssa (single capped)
1x rsvp (for the inktube, grip and cap)
1x HGG (for the metal tip, and inktube)
1x Zebra F-301 pen
Grips of your choice (anyball/profile grips are used in this tutorial; not seen in picture)
2.
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg96/jt...acFlexMX002.jpg
Disassemble the F-301 pen. Wrap an elastic around the body for added leverage. Grab the metal body and pull out the retractable mechanism.
***Tip: twist the whole retractable mechanism as you pull it out of the metal tube.
This is what you need from the F-301 pen:
3.
Remove the two white plastic pieces first before cutting the mechanism body!!! (the picture only has the white plastic pieces in it because I was too lazy to disassemble the entire thing.)
Cut the F-301 mechanism according to measurements in the picture. You want the “2.0cm†section, so cut 1.6cm from the back and 2.9cm from the front.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Empty out the comssa (remove ink, backplug and felt tip). Cut off the tip as seen in the picture and use a drill bit to widen the hole so that an rsvp inktube can slide through unobstructed.
8.
Make a hole on the other comssa cap such that an rsvp inktube and slide through unobstructed but an HGG tip can still be screwed on.
Once the comssa cap has been modded, screw on an HGG tip to the comssa cap and then add on the grips of your choice.
9.
The spring I used came the F-301.
10.
Put the inktube assembly into the comssa body, then push the F-301 mechanism onto the back of the comssa. It should snap into place.
What it looks like assembled
After that, put on the comssa cap first…then hold the pen upright (like you’re trying to write with it), push the metal tip down against the table (so the inktube CANT come out of the metal tip) and then push the rsvp cap on. The reason you want to do this is because if you try to push the rsvp cap on regularly the mechanism will just push forward as you try to put the rsvp cap on and you won’t be able wedge the rsvp cap onto the empty hgg inktube section as much.
Final Product!
Trouble Shooting Questions:
Q: Is a dremel needed for this mod?
A: Nope, I just used an xacto/utility knife.
Q: How did you put a hole in the comssa cap?
A: I used drill bits. Be careful though, good drill bits are a lot sharper than you think…I’ve had some close calls ._.
Q: Instead of using an empty rsvp inktube to extend the length (from step 9) can I just use a wooden skewer?
A: Yes.
Q: When you stuff the rsvp grip into the rsvp cap, the grip scrunched up inside…is that okay?
A: Yes, that’s fine (happened to me too). You will need to adjust how much tape you wrap around the hgg inktube section though for the best fit (from step 5).
Q: Do you really need to cut the ring off the rsvp grip (from step 6)?
A: You probably don’t have to, but it got in the way when I was first making this pen mod so I decided to cut it off and everything fit perfectly afterwards. Plus, you can use the extra ring for an MX^2
Q: Could I just put extra grip on the front and make COG = COP?
A: Yep.
Q: Do I have to use HGG tips?
A: Yes because the tips need to screw onto the comssa cap as well as slide through a hollowed out comssa cap and very few tips can do that (with the exception of milky pen hgg tip substitutes or oldschool HGR tips)
Q: The mod rattles when I spin it T_T
A: Did you put enough tape on the white plastic clicker piece (from step 4)? You need to have just enough tape so that it can still slide through the hole easily but still have minimal side to side movement in order to eliminate rattling.
Q: Can I wrap tape around the back of the comssa to prevent the back cap from rattling?
A: Yes, you can do that along with step 4 to minimize the amount the back cap will rattle even more.
Q: Where do you buy the pens for this mod?
A: Zebra F-301 and rsvp can be found at walmart/staples. The comssa and HGG can be bought at penwish or you can just trade someone for some.
Q: The little white piece of the back clicking mechanism keeps falling out
A: Yes, after you cut the F-301 mechanism the little tabs which hold that white piece are taken off so the white little plastic piece easily falls out. Just assemble it correctly and you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. And be careful not to lose it ._.
Q: I can’t push the F-301 mechanism into the back of the comssa T_T
A: Grow some muscles and try harder ._.
Q: I followed your tutorial exactly but it doesn’t work.
A: It’s likely even though you measured everything exactly the same, the actual assembly of the pen mod changed a few variables and it doesn’t fit the same as when I made it myself. The mod is simple enough you can probably figure out what went wrong and fix it yourself. If not, post your question.
Q: The mechanism won’t click forward
A: The inktube is probably too long.
Q: Why did these tutorial take so long to make?
A: School, work, going to the gym 5 days a week, friends, life in general…and procrastination.
Q: Why do you release your tutorials in clusters instead of doing them 1 by 1?
A:
…it’s a quadrilogy ._.
Q: Wait a sec, this Q&A looks oddly similar to your other comssa quadrilogy tutorials…
A: Yep, the 4 mods part of my quadrilogy all use the same mechanism and body, hence why I call it a comssa quadrilogy and why the Q&A are quite similar.
Q: Post a pic of all your pens
A: Provide me a helicopter and camera powerful enough to take an aerial shot from a few hundred meters off the ground and I will.
Q: Were you the one who started making lengthy Q&A for tutorials?
A: Yes, and people tried to copy it and did a pretty poor job haha.
Q: Okay, how do you really come up with this stuff?
A: A mix of boredom + random inspiration + alcohol ...haha j/k :>
Q: Are you lonely being the only known spinner from SK, Canada?
A: Yes, I cry myself to sleep every night because of it
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Date: Mon, Jun 16 2008 05:58:17
This one is awesome as well!!! Good work K4S!!!
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Date: Mon, Jun 16 2008 06:12:15
I luv u, K4S. U have given me something to do with white Comssa body.
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Date: Tue, Jun 17 2008 04:14:32
This mod is going to be made when I get home.
I cant believe I have all the parts for it -
Date: Tue, Jun 17 2008 06:12:26
wow ! cool mod
wow ! cool mod -
Date: Wed, Jun 18 2008 04:22:19
U rock!! I love it!!
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Date: Thu, Jun 19 2008 22:49:00
Does it really mattter where you cut the section of the F-301 black tube section?
cuz i think I fucked it up from cutting from a different section of it -
Date: Thu, Jun 19 2008 22:56:26
If its longer, it should be ok, but if you cut like completely the wrong section, it probably won't work because it doesn't have the mechanism for it to work anymore.
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Date: Fri, Jun 20 2008 01:30:43
umm do you really need the clicker stuff from the f-301?
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Date: Fri, Jun 20 2008 01:32:17QUOTE (Dispencer @ Jun 19 2008, 06:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>umm do you really need the clicker stuff from the f-301?
Yes thats the whole point of the mod. Retractable HCMX using f-301....
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Date: Sun, Jun 22 2008 19:00:37
Kickass mod, i just made one and it rocks! The only part i had trouble with was getting the RSVP grip into the cap. Good mod. 5 stars.
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Date: Sun, Jul 13 2008 07:22:25
Heres mine!
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Date: Mon, Jul 21 2008 07:33:24
Finally finished making mine, works great
I did have some trouble though. The mechanism kept getting stuck after a few clicks, took me an hour of fiddling before I realized my inktube was too long and before that, the HGG inktube piece got stuck in the rsvp cap >_> I added a strip of white paper along the back of the comssa barrel to reduce the rattling. -
Date: Thu, Aug 14 2008 23:20:16
this looks........... uhhhhhh............ like one k4s's amazing mods he keeps on making. lol
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Date: Sun, Aug 17 2008 18:26:57
Whoa! this is neat! I have been off UPSB for a few months, and I checked back for the lulz and found this! Great job! I had planned to make the original HCMX retractable using a Monami, but I never got around to it. Keep up the good work!
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Date: Mon, Aug 18 2008 05:03:57QUOTE (Trogz @ Aug 17 2008, 02:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Whoa! this is neat! I have been off UPSB for a few months, and I checked back for the lulz and found this! Great job! I had planned to make the original HCMX retractable using a Monami, but I never got around to it. Keep up the good work!
I also have a version where it's retractable HGG ink...to keep it a little closer to the original mod
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Date: Sun, Sep 21 2008 15:21:02
I made mine, but the inktube only retracts out, it doesn't retract back in
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Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 05:28:38
err, make sure the mechanism can move completely forward and backwards...that's the only way it wouldnt retract back in. That or you somehow broke the mechanism which i doubt.
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Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 09:33:15
Well, I'm probably 1 mm off because my utility knife screwed up the F-301 barrel...
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Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 11:45:25
I made i love ur mods
