UPSB v3
Approved Tutorials / Retractable HCMX (HGG ink) tutorial
by K4S
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Date: Mon, Jun 16 2008 05:56:14
Welcome to the Retractable HCMX (HGG ink) tutorial!
The 14th tutorial by me, K4S
I decided to make this mod after seeing how well my retractable flex MX turned out. This is the forth and last mod of my comssa quadrilogy.
Inspiration for this mod came when I wanted to make a retractable HCMX but keep it as similar to the original as possible which meant using HGG ink. Not a terribly difficult challenge but a challenge none the less, which meant I needed to accomplish it or it would bug the hell out of me haha. It took me a few days to come up with a good method for using HGG ink in a retractable mod and I had to scrap many ideas as I slowly planned the design in my head. While I was still planning the HGG ink version, I made the rsvp ink version. By the time I was done making the rsvp ink version I had finalized the HGG ink version in my head and voila!
(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 0.2cm from COP, toward the back (slightly back heavy; a little more balanced than the original HCMX)
-slightly lighter than an rsvp MX
-single sided
-retractable (first retractable that uses HGG ink :> )
-Total cost is about $9 (give or take depending on how much grip you use, where you get your pens and how many spare parts you have)
-Very minimal rattling when spun if made correctly.
So let us begin…
1.
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg96/jt...eHCMXhgg001.jpg
Pens you need:
1x comssa (single capped)
1x sunburst (for the grip, cap, inktube and part of the body)
1x HGG (for the metal tip, and inktube)
1x Zebra F-301 pen
1x G2 spring (If you mod much at all you probably have a bunch of these lying around
)
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:
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg96/jt...acFlexMX003.jpg
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.
NOTE2: You can either use the HGG inktube or sunburst inktube to extend the white plastic piece since they are the same thing.
NOTE3: It says “rsvp cap/grip†in the picture but replace that with “sunburst cap/gripâ€
6.
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg96/jt...eHCMXhgg005.jpg
Completely hollow out the comssa cap as seen in the picture. Once the cap is modded, add on the grips of your choice.
7.
Note: The picture has rsvp caps/grips, but for this tutorial you can use the sunburst cap and grip to accomplish the same thing. (more details covered in the Q&A)
8.
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg96/jt...eHCMXhgg007.jpg
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 HGG inktube can slide through unobstructed.
9.
CLOSE UP SHOT
Cut the sunburst barrel to the measurements specified in the picture (you want the 1.5cm section). Once you cut the correct section you will need to file down the front of the sunburst section so that the HGG tip can be screwed on. (The picture shows the sunburst section already filed down). The HGG tip will not screw on very far due to the size of the sunburst tip. It just needs to fit on a few mm so that it will be secure.
10.
11.
12.
NOTE2: An rsvp inktube fits farther into the back section of the F-301 mechanism so if you choose to extend the inktube with another HGG inktube it will change how much you need to increase the length by. Likely, the overall length will be about 0.4cm shorter if you extend it with an HGG inktube. **If you use an HGG inktube to extend the length your mod may rattle more than if you had used an rsvp inktube to extend it because an HGG inktube doesn’t fit into the small slot on the mechanism which prevents side to side movement**
NOTE3: Whatever you do to extend the length of the inktube, leave yourself an extra 1.0cm so that you can shorten/tweak the final length to perfection.
13.
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 sunburst/rsvp cap on. The reason you want to do this is because if you try to push the sunburst/rsvp cap on regularly the mechanism will just push forward as you try to put the cap on and you won’t be able wedge the sunburst/rsvp cap onto the empty hgg inktube section as much.
Final Product!
Trouble Shooting Questions:
Q: Is a dremel needed for this mod?
A: I used one to cut the section of sunburst but you can do the same thing using a hack saw or even an xacto knife + fire. I used an xacto/utility knife for everything else.
Q: How did you hollow out 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: I made your mod but the HGG inktube seems to get stuck when I click to retract it in/out
A: I had this problem too, don’t worry. There could be many factors causing the HGG ink to not retract in/out properly. Firstly, make sure the HGG inktube can actually slide in and out of the comssa tube unobstructed. Secondly, make sure the sunburst section is not crooked with the comssa body. Thirdly, make sure the HGG tip is screwed on straight…If you’re still having trouble you can try filing down the lip of the HGG inktube (where the inktube meets the plastic writing tip there is a small lip, that is what I am referring to).
Q: Can I use sunburst ink instead of HGG ink either for writing or extending stuff from the tutorial?
A: Yes, HGG ink and Sunburst ink are the SAME THING
Q: Instead of using an empty rsvp inktube to extend the length (from step 12) can I just use a wooden skewer or an empty hgg/sunburst inktube?
A: Yes, but the overall length required will need to be slightly shorter if you choose to extend the inktube with another HGG inktube since it does not fit as far into the F-301 mechanism as the rsvp inktube (consult step 12).
Q: For steps 7 you said you said to use a sunburst cap but the picture clearly shows an rsvp cap
A: Haha…yeah, I re-used the picture since I was too lazy to take another one so the picture actually shows an rsvp cap. I actually used an rsvp cap for my HGG ink version when I made the mod at the time since I have a million extra rsvp caps…but as I was making the tutorial I realized that using the sunburst cap and grip would be more efficient and decrease the overall cost of the mod slightly since I already had to use the sunburst for the front section.
Q: Sometimes in the pictures you make reference to using an rsvp cap, but I should be using a sunburst cap, right?
A: For this tutorial use the sunburst cap if you want to save money. If you have a bunch of extra rsvp caps lying around then you can use those too :>
Q: Okay, so if I use a sunburst cap do I still have to cut off the ring section of the grip?
A: Yes, you probably still have to cut off the ring to slightly shorten the grip but it shouldn’t matter too much since you can use it for an MX^2.
Q: When you stuff the sunburst grip into the sunburst/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: 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 HGG inktube needs room to slide back and forth when it retracts in/out and the HGG tip is one of the few tips that has enough room to allow for this (with the exception of milky pen hgg tip substitutes or oldschool HGR tips which are exactly the same as HGG 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 can be found at walmart/staples. The comssa, sunburst and HGG can be bought at penwish or you can just trade someone for some. And if you’re lucky you can find sunbursts locally.
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: I’ve noticed that on HGG and sunburst pens, the cap has a little rubber stopper that presses against the ink tip to prevent drying. Since your mod leaves the HGG ink exposed will it dry out?
A: I asked the same question a while back haha. The pen I made for this tutorial has been sitting on my desk for about 2 months without being used and it hasn’t dried out yet. The ink probably lasts at least 3-4 months if you never use it. If you are frequently using it to write then the ink will probably run out before it dries out.
Q: Why did these tutorials 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: When are you going to release tutorials for pen mods I actually want (aka your secret mods)
A:
Q: What is your next tutorial going to be of?
A: Probably my MP rsvp MX
Q: Really?!?!
A: Well…we’ll see
Q: How is your spinning progressing?
A: I’ve actually quit pen spinning and moved onto bigger and better things. Right now I’m really into bear spinning (we’ve got lots of them up here in Canada
). As far as I know I’m the original inventor of bear spinning. Still working on a trick list but my latest trick is called the bear(el) roll.
Q: I saw you say you’re 35 years old on the shoutbox. This be true?
A: Yes. C’mon, would I lie to you? -
Date: Mon, Jun 16 2008 06:00:21
Aw man, your whole quadrilogy uses a F-301. I'll have to go hunting some time.
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Date: Mon, Jun 16 2008 06:02:00
Awesome quadrilogy K4S!! Great work on the mods!
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Date: Mon, Jun 16 2008 06:19:43
geezz that's a huge tutorial >.< took me quite some time to read through all of it -.-''
looks great except for the fact that it weighs less than an mx -__-'' and retr. mods have a bunch of limitations when it comes to adding more weight to it
(can't stuff things into the back to balance out any extra weight that i end up adding to the front)
but thanks for the tut -
Date: Mon, Jun 16 2008 06:26:00QUOTE (-JC- @ Jun 16 2008, 02:19 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>geezz that's a huge tutorial >.< took me quite some time to read through all of it -.-''
looks great except for the fact that it weighs less than an mx -__-'' and retr. mods have a bunch of limitations when it comes to adding more weight to it (can't stuff things into the back to balance out any extra weight that i end up adding to the front)
but thanks for the tut
You can always add heavier gripping on the caps on either side. As well, the length is 21cm so even though it's not really heavy it still spins quite well
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Date: Mon, Jun 16 2008 06:29:07
i guess i could dr. grip the front and then add some anyballs on that backcap
hmm...
and 21 cm is like a msxa..but lighter, so i'm sure it'd feel fine when spinning but i gotta try it out first because i assume that ^^""
well, i'm out of f301s right now so i gotta get some before i make any of your awesome mods -
Date: Tue, Jun 17 2008 06:36:27
minor update to the Q&A regarding HGG ink drying out since it's not being preserved by the small rubber stopper (as seen on the stock HGG pen).
...for the lazy who dont want to find it a midst my massive Q&A here's the update:QUOTE*Q: I’ve noticed that on HGG and sunburst pens, the cap has a little rubber stopper that presses against the ink tip to prevent drying. Since your mod leaves the HGG ink exposed will it dry out?
A: I asked the same question a while back haha. The pen I made for this tutorial has been sitting on my desk for about 2 months without being used and it hasn’t dried out yet. The ink probably lasts at least 3-4 months if you never use it. If you are frequently using it to write with then the ink will probably run out before it dries out. -
Date: Wed, Jun 18 2008 17:55:58
This looks excellent, I can't wait to make it.
Great work, K4S! -
Date: Wed, Jun 18 2008 17:59:53
I need more comssas to try this.
You can also add the same setup to the other commsa mods to have hgg ink right? -
Date: Sat, Jul 12 2008 19:01:07 I like this I need F-301 and sunburt though D: