Poor Man's Knockout Tube For Everysharp Skyline

[tjt7a]

I found a cheap Everysharp Skyline on ebay and decided to bite. I knew it would take some work, but I'm a DIYer, and it sounded like a fun project.

 

The pen's section contains the nib, feed, and a breather tube. They're all held in very tightly, and there's really no way to pull the unit out. This calls for something called a knockout tube. Basically, this is a metal tube that wraps around the breather tube, but pressed into the back of the feed. Whack this bad boy a few times with a hammer, and out pops the nib/feed/breather combo. Being the n00b I am, I did not have such a device. I did, however, have a silly straw and a socket wrench set. I'll let the pictures explain.

 

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Be careful though!

 

Tom

[CraigN]

Hi Tom!

 

You were very creative in your use of tools. If you want a cheap knockout block, use a piece of scrap wood and drill holes as needed for each different size nib you encounter.

 

It reminds me of a Parker Vacumatic I bought 2 years ago. Nice pen, but the filler's pellet pocket was broken. I wish I took photos of my repair which consisted of a spent shotgun primer to create a new pellet pocket.

 

Congratulations. Keep up the good work.

 

Craig

[ac12]

Next time use a smaller hammer. I find the smaller hammers, with less mass, are easier to control when knocking out a feed/nib. Because you don't want to hit is so hard that you drive the feed and nib into the surface below, bending the nib.

 

Another option for the tube is brass tubes, from the local hobby shop.

Edited January 10, 2016 by ac12

[Greenie]

Outstanding. I love improvised tools.

 

OK - both my points have already been stated. But they are just so spot on I had to restate them.

 

You can find various diameter brass tubing at Hobby Lobby and cut sections with a dremel and cutting wheel. Your hard plastic tube is just as perfect.

 

Knock out blocks are easily made with a piece of wood - a child's block, or pieces in the molding area of Home Depot - and drilling various diameter holes.

 

Your creativity with tools is very well suited to vintage pen repair. Please keep up the great work!

[tjt7a]

Thanks everyone! This is my first serious pen repair, and I'm starting to pick up some strategies.

 

I'll find a block of wood to make a knockout block. The stacked sockets were tall enough to prevent the nib from being impaled into the table below. I also stopped using that big hammer after the first few hits, and opted to whack the tube with the side of a multitool.

 

After I got the parts out, I used a toothpaste/water mixture and a paper towel to rub off the ink stains and patina on the parts, especially the nib. Is this a bad idea? I did the same thing with the barrel, and now its shiny.

 

On Monday I'm going to order a replacement sac, some shellac and talcum powder from Anderson Pens (any other vendor recommendations?). After re-sacing the pen, the pen should be as good as new!

 

Two quick questions:

1. Should I shellac the barrel to the section after re-sacing? If so, how would I break the seal the next time I want to change the sac?

2. Should the lever be off-center with the center of the nib? 90 degrees? Does it matter?

 

Thanks,

Tom

[Jack7770]

1.No, do not shellac the barrel to the section, but do heat the barrel before re-inserting the feed and nib. It is after all pressure fit.

2. A matter of preference, I think. For me, I like to align the lever with the nib slit for appearance and convenience. Of course, others may find an offset lever convenient, too. And with screw in sections like the Esterbrook, alignment is almost impossible.

 

Welcome to the absurdly addictive pen repair enterprise.

 

Jack

[ac12]

1 - do NOT shellac the section into the body. Subsequent repairs will be a pain, as you have to soften the shellac to remove the section.

IF you have a LOOSE fitting section, put shellac onto the section, then let it DRY. Then test for fit, and if necessary put on another coat of shellac. What you are doing is to build up a layer of DRY shellac, to make the section fit snugly into the body. This lets you remove the section later.

 

2 - personal choice. Like Jack, I like to line my lever up with the slit in the nib. I've read of some in England putting the lever 180 degrees opposite the nib slit. My guess is then the alignment being off a few degrees is not as noticeable, as when it is in line with the nib slit. As for the Esterbrook, you can align it...once, for the nib in the pen. Change the nib and the alignment will be off.

 

As for cleaning the nib and pen. I would use plain water first, to dissolve the ink. Last resort is polishing the nib, as polishing removes a layer of gold.

Edited January 11, 2016 by ac12

[Brian Anderson]

Next time use a smaller hammer. I find the smaller hammers, with less mass, are easier to control when knocking out a feed/nib. Because you don't want to hit is so hard that you drive the feed and nib into the surface below, bending the nib.

 

Another option for the tube is brass tubes, from the local hobby shop.

Since you can fairly easily pull out the breather tube on these (usually) you can just use a regular knockout device. I agree, a smaller hammer greatly reduces the problem of breaking a section because the mass of the hammer causes a crack.

 

Another inexpensive option for tubes is to just buy one of those small drill bit sets. Put the flat end in the section and hammer on the bit end. I'd still be using these had someone not given me a set of nice aluminum dowels.

 

 

And with screw in sections like the Esterbrook, alignment is almost impossible.

Well, technically, the section is friction fit, the nib unit is threaded, requiring removal of the section when changing nibs if one wants to line up the nib slit with the lever.

[BamaPen]

Two things about Skylines:

1. The breather tube can normally be pulled out of the feed quite easily, allowing use of a solid knockout rod, although your method works fine.

 

2. The plastic of the Skyline barrel is quite brittle, so be sure to use heat when reinserting the section (no shellac, please) to avoid cracking the barrel - I know this from personal experience.

Edited January 12, 2016 by BamaPen

[tjt7a]

Thanks for all of your suggestions.

 

And if there is a slight crack in the barrel? How does one treat that?

 

Tom

[FarmBoy]

Thanks for all of your suggestions.

 

And if there is a slight crack in the barrel? How does one treat that?

 

Tom

Finding a replacement barrel is relatively easy for a skyline.