What is on your bench?

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

On 8/12/2024 at 7:39 PM, LoveBigPensAndCannotLie said:

So... I got a couple of pens to work on. One of them is an off-brand jade green celluloid pen but the celluloid appears to be very close to going bad. It's not crystallized but it's near translucent.

 

I'm debating if I should even try to open it, I am pretty sure that when the celluloid is this fragile it will break in half as soon as I try to get the section out. What do you all think?

 

I am kicking myself. So... I was extra careful, got it open without breaking anything. Cleaned everything out, put a new sac in, sized it perfectly, even reinserted it without any issues or inadvertent cracks. Problem? The pen made a weird sound when raising the lever.

 

I thought it was a problem with the sac, thought maybe it was twisted. Opened it, looked fine and filled perfectly when just squeezing it. I think it was just the lever scraping on the inside of the pen. I then tried to put the section back in and promptly cracked the threads in several places. I was so close to not having mishaps with this one, I just needed to leave it alone.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

I restored a Snorkel today, my first in many months.

 

I don't do these any more because, well, I hate restoring them - but this one was in such nice condition (I have never seen one of these dual tone caps in such good condition - the lines are so crisp they feel sharp and it has no dents) I figured I would give it a shot. This one was slightly less of a pain in the ass than usual in that the mostly dried up sac wasn't stuck to the sac guard (which made removing it a lot easier) and I was able to get the plug out without dislodging the snorkel tube.

 

I still hate hate hate aligning everything after reassembly. You would think that it would fit together perfectly since I did not change the placement of the snorkel tube. Nope! I had to underrotate the nib "unit" a little to get everything to line up. You can see in the second pic there is a tiny tiny bit of clearance. I don't think this should cause a problem? I will leave it alone because the last time I tried to fix this with a Snorkel I ended up cracking the section from screwing the nib in too tight.

 

I think part of the problem is the replacement point gaskets are thicker than the originals Sheaffer made. In every pen I've restored, they've just barely fit and it's tough to get the Snorkel through it. Retracting the snorkel feels very tight. Has anyone else had this experience? Maybe I got a bad batch of them.

[Ron Z]

Use a little silicone grease on the snorkel tube.  As in really little, applied down only around the last half inch or so next to the plug.  Keep it well away from tip and the slit so that you don't get it in the snorkel tube or slit.  If you get it at the end it'll keep the ink from flowing.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

31 minutes ago, Ron Z said:

Use a little silicone grease on the snorkel tube.  As in really little, applied down only around the last half inch or so next to the plug.  Keep it well away from tip and the slit so that you don't get it in the snorkel tube or slit.  If you get it at the end it'll keep the ink from flowing.

 

I always do this but it is still very tight. I really think the tolerances for the new gaskets are not exactly the same as the old ones. Or I'm doing something wrong, but I don't think there's a wrong way to put the gasket on the tube, there's only one hole...

[Ron Z]

Though there might be some resistance, a point holder gasket is never all that tight, especially since you put a little silicone grease at the bottom.    Does the sac guard have the wider bar, and is in in the right slot?  It is possible to get the pen together with things in the wrong orientation and still have the tube extend - though the action is very stiff.    Sometimes there can be rust in the TD tube, sometimes a bulge in the sac guard causes it to bind in the TD tube. Sometimes debris inside the barrel, or on the spring can make it stiff too.  It never hurts to go back and check. 

[northlodge]

Help with an Esterbrook J.

 

I picked up an Estie J with both the sac and the J bar absent. However on inspection I find the plastic "sac holder" still located within the barrel, preventing a repair. I have always found that this "unique to Estie" item comes out with the J bar, and have never had to remove one on its own. 

Is anyone able to offer advice on a simple method for removal, as I can only think of destroying it in situ?

thanks  

[Ron Z]

They do pull out.   But no matter what, they're a pain to get out.  Sometimes you can make a hook that will reach down past it to pull it out.   Sometimes you can lift a bit and then catch it with a pair of needle nose pliers.   Watch that you don't put pressure on the edge of the barrel in the process.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

10 hours ago, Ron Z said:

Though there might be some resistance, a point holder gasket is never all that tight, especially since you put a little silicone grease at the bottom.    Does the sac guard have the wider bar, and is in in the right slot?  It is possible to get the pen together with things in the wrong orientation and still have the tube extend - though the action is very stiff.    Sometimes there can be rust in the TD tube, sometimes a bulge in the sac guard causes it to bind in the TD tube. Sometimes debris inside the barrel, or on the spring can make it stiff too.  It never hurts to go back and check. 

 

I checked all of this, unfortunately (or fortunately?) I don't see any problems. I fit checked the sac protector for the correct orientation before putting the plug back in so it would match. The condition of the tube/sac protector and spring are all pretty much flawless with no rust or dents, the pen is near mint. The tube just feels really tight going through the gasket. 

 

I brought my pen into the office today and I had some other issues, it just completely stopped writing at some point. My understanding is this could happen if the snorkel tube is way misaligned (mine is a little bit misaligned but I think it is well within tolerances where the slots touch the sides of the "primary" feed) or maybe I put too much silicone grease on the snorkel...

 

Could also maybe be shaking from the pen being on transit? I think I've had that problem with snorkels before. I suddenly remember why I dislike restoring these. So many tiny little things that can go wrong and if just one thing goes wrong the pen won't work properly. Even vacumatics have a higher tolerance for mistakes.

 

It's interesting how my opinion changed over time. If anyone remembers my earliest posts in this thread (no reason anyone should, but if you do), I absolutely hated vacumatics and liked snorkels. Now I like vacumatics and dislike snorkels. Both are still a pain to clean out but restoring vacs is kind of fun.

[Ron Z]

I do a lot of snorkel repairs, but they're pretty high on my list of pens that are a pain to repair, which is one reason why they're the ones I charge the most to repair.  Back in the late 80s a pen repair shop in Philadelphia was charging $150 to pair them.  Now I know why.

 

 

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

I just wrote like two pages non-stop and even kept the pen uncapped for like 5 minutes and while it's not writing as wet as it did on inking yesterday, it is writing. I am hoping (fingers crossed) that it is because I didn't wait long enough for the feed and snorkel tube to dry before putting it together and inking and it still had some residual water left in either the "main" feed or the snorkel but I'll keep testing

 

13 minutes ago, Ron Z said:

I do a lot of snorkel repairs, but they're pretty high on my list of pens that are a pain to repair, which is one reason why they're the ones I charge the most to repair.  Back in the late 80s a pen repair shop in Philadelphia was charging $150 to pair them.  Now I know why.

 

Wow, $150 back then is kind of nuts. Maybe they just didn't want to repair them, I certainly understand the sentiment. I don't get how Danny Fudge does them for $25. Just the materials alone adds up to almost $5 (sacs, gaskets, etc.). At that point I suppose it's a labor of love.

 

Do you consider these more of a pain than the Sheaffer vac-fil? I know those are more difficult to repair and require more tools but it seems to me like those have less of these awful fidgety parts that need perfect alignment.

 

I want to do a PFM at some point but they're a little pricey to "practice" and I know they are even less tolerant of bad alignment because you can't fudge the nib alignment like you can with the nib unit on the snorkels.

[Ron Z]

33 minutes ago, LoveBigPensAndCannotLie said:

I don't get how Danny Fudge does them for $25.

He doesn't make a living out of pen repair.  It's a side gig.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

13 hours ago, Ron Z said:

He doesn't make a living out of pen repair.  It's a side gig.

 

Oh I understand, but for all the hard work it takes to restore these I feel like he's undervaluing his work. Obviously his choice though. I've had pens restored by him years ago before I started doing my own and he always did a fantastic job.

 

Last question on this pen because I'm still a little antsy (or is it angsty?) about this. Would you say this is an acceptable amount of misalignment? I am not having issues right now but it's digging at me.

 

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

This is a little bit of a weird question, but has anyone purchased Dawn dish soap for the purpose of cleaning pens recently? They changed the scent, it smells "perfumed" now, and it's a little less soapy. I've compared the ingredients and they all still look the same as the old bottle I had.

 

Still safe to use for vintage pens? If not, is there any other plain soap that is recommended? My local dollar stores stock Ajax as well but it is also scented and the ingredients are different than Dawn.

[VacNut]

There was a movement a few years back to minimize the foaming agents in dishwater detergents, since they do not add to the cleaning process but just appear to be a more “active” cleaning process.

I use Rapid-eze, which is formulated solely for inks. You don’t need much as it is diluted in water. I have not bought a new bottle in 5-6 years.

You can find it online or at better art stores.

There is also a recommended product for cleaning ink off your hands in this topic.

[FarmBoy]

On 8/21/2024 at 6:21 AM, northlodge said:

Help with an Esterbrook J.

 

I picked up an Estie J with both the sac and the J bar absent. However on inspection I find the plastic "sac holder" still located within the barrel, preventing a repair. I have always found that this "unique to Estie" item comes out with the J bar, and have never had to remove one on its own. 

Is anyone able to offer advice on a simple method for removal, as I can only think of destroying it in situ?

thanks  

There is a small tab on the tray that sits in a groove in the barrel. Slightly lift the front edge of the tray then use a probe with a hook to grab the back and slide it out. 
 

You need the tray or the pen will not fill as well. 

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

I was playing around with a Parker 51 vac I have that is missing a nib. I completely disassembled it, cleaned up all the parts (took out all sac remnants, removed the pellet, pretty much good to go, just need a nib) and was test fitting the pump and the blind cap. I was trying to figure out why I always have such trouble with getting the blind cap aligned.

 

The parts I was testing with I've thoroughly cleaned out, I finally bought a metal brush to get gunk out of the threads for the pumps with aluminum threads. It's probably obvious to everyone but me but the only thing that matters is how far in you set the pump. I tried a bunch of times to see how it would affect the blind cap fit.

 

If it's too deep it won't align, and if it is not deep enough it won't align either. It seems like the tolerances for getting the blind cap to fit properly are very very specific. How do you guys get it aligned? I can't think of a way to properly mark how far to set the pump when assembling. It seems like a trial and error process to me.

[John T]

20 minutes ago, LoveBigPensAndCannotLie said:

I was playing around with a Parker 51 vac I have that is missing a nib. I completely disassembled it, cleaned up all the parts (took out all sac remnants, removed the pellet, pretty much good to go, just need a nib) and was test fitting the pump and the blind cap. I was trying to figure out why I always have such trouble with getting the blind cap aligned.

 

The parts I was testing with I've thoroughly cleaned out, I finally bought a metal brush to get gunk out of the threads for the pumps with aluminum threads. It's probably obvious to everyone but me but the only thing that matters is how far in you set the pump. I tried a bunch of times to see how it would affect the blind cap fit.

 

If it's too deep it won't align, and if it is not deep enough it won't align either. It seems like the tolerances for getting the blind cap to fit properly are very very specific. How do you guys get it aligned? I can't think of a way to properly mark how far to set the pump when assembling. It seems like a trial and error process to me.

I forget who told me, never ever take the pump out of whatever tool you use to remove it. If you have it up tight on the pen barrel when you tighten the tool down to remove the pump then when you put it back in it will line right up. Take it out of the tool and have fun trying to adjust it over and over again... I learned the hard way the first time...

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

Hmm, maybe I will try that next time. It might make it easier to keep the pellet cup steady while I dremel the pellet out. 

[Ron Z]

The idea that you should adjust the position i.e. depth or rotation of the thread bushing to get the blind cap to line up is wrong.

 

The problem is that the diaphragm thickness is not consistent, so simply changing the diaphragm can effect how deep the pump will screw in, even from one batch of diaphragms to the next, and certainly from a very old one to recent production.  Parker's repair manual instructions say to tighten the pump in "with firm pressure."  The diaphragm acts as a gasket and has to be compressed a bit to seal well.  Too loose, and the diaphragm won't seal properly and you'll have a leak, and maybe an oozing pen.  Too tight and you either crack the barrel or it develops barrel bulge.  I tend to make it just snug, but not tight.

 

If the blind cap does not line up as it should, back the blind cap back so that it's against the barrel, but not tight.  Heat the end of the barrel over a heat gun, not hot, but quite warm.  A Lucite barrel can handle more heat than celluloid by the way...  Then with the high side of the blind cap facing you, support the back end of the barrel with one finger, and press down firmly on the blind cap right where it meets the barrel to push it in the direction the bushing needs to go to get the blind cap to line up to shift the thread bushing a bit.  Doing this can shift the bushing enough that the blind cap is then pretty close to even.   It takes some practice, and you may have to do it a couple of times to get things lined up right.

 

I should add that you want to make sure that you have all of the old diaphragm off of the seat ring in the barrel, from the area below the ring, and off of the cone before you install the new diaphragm.  Don't scrape across the ring, but around it.  If it's stubborn, sometimes soaking for a while in water will loosen it.

 

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

I've tried this before and it hasn't really worked for me, I don't think I applied enough heat because I am scared of deforming the barrel. I always make sure the barrel is completely clear. I have Pentooling's handy pump pusher with the scraper on the other end to get even the microscopic bits of diaphragm off.

 

In any case I've made my peace with the blind caps being just a bit off. It's just cosmetic (given the diaphragm is seated properly like you said) unlike alignment with a Snorkel which can affect how the pen works and is so much worse.