Those Special Tools

[algabatz]

There's a thread about a couple of beautiful screwdrivers with handles made from old Vacumatic stock HERE and that got me thinking about all the other specialized tools that are being used out there. Home made, factory made, vintage or new. Let's see them.

 

Here's a clamp made by Parker. The different inserts are used with different models, Vacumatics, 51's, UK Duofolds etc, to get a firm grip on the threads when dismantling the pen.

 

/T

 

 

[algabatz]

No takers?

Ok, here's another one. This is a tool, also by Parker (what a surprise) that's used to set the nib in the correct position on a Parker 51.

/T

 

http://parkercollector.com/bilder/51tool.jpg

 

[lallin]

Not exactly a tool in the usual sense; but, Inkograph distributed pen demonstrating machines to dealers. I found one and restored it to operating condition and use it to test restored pens.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4095/4902756884_5bdfee8414.jpg

Edited November 10, 2010 by lallin

[algabatz]

Not exactly a tool in the usual sense; but, Inkograph distributed pen demonstrating machines to dealers. I found one and restored it to operating condition and use it to test restored pens.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4095/4902756884_5bdfee8414.jpg

 

Very cool! Did You have to re-wire it to make it work?

 

/T

[pen2paper]

Very interesting thread

Tony, IF, it will neither harm the tool, or a working pen, would it be possible to show the tools, posed to show the actual function?

[ogwen]

What a cool machine (and a great idea for a thread)!

[lallin]

Very cool! Did You have to re-wire it to make it work?

 

Yes; when found, the motor and all wiring were missing. In restoring it, I installed a modern 6 rpm motor, switch and wiring. I had the help of a retired GM tool and die maker who made the motor mount and coupler to connect the motor shaft to the crank arm.

[algabatz]

Very cool! Did You have to re-wire it to make it work?

 

Yes; when found, the motor and all wiring were missing. In restoring it, I installed a modern 6 rpm motor, switch and wiring. I had the help of a retired GM tool and die maker who made the motor mount and coupler to connect the motor shaft to the crank arm.

 

A fantastic and unique machine! Thanks for sharing, Can You fit any pen to it?

 

/T

[lallin]

 

A fantastic and unique machine! Thanks for sharing, Can You fit any pen to it?

 

Although I use it only with Inkograph pens, the machine design (patent 2,095,851) was intended for any pen. There is an attachement that turns the stylographic pen a few degrees each revolution; that attachement can be disabled for nibbed pens.

[Buzz J]

This is another Stuart Hawkinson creation that replicates a Parker tool (I believe). It's a screwdriver that helps fat fingers get that pesky Vac jewel bushing in place without dropping, cross threading or gouging the clip. The inset shows the bushing in place, ready for the cap & clip.

 

Good tools make me smile.

 

John

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn312/BuzzJ/Bushingscrewdriver1.jpg

[ogwen]

Good tools make me smile too, John! This is my home grown creation:

 

http://leakenterprises.com/pics/fpn/nib_tool/tool.jpg

What in the Sam Hill you may say? (lol)

 

Well, I had gotten several Sheaffer Triumph nibbed pens with the dreaded "spinning nib" syndrome which means they are nib units that are rolled around the end of the feed insert and not screwed on. If the feed is broken within the insert, even with Francis' magical nib removal tool, that sucker is never going to unscrew from the section (in my experience). So what to do? The first pen I received in this condition had its feed already destroyed by someone trying to remove the nib. I broke the feed out and removed the nib with a screw extractor (a la "Da Book"), and replaced it with another nib unit. Pen saved!

 

The latest pen I got was a wide band Tucky that had a mangled section and thread band from someone taking a pair of pliers to it while trying to remove the nib (insert cringe here). I whip out the magic nib removal tool and heat 'er up and sure enough she begins to turn. I say aloud, "See people, no pliers ..." when I realize it's not unscrewing, just turning . Eeesh. I've been here before. Broken Feed.

 

Now, I've got a soft spot for Tuckys, especially the wide bands and since this one was pretty much ruined anyway because of the mangled section, I thought, meh ... time for a tool experiment. So here's how it works:

 

http://leakenterprises.com/pics/fpn/nib_tool/full_pen.jpg

Tool is carefully compressed behind the nib so the clamp catches the insert beneath the section. Heat as usual, and if the pen gods are smiling on you, the sucker will unscrew. This one did without any trouble.

 

http://leakenterprises.com/pics/fpn/nib_tool/side.jpg

http://leakenterprises.com/pics/fpn/nib_tool/nasty_nib.jpg

Check out that nasty feed tail! After I cleaned it up I could see it was broken in half and horribly distorted. I can't even imagine what this pen has been through to distort a feed tail like that! I'd also never seen a Tucky feed shaped like that (had it been intact).

 

http://leakenterprises.com/pics/fpn/nib_tool/nib_removed.jpg

Tada!

 

I don't know that it's a "good" tool, but it did what I wanted it to do. Keep in mind, this is a last resort tool and not the general way to remove a Triumph nib. Only Francis' tool will get you where you need to be with a Triumph nib.

 

Anyway, this was made with stuff from my garage. The "teeth" are just good ole razor blades with their tops removed and then dremeled with a diamond wheel to the shape I wanted (it was the only thing thin enough and strong enough to get between the nib and the section without more harm done). If I did it again, I would shape the blades differently (I would angle them so they "bite" when you unscrew), but I don't really run into "spinning nibs" very often, so this will do.

[D Armstrong]

 

Anyway, this was made with stuff from my garage. The "teeth" are just good ole razor blades with their tops removed and then dremeled with a diamond wheel to the shape I wanted (it was the only thing thin enough and strong enough to get between the nib and the section without more harm done). If I did it again, I would shape the blades differently (I would angle them so they "bite" when you unscrew), but I don't really run into "spinning nibs" very often, so this will do.

 

Oh, I like this one! Very resourceful. The only thing I would worry about would be that razor blades are a bit brittle, but there isn't exactly a lot of perdendicular torque on them in this application. (And it's not too hard to re-temper if one has to.)

 

I've been working on a few 'deluxies' lately, some of which were for sale a few weeks ago:

 

jewel remover

 

http://www.restorersart.com/images/shop/tools/jeweltool/IMG_6250small.JPG http://www.restorersart.com/images/shop/tools/jeweltool/IMG_6251small.JPG

 

 

nib burnisher:

 

http://www.restorersart.com/images/shop/tools/nib%20burnisher/IMG_6171small.JPG

 

 

and a pellet seater/probe:

 

 

http://www.restorersart.com/images/shop/tools/probe/IMG_5082small.jpg

 

I"ve done a minor-sized vac-filler socket thread chaser (a la Ron's previous post), but it's difficult to get a regular supply of dead vac units:

 

http://www.restorersart.com/images/shop/tools/chaser/IMG_6169small.JPG

[algabatz]

... If the feed is broken within the insert, even with Francis' magical nib removal tool, that sucker is never going to unscrew from the section (in my experience)....

 

Great, love the simplicity of it!

 

But now You've gotten be curious about "Francis' magical nib remover tool".

 

/T

 

 

 

[eckiethump]

My tools tend to be of the industrial variety and photography of the comic one.......

 

 

This I use for expanding caps, I have various brass tube fittings for it, cut at an angle. You can just see the brass tube from the bottom of the cap. At other times I swage the cap bands to tighten, depending on the most appropriate method, to the situation at hand.

 

The "tool" is a simple expanding bolt, ugly but effective.

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/eckiefump/Capstretching001.jpg

et

Maybe I should mention heat is involved in the process ??

Edited November 11, 2010 by eckiethump

[algabatz]

Anyway, this was made with stuff from my garage. The "teeth" are just good ole razor blades with their tops removed and then dremeled with a diamond wheel to the shape I wanted (it was the only thing thin enough and strong enough to get between the nib and the section without more harm done). If I did it again, I would shape the blades differently (I would angle them so they "bite" when you unscrew), but I don't really run into "spinning nibs" very often, so this will do.

 

Oh, I like this one! Very resourceful. The only thing I would worry about would be that razor blades are a bit brittle, but there isn't exactly a lot of perdendicular torque on them in this application. (And it's not too hard to re-temper if one has to.)

 

I've been working on a few 'deluxies' lately, some of which were for sale a few weeks ago:

 

jewel remover

 

http://www.restorersart.com/images/shop/tools/jeweltool/IMG_6250small.JPG http://www.restorersart.com/images/shop/tools/jeweltool/IMG_6251small.JPG

 

 

nib burnisher:

 

http://www.restorersart.com/images/shop/tools/nib%20burnisher/IMG_6171small.JPG

 

 

and a pellet seater/probe:

 

 

http://www.restorersart.com/images/shop/tools/probe/IMG_5082small.jpg

 

I"ve done a minor-sized vac-filler socket thread chaser (a la Ron's previous post), but it's difficult to get a regular supply of dead vac units:

 

http://www.restorersart.com/images/shop/tools/chaser/IMG_6169small.JPG

 

Fantastic finish. Great work!

 

/Tony

[algabatz]

My tools tend to be of the industrial variety and photography of the comic one.......

 

 

This I use for expanding caps, I have various brass tube fittings for it, cut at an angle. You can just see the brass tube from the bottom of the cap. At other times I swage the cap bands to tighten, depending on the most appropriate method, to the situation at hand.

 

The "tool" is a simple expanding bolt, ugly but effectivehttp://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/eckiefump/Capstretching001.jpg

et

Maybe I should mention heat is involved in the process ??

 

 

I have a feeling that this process requires a certain amount of "fingerspitzengefühl", or there will be a lot of cap-less pens in the collection :-)

 

Very nice!

/T

[algabatz]

This is another Stuart Hawkinson creation that replicates a Parker tool (I believe). It's a screwdriver that helps fat fingers get that pesky Vac jewel bushing in place without dropping, cross threading or gouging the clip. The inset shows the bushing in place, ready for the cap & clip.

 

Good tools make me smile.

 

John

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn312/BuzzJ/Bushingscrewdriver1.jpg

 

Jeez... I really need one of theeze!

 

/T

[kirchh]

Here are a few tools I've fabricated:

 

Cap liner shucker:

 

http://home.comcast.net/~kirchh/Pen_Restoration/Tool_Pictures/Sheaffer_Shucker.jpg

 

Sailer nib connector drivers:

 

http://home.comcast.net/~kirchh/Pen_Restoration/Tool_Pictures/Tools_in_Box_V2.jpg

 

Section wrench:

 

http://home.comcast.net/~kirchh/Pen_Restoration/Tool_Pictures/Perfect_Section_Wrench_Prototype_1.jpg

 

Vacumatic pellet removal jig:

 

http://home.comcast.net/~kirchh/Pen_Restoration/Tool_Pictures/Parker_Vacumatic_Pellet_Burr_Guide_Use.jpg

 

Vacumatic filler seat reamers:

 

http://home.comcast.net/~kirchh/Pen_Restoration/Tool_Pictures/Seat_Reamers_In_Stand.jpg

 

Parker "51" Aerometric breather tube vent hole drilling jig:

 

http://home.comcast.net/~kirchh/Pen_Restoration/Tool_Pictures/Parker_51_Breather_Tube_Drill_Jig_Done.jpg

 

http://home.comcast.net/~kirchh/Pen_Restoration/Tool_Pictures/Parker_51_Breather_Tube_Drill_Jig_Checking_Alignment.jpg

 

--Daniel

[D Armstrong]

Ah ha! Beautiful work Daniel!

 

So, are you doing the threading yourself? I've been looking for a small jobber to do just threaded aluminum rod for the thread chasers, but it's frustrating. Are you willling to share the thread measurements for the filler units?

 

I'm running a small Taig lathe, and a drive screw attachment isn't available for it, so any threading I do (none) is freehand by necessity.

 

Oh, and what are you using for handle material?

[D Armstrong]

This is another Stuart Hawkinson creation that replicates a Parker tool (I believe). It's a screwdriver that helps fat fingers get that pesky Vac jewel bushing in place without dropping, cross threading or gouging the clip. The inset shows the bushing in place, ready for the cap & clip.

 

Good tools make me smile.

 

 

 

Jeez... I really need one of theeze!

 

/T

 

Me too! Looks like a trip to Metal Supermarkets tomorrow...