Jump to content

Brass Sheets Substitute

nogoodnamesleft

By nogoodnamesleft
in Of Nibs & Tines

 Share

Recommended Posts

nogoodnamesleft Near Mint

nogoodnamesleft

Posted
Posted

A bit of backstory first.

Yesterday I was filling in report cards and in the process I made a mistake, no big deal, I reached for my white-out pen and erase my mistake. I continued using my trusty Metropolitan but I noticed that it had flow issues and that pen has given me no trouble since the day I got it. I cleaned it with water and let it be for the night, but still nothing.

I suspect that it may be some of the white-out in the slit of the nib that's given me trouble.

I found out about brass sheet on the Goulet pen site and went looking for it in hardware stores with no luck.

So I'm wondering if wrapping metallic paper would be a good substitute or would it be too soft?

Sorry for the long post :(

The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 42
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • ______Zaphod_Beeblebrox

    3

  • KBeezie

    3

  • nogoodnamesleft

    3

  • FOUR X FOUR

    3

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Posted Images

FarmBoy Museum Piece

FarmBoy

Posted
Posted

Use a strip of acetate. Also known as a transparency sheet. You could also try a toothbrush.

San Francisco International Pen Show - The next “Funnest Pen Show” is on schedule for August 23-24-25, 2024.  Watch the show website for registration details. 
 

My PM box is usually full. Just email me: my last name at the google mail address.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lmarine0510 Rare

lmarine0510

Posted
Posted

I would suspect that you are right in saying that there is still white out in the lower part your nib slit and probably on the tip of it, as well. Brass sheets are the best tool for the job but they are not the only tool that will get it done. The metallic wrapping paper probably wouldn't do anything other than crumble up. If you don't mind getting ink on your hands, you can try to use your fingernails to pick the white out out of the bottom of the nib slit and off of the very tip of the nib.

Parker 51 Aerometric (F), Sheaffer Snorkel Clipper (PdAg F), Sheaffer Snorkel Statesman (M), red striated Sheaffer Balance Jr. (XF), Sheaffer Snorkel Statesman desk set (M), Reform 1745 (F), Jinhao x450 (M), Parker Vector (F), Pilot 78g (F), Pilot Metropolitan (M), Esterbrook LJ (9555 F), Sheaffer No-Nonsense calligraphy set (F, M, B Italic), Sheaffer School Pen (M), Sheaffer Touchdown Cadet (M), Sheaffer Fineline (341 F), Baoer 388 (F), Wearever lever-filler (M).

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nogoodnamesleft Near Mint

nogoodnamesleft

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Use a strip of acetate. Also known as a transparency sheet. You could also try a toothbrush.

Thanks, a toothbrush, I never would've thought of that. :o

The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
KBeezie Donor Pen

KBeezie

Posted
Posted (edited)

I've never tried this myself, but every so often I hear people recommending those spark plug shims (or indexing washers), something about them being machined in gradual steps of thickness.

 

Course if the same thing had happened to me, the nice thing is the Metropolitan's nibs are removeable (you remove them along with the feed since they hook into the feed, as opposed to trying to remove them with the feed remaining in the pen). Which may make brass shim work possibly. But it also means I can utilize my ultrasonic cleaner on just the nib itself if I need to.

 

The 35mm film suggestion Bruce said is a good one, if you can find any short ends laying around or in the negative sheets. Sadly I don't think many people have those just laying around anymore (I have plenty, but that's just because I've done quite a bit of 35mm, 4x5, MF etc self-development work), they would also handy for a makeshift ND filter. (Farmboy's suggestion of a transparency sheet would work too, especially if you're a teacher since that stuff is probably more readily available to you).

 

I can't think of many other really thin plastic sheets that would work without getting stuck in the tines themselves (and I would not recommend anything like Mylar paper which is about as thin as film, but it's abrasive nature may affect the flow with the way it polishes the side of the tines).

 

Thanks, a toothbrush, I never would've thought of that. :o

I would probably remove the nib from the feed before going at it with a toothbrush, just in case. (depending on how the bristles are made, small shavings might end up in the feed channel).

Edited by KBeezie
KarlBlessing.com - KBeezie's Pen Porn
Link to comment
Share on other sites
gweimer1 Antique

gweimer1

Posted
Posted

If there is anything like a hobby shop, or model railroading, in your area, you might be able to find a pack of brass shim sheets. The thinnest of the four-pack are .002 and .001, which is what you are looking for.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nogoodnamesleft Near Mint

nogoodnamesleft

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions, sometimes I feel like I'm the only one using fountain pens in this city.

The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
savingbirds Extremely Rare

savingbirds

Posted
Posted

If you every buy electronics or mid-range valuable stuff from a retail store, you will see a tiny rectangular sticker (http://www.anti-theftlabel.com/photo/pl731331-anti_shoplifting_insert_dr_label_printed_barcode_labels_45mm_label_length.jpg) somewhere as an anti-theft tool. If you peel one off and remove the white plastic covering, you'll find two strips of thin metal sheets. That's what I've been using and they work really well!

“My two fingers on a typewriter have never connected with my brain. My hand on a pen does. A fountain pen, of course. Ball-point pens are only good for filling out forms on a plane.”

Graham Greene

Link to comment
Share on other sites
*Apurva* Dipped Only

*Apurva*

Posted
Posted

Two other options ...

 

1. Blades from disposable razors are much thinner then regular double edge razor blades. That works well from my experience, though be careful while breaking and removing blades from such disposable razors. Also be VERY CAREFUL while inserting it in between tines as it can damage inner sides of tines and can cause flow issues or nib creep. Try to insert non sharp edge rather then sharper side.

 

2. If you have used floppy disc around, you can break it and use the disk inside which is probably similar to acetate or 35mm film mentioned in this thread.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
______Zaphod_Beeblebrox Vintage

______Zaphod_Beeblebrox

Posted
Posted

I do not think you can buy this tool separately but when I bought my Salior pen with one of their EEEF nibs it cam with a special tool for cleaning out the paper fibers that may clog ink flow. I will try and take a photo of it and post it here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
PDW Vintage

PDW

Posted
Posted (edited)

ISTR reading that any steel inserted in the slit can damage the inside surfaces of the nib.

 

A model shop might be able to sell you 0.001" brass sheet, which is what I use to clean nibs out without changing the tine setting. I got mine online a year or more ago as a sheet about 4" by 3", and I'm still using the first two ~ 0.75" squares I cut off it.

Edited by PDW
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Paddler Antique

Paddler

Posted
Posted

Before you try anything as harsh as metal shim stock, try flossing the slit with Nylon or Dacron sewing thread. Don't use cotton because it can leave fibers behind in the slit.

Can a calculator understand a cash register?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
KBeezie Donor Pen

KBeezie

Posted
Posted

ISTR reading that any steel inserted in the slit can damage the inside surfaces of the nib.

 

A model shop might be able to sell you 0.001" brass sheet, which is what I use to clean nibs out without changing the tine setting. I got mine online a year or more ago as a sheet about 4" by 3", and I'm still using the first two ~ 0.75" squares I cut off it.

I think that's why Brass is used, it's a softer metal than most nibs.

KarlBlessing.com - KBeezie's Pen Porn
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fountainer Mint

Fountainer

Posted
Posted

I use aluminum sheet cut from soda can or tealight candle for my slit work needs.

There are other ways than the easiest one too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OcalaFlGuy Museum Piece

OcalaFlGuy

Posted
Posted

I think that's why Brass is used, it's a softer metal than most nibs.

 

You can still damage a nib slit with Brass.

 

You just have to work at it a bit more.

 

 

Nothing is foolproof to the sufficiently persistent fool.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33563
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26746
    5. jar
      jar
      26101

  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      Links to web pages or articles about Chinese typesetting, signwriting, etc.

      By Shanghai Knife Dude · Posted

      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By A Smug Dill · Posted

      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By adamselene · Posted

      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By A Smug Dill · Posted

      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By adamselene · Posted

      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o

  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More

  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...