Does A P51 Hood Have To Be Shellaced In Place?

[kirchh]

Hi, no racional reason, maybe because is diferent to a simple portion of silicon grease alone. Aclaring that I havent done it yet, perhaps I woulndt do that.

Daniel, perhaps you have good reasons not to or do that, ¿can you develope a few lines on this matter ? please.

I would start with your own statement that there is no rational reason to use that substance in this application. I'm not sure I need to go further than that, though I will note that heat sink compound is formulated to be used with a heat sink for the dissipation of heat. You don't need a substance that will be used for the dissipation of heat, so there's no reason to choose such a substance. I'm surprised I have to explain this.

 

--Daniel

[penrivers]

I would start with your own statement that there is no rational reason to use that substance in this application. I'm not sure I need to go further than that, though I will note that heat sink compound is formulated to be used with a heat sink for the dissipation of heat. You don't need a substance that will be used for the dissipation of heat, so there's no reason to choose such a substance. I'm surprised I have to explain this.

 

--Daniel

Well, it is because you know and I don't. Thanks a lot.

[penrivers]

^{Ups, I was checking ''sink'' in an online dictionary, it is worst, it spels the silicone down.}

[PDW]

I generally pre-lube the O-ring by wiping it with some non-linting cloth with a tiny dab of silicone on it; I wipe it firmly enough that there is only the minutest amount left clinging to the ring (it's essentially like wiping it off, really). That's all that's needed to allow it to cooperate with the hood during reassembly, I find.

 

--Daniel

 

I do the same, but use a wooden cocktail stick. I find it works well for putting a small amount of silicone in the right place - in this case, right into the connector threads at the clutch ring end.

[mariom]

Thanks to everyone for their feedback. It would appear that the correct answer to my original question is "It depends" - on who you ask!!

 

Mario

[Ron Z]

Thanks to everyone for their feedback. It would appear that the correct answer to my original question is "It depends" - on who you ask!!

 

Mario

 

I'd say that the correct answer depends on whether you ask an amateur or someone who repairs a lot of 51s and has seen the results over an extended period of time. The former may say no, or go with whatever. The experienced or professional will say shellac or thread sealant. Kirchh falls into the later classification.

[joss]

 

I'd say that the correct answer depends on whether you ask an amateur or someone who repairs a lot of 51s and has seen the results over an extended period of time. The former may say no, or go with whatever. The experienced or professional will say shellac or thread sealant. Kirchh falls into the later classification.

 

A statement to which I fully agree.

And I highly appreciate that the experienced still take time to share their experience here.

[Flounder]

I consider myself an amateur (in the amo, amas, amat sense) and I say, thread sealant instead of shellac on 51s with an O ring, as it is less problematic if any fouls the O ring.

[KBeezie]

Silicone Grease does help make the threading air tight, but as a lubricant (not a sealant) it also has a nasty habit of migrating into things like the collector (or in other pen cases, to the nib).

 

Section sealant seems best if you ever need to get it undone for work with some heat or soaking, less of a chance of cracking the hooding trying to undo shellac.

Edited December 15, 2014 by KBeezie

[pajaro]

I have never cracked a hood with heat, but I have deformed a dozen or so by overheating them. Chasing a replacement hood in the right color can be tedious but it's a good corrective.

[OcalaFlGuy]

I had to send an otherwise really nice Bloody Brit Burgundy back across the pond after it arrived with a chipped hood you couldn't see in the pics. It had a bodacious wide Brit Medium nib in it. Try as I might I could not find a replacement hood here in the US.

 

I Was able to find a Plummer hood from Ernesto when the same thing happened but the hood was quite pricey. It turned a Sumgai Plummer snag into just a good deal.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

Edited December 20, 2014 by OcalaFlGuy

[Ron Z]

I just saw Pajaro's post here....

 

No need to replace hoods if distorted when trying to remove them. Lucite has a memory, and can be exposed to a fair bit more heat than other plastics before it is damaged.

Put your hood on a rod on which it can spin freely, with the rod through the hood. Spin the hood while holding it over your heat gun so that it heats evenly. The Lucite will soften and go back to its original shape. Allow to cool before touching it, then reinstall. You may have to warm it again as you screw it on if it's a tight fit.