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Section Seal For Omas

markh

By markh
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markh Vintage

markh

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I have an OMAS Extra pen (celluloid) that was disassembled at the L.A. show for nib re-grind. I now find that there is a slight leak between section and body.

 

With almost no effort, and I could tighten the section another fraction of a turn. But there is still a slight leak.

 

I know that OMAS uses some kind of tar or pitch to seal these, but I don't have any. Based on reading posts here, I might have some alternatives already in my workshop. Would like opinion as to which is the best choice:

 

1. Silicone grease

 

2. Shellac (Not my preferred choice, since that would require heating the pen to remove the section)

 

3. Rubber cement.

 

4. I saw a recommendation to use the wax from a wax collars of the kind that are used to seal a toilet bowl to the floor drain. I don't have one of those around either, but I do have some pure beeswax candles, which I believe is what the collars are made of. I suppose I could get to the nearest Home Depot to get the real thing if that made a difference. A little heat would soften nicely - beeswax melts at a very low temp.

 

5. I could assume that the original factory pitch is still there, just disturbed. I could apply light heat to soften, and unscrew and screw back in the section to better distribute what's already there. Nothing was removed when the repair person removed the section, so whatever was there should still be there. (At least that's the theory.)

 

6. ??? anything other ideas???

 

 

thanks for help.

 

 

 

.

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"Bad spelling, like bad grammar, is an offense against society."

- - Good Form Letter Writing, by Arthur Wentworth Eaton, B.A. (Harvard);  © 1890

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BMG Extremely Rare

BMG

Posted
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Funny I had a leak on an Omas which I bought at the L.A. pen show and whose nib I also had reground. Not having any of Mr Zorn's sealant I used silicone grease, which fixed the leak.

Écrire c’est tenter de savoir ce qu’on écrirait si on écrivait. – M. Duras

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markh Vintage

markh

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I've always wondered if the official OMAS seal is just a historical accident. Maybe that's all that was available in the 1920s when Armando Simoni was making pens.

 

If the company started today, they might very well use silicone grease, which didn't exist then. Or maybe something else.....

 

 

 

.

...

"Bad spelling, like bad grammar, is an offense against society."

- - Good Form Letter Writing, by Arthur Wentworth Eaton, B.A. (Harvard);  © 1890

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Dr.Grace Collectors Item

Dr.Grace

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Silicone grease would work, but only temporarily. If you want to make the seal more permanent, but still allowing you to open the pen up fairly easily in future, use Ron Zorn's rosin-based sealant (mentioned by zchen above.)

These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value.--Thomas Paine, "The American Crisis", 1776

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Freddy Donor Pen

Freddy

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For your consideration...warm the section using dry heat and tighten....

 

If that doesn't work..wait till you receive Ron's section sealant.

 

Fred

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markh Vintage

markh

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For your consideration...warm the section using dry heat and tighten....

 

If that doesn't work..wait till you receive Ron's section sealant.

 

Fred

 

 

Yep - tried that, helped some.

 

I think the next step is to take the section completely off, rinse out the ink that covers the internal threads, coat with silicone and retighten under light heat.

 

When the nib was worked on in L.A., the pen was full of ink. The person reshaping the nib unscrewed the section and knocked out the nib, keeping the pen body upright so ink didn't spill. I think that maybe this was too much of a shortcut - there was ink on the section threads. Kind of like refilling an ED filler, where this ink on the threads. Needs to be wiped off.

 

This time I will empty the pen, rinse out, and when its apart wipe/rinse remaining ink before putting it together.

 

 

Waiting for info to order some of the sealant.

 

 

.

...

"Bad spelling, like bad grammar, is an offense against society."

- - Good Form Letter Writing, by Arthur Wentworth Eaton, B.A. (Harvard);  © 1890

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BMG Extremely Rare

BMG

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Just coming back to this thread because the other day I noticed a tiny bead of ink seeping though the space where the section threads into the barrel. As mentioned above I had sealed it with silicone grease, which I had at hand, to stop a leak. As Dr. Grace mentioned above, it worked temporarily in my case.

 

I'm now going to email Mr Zorn about his sealant. If it will work on the metal to metal seal of my Bologna, I'll order some. (If not, …? :mellow: )

Edited by BMG

Écrire c’est tenter de savoir ce qu’on écrirait si on écrivait. – M. Duras

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Ron Z Museum Piece

Ron Z

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It works on any material. Parker also used it to hold Vac and 51 clip screws and jewels in place.

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BMG Extremely Rare

BMG

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Sounds good. Ron Z, please let me know how to place an order. I couldn't find (but may have overlooked) a way to do so on your site. (BTW, sent you an email through your site yesterday…).

 

In the meanwhile, what would be the best way to remove the silicone grease from the threads – will a thorough wiping suffice, or is there a preferred method?

 

TIA, as always.

Écrire c’est tenter de savoir ce qu’on écrirait si on écrivait. – M. Duras

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BMG Extremely Rare

BMG

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Just coming back to this thread to say that after resealing the section with the rosin-based sealant, the pen has developed the same leak. At this point I think I will send it to a qualified repairman for service. Unfortunately, the company that services Omas in the US has a pretty poor reputation from what I can judge on the FPN (a very high number of very dissatisfied customers), so I'd rather not have to deal with them. I will try the good folks at nibs.com, who are local, unless anyone here has a better option. (Actually, I'd be happy to hear of any other good options.)

 

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Écrire c’est tenter de savoir ce qu’on écrirait si on écrivait. – M. Duras

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