I've got several Esterbrooks with bad or no sacs and just received a shipment of new replacement sacs. The question now is what kind of glue should I use to glue the sacs onto whatever you call the part the sac is attached to. I've heard that orange shellac was used originally. Where the heck would one find orange shellac today? If not shellac, then what?

Joe Lischka

I will advise to use only shellac. You can buy a quart can in the US from many woodworking suppliers. Or, an ounce or two from:

http://www.simcom.on.ca/woodbin/

or:

http://www.tryphon.it/catalogo.htm

Instructions here:

http://www.richardspens.com/ref_info/sac_replacement.htm

Enjoy,

Ron

Even better, get some dry shellac flakes. Dissolve some in alcohol to get the correct viscosity (medium paint thickness). Otherwise, the shellac will do dead in a year or so.

It's also available from Pendemonium in a small bottle, I believe.

Peter

Giovanni Abrate has formulated his pen sac cement from several carefully chosen varieties of shellac for the express purpose of being used to glue pen sacs (and other parts). I've used commercial shellacs and other brands of pen sac cement, and I now use only Giovanni's stuff. It isn't as cheap as hardware-store shellac, but it has put a stop to annoyances like pens with silicone sacs that used to come back because the ordinary shellac wasn't good enough.

Giovanni claims a >10 year shelf life, too. Hardward store shellac has a 6 month to 3 year lifespan.

Simple, cheap and maybe get yourself inside a real business:
Try yor local hardware or paint store (if there are any left in your area)- Bullseye Orange Shellac - a buck or two for a pint. This will last you 10 years if you keep the lid on like your dad taught you to. If you leave the lid off, go back down and buy another can from Frank.
Get "specially formulated shellac" for refinishing a fine violin.
This ain't rocket science or nuclear engineering.
There is no down side to this simple solution.

Jack

One should note that the shelf life refers to the unused product, and that the negative aspect of passing the shelf life is that drying time increases - so it is relatively easy to determine ehrther your shellas has passed a reasonable shelf life - it dries too slowly to be of use to you.

As is the case with many many products, you can buy the one with the stated performance, or just use the one most easily available. Test before returning the pen to service. The poster suggesting the shellac flakes was right on, mix what you can use in a reasonable time - the rest of the flakes will last indefinitely.

A stronger mix will last longer.

Gio's mix is good, lasts a loooong time and makes a lot of sense, but those with an independent spirit won't be disappointed with their choice if they heed the advice above.

It's largely a personal choice thing guys....

regards,

Gerry

Dry shellac has a more or less indefinite life. Once dissolved in alcohol, it begins to change -- among other things, it picks up water from the air.

The result is that it becomes rubbery when "dry" and never aquires the normal hard, slick character. Nothing will stick properly, other finishes applied on top will wrinkle, or worse, slip. The BullsEye is normally used as a primer, good shellac sticks to almost anything and will bind varnish, etc to things it normally won't stick to.

Old shellac never gets really hard, unlike fresh shellac In alcohol it appears to partially polymerize, resulting in the "never dry" effect.

Shellac that will not completely revert to hard, dry material won't hold a pen sac on!

Peter