Hello everyone,

In recent days, I have noticed that the section of one of the fountain pens I restored has been very loose. It's not falling out, but when I write with this pen, I can feel it moving around, and I'm worried about the pen possibly coming apart.

Is it safe to coat the section and/or inside of the barrel with shellac-solution to sort of...glue the section in-place to stop it moving around?

Thanks,

S.

On the only pen I've found this to be a problem on (an eighth or lower tier object, so not worries about harming something posterity would worry about), I've used section sealant rather than shellac because it's a little less positive in its grab-- if it comes to someone in the future who doesn't know what's been done, it'll break loose before the plastic. I don't think there's anything wrong with using shellac in this way, in the strictest sense of "wrong", but it may cause future upset if notes about the repair don't stay with the pen.

Hi,

Section sealant is an excellent suggestion.

A couple of other ideas. You can apply shellac to the section, let it dry thoroughly, and test to see if the fit is improved. If not, you repeat the process until the section fits snugly. The point is that you're incrementally adding to the thickness of the section with each coat. A slower process, but less likely to create issues down the road. (Obviously, the key here is to allow ample drying time - otherwise you'll be shellacking the section in place.)

Another option is to use a small slip of paper as a shim between section and barrel. I've even, on one or two occasions, simply applied a bit of clear tape to the section (of a third-tier pen) to improve fit. I'm not enthusiastic about that technique, though; I wonder about problems over time (how will the tape react to age, heat, etc.?).

Cheers,

Jon

The pen is a low-end Waterman lever-filler. It's really pretty and it works great, but the section worries me. It's in no danger of falling off immediately, but it moves around if you give it just a little tug and I"m worried about the sac getting tangled in the pressure-bar and possibly ripping.

IMHO shell that are not properly secured, will
1.) cause leak from inside out.
2.) if you don't secured properly (letting it lose) the chances is that you are likely to have a chip or crack shell very soon.
These problems usually come from cap posting , Cap turning after posting or worst
Shell fall apart from main barrel. Or stuck in the Cap..........

I'm going to endorse Jon's solution as more elegant than mine, and less likely to fail on a warm day. It just calls for patience.

Patience? Good heavens, who uses that any more?

The best method is to turn a sleeve to shim the barrel. But most people don't have the equipment to do that. The WORST method is to use teflon tape. Don't ever do that. Tape and paper shims are marginal, and paper in particular makes me uncomfortable.

The method that I occasionally use, and would suggest using is to put shellac on the section, and then allowing it to dry completely. It takes time, but you can add a layer if you have to, or sand it lightly to take some off if it's too tight. Warming the barrel as you insert the section is a good idea if it's a snug fit.

Wearever sections were routinely shellaced in, so it's unlikely that you will seriously damage anything, but I agree with Ron, a thin coat of shellac on the section is probably the best idea. It may stick, requiring heat to remove, but all the celluloid Waterman's that I have are going to require heat anyway, the sections are tight. What you need to watch is getting the barrel too hot -- celluloid softens at temperatures not that much higher than the melting point on shellac (don't ask how I know this).

Paper slips work, but please use acid free or 100% cellulose paper, and remember that the pressure will be one sided and uneven around the barrel.

Peter

Well, shellac coating it is, then. Thanks everyone!

I seem to be running out of shellac...I better make some more!

Amen to that Brother! This is exactly the advice that I was given by Ron on a pen I had which had cracked at the barrel mouth. I had not warmed the barrel enough, wasn't paying attention and just tried to force the section when it hung up.

I ended up learning how to:
fit a section to a barrel with a drill for a lathe (I have since bought a lathe, much easier now).
solvent weld celluloid
eat a pile of crow.

Cheers,
Sean

RIght, finally got around to tackling this problem today. I've applied perhaps 4 layers of shellac, but it's doing nothing at all. I hope I'm doing this correctly. Is it safe to apply shellac to the insides of the pen-barrel as well?

*groan*

This is becoming a royal pain in the ass. Can I just shellac the section and barrel closed? Is that a safe or advisible option? I read in some places that various pen companies used to do this.

I'm no expert, but I think the general consensus will probably be that it will make it harder to open up when you need to change the sac, thereby increasing the chances of barrel damage. Again, I'm no expert, but this is what I've read over and over again on the boards

Hey, it's your pen. Shellac the section into the barrel if you want to. Just remember to use heat to soften the shellac the next time you have to open the pen. I always use 145 degree F. heat to remove sections, just in case someone's shellacked a section in place.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have discovered the reason for the loose section!!

The barrel has a hairline crack over the barrel-threads. I only noticed it just now (I'm busy cleaning out my pens). I hope I can find a way to fix this...