I know this is a bit of an old chestnut but has anyone successfully repaired hard rubber?
My beloved CS200 fell out my pocket in a car park (changing jackets) and, over a week later I returned to look for it and there it was! Rather yellowy brown from a week of rain and sunshine, I can cope with that, but I think someone must have trodden on it as the bottom of the cap has split and broken away. (Nib and body etc all ok, if discoloured.)
Like most I have tried superglue in the past with very limited success. Well failure really, after a week or so. I have also tried a few other types of glue with even less success. Has anyone tried 2-pack glue, such as Araldite?
Any suggestions to bring my old pen back top life would be hugely appreciated. Its survived 80 odd years, I'm not going to give up on it now. (It also has the most versatile nib in my experience)
Greg
Full Version: Hard Rubber Repair
Ok, I know I'm answering my own post...
I used araldite this time. Not used it before on a pen (sword to cut through flowers?)
Its held nice and strong and I can screw the cap on and off. Cleaned off the excess while it was soft, I'll let you know how it holds in the longer term (this pen is a daily user).
On another tack I polished away most of the yellow with T-Cut, rubbed in a tiny amount of 3-in-one and then buffed it with car polish. Not quite as black in places as it was but the pen looks great again. It was covered in tiny bits of gravel from the car park and a few of these have made tiny indentations. Part of the pen's history now, I'm afraid.
It writes as perfectly as it did, back into the fray!
Greg
I used araldite this time. Not used it before on a pen (sword to cut through flowers?)
Its held nice and strong and I can screw the cap on and off. Cleaned off the excess while it was soft, I'll let you know how it holds in the longer term (this pen is a daily user).
On another tack I polished away most of the yellow with T-Cut, rubbed in a tiny amount of 3-in-one and then buffed it with car polish. Not quite as black in places as it was but the pen looks great again. It was covered in tiny bits of gravel from the car park and a few of these have made tiny indentations. Part of the pen's history now, I'm afraid.
It writes as perfectly as it did, back into the fray!
Greg
Nice to read that Greg, have tried this method a couple of times, but not with daily user pens. As yet no kown method of a long term fix. Araldite can be cleaned off with vinegar, so I would suspect the small surface areas it it is used in pens anything acidic will cause the join to fail. I do believe the best two part epoxy is the type used in dental work, but as yet never been able to track down a supply.
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the only way I know of repairing hard rubber and actually rebonding it together is this:
mix rubber, sulphur and some mineral "charge" (steel oxide, iron oxide) plus minium, in this order: you heat sulphur until it melts, then you add minium and mineral and (if you're still alive by then LOL ) add the rubber. You mix it, then you put a dab of this in the crack(s) and rub the repaired area with a red hot piece of steel (sort of hot burnishing, rapidly and gently)
mix rubber, sulphur and some mineral "charge" (steel oxide, iron oxide) plus minium, in this order: you heat sulphur until it melts, then you add minium and mineral and (if you're still alive by then LOL ) add the rubber. You mix it, then you put a dab of this in the crack(s) and rub the repaired area with a red hot piece of steel (sort of hot burnishing, rapidly and gently)
QUOTE (jicaino @ Jul 18 2008, 03:20 PM) 
the only way I know of repairing hard rubber and actually rebonding it together is this:
mix rubber, sulphur and some mineral "charge" (steel oxide, iron oxide) plus minium, in this order: you heat sulphur until it melts, then you add minium and mineral and (if you're still alive by then LOL ) add the rubber. You mix it, then you put a dab of this in the crack(s) and rub the repaired area with a red hot piece of steel (sort of hot burnishing, rapidly and gently)
mix rubber, sulphur and some mineral "charge" (steel oxide, iron oxide) plus minium, in this order: you heat sulphur until it melts, then you add minium and mineral and (if you're still alive by then LOL ) add the rubber. You mix it, then you put a dab of this in the crack(s) and rub the repaired area with a red hot piece of steel (sort of hot burnishing, rapidly and gently)
Well I gave it a go and I'm writing to you in the depth of night having entered the chemistry laboratory of my local secondary school. The smoke set off the alarm but the stench from the sulphur was so much that the fire brigade refuse to come in the building. I am currently communicating with the police through a loud hailer and have just requested a pizza.
The broken cap has stuck well (also stuck fast to the small spoon I was using as a mixing bowl) but I can't see if it is a good join as my eyes are so sore and streaming.
I'll let you know if it was better than Araldite in use when next at liberty.
Greg
you made me laugh hard ! 
One post caused a sharp intake of breath, the next has me giggling like an idiot.
et
et
QUOTE (jicaino @ Jul 18 2008, 09:20 AM)
the only way I know of repairing hard rubber and actually rebonding it together is this:
mix rubber, sulphur and some mineral "charge" (steel oxide, iron oxide) plus minium, in this order: you heat sulphur until it melts, then you add minium and mineral and (if you're still alive by then LOL ) add the rubber. You mix it, then you put a dab of this in the crack(s) and rub the repaired area with a red hot piece of steel (sort of hot burnishing, rapidly and gently)
mix rubber, sulphur and some mineral "charge" (steel oxide, iron oxide) plus minium, in this order: you heat sulphur until it melts, then you add minium and mineral and (if you're still alive by then LOL ) add the rubber. You mix it, then you put a dab of this in the crack(s) and rub the repaired area with a red hot piece of steel (sort of hot burnishing, rapidly and gently)
Now that is some serious pen repair.
Hi Jicaino,
Fascinating repair approach!
Could you specify the volume/ amount of each of the components?
Thanks & regards, Francis
Fascinating repair approach!
Could you specify the volume/ amount of each of the components?
Thanks & regards, Francis
QUOTE (jicaino @ Jul 18 2008, 09:20 AM)
the only way I know of repairing hard rubber and actually rebonding it together is this:
mix rubber, sulphur and some mineral "charge" (steel oxide, iron oxide) plus minium, in this order: you heat sulphur until it melts, then you add minium and mineral and (if you're still alive by then LOL ) add the rubber. You mix it, then you put a dab of this in the crack(s) and rub the repaired area with a red hot piece of steel (sort of hot burnishing, rapidly and gently)
mix rubber, sulphur and some mineral "charge" (steel oxide, iron oxide) plus minium, in this order: you heat sulphur until it melts, then you add minium and mineral and (if you're still alive by then LOL ) add the rubber. You mix it, then you put a dab of this in the crack(s) and rub the repaired area with a red hot piece of steel (sort of hot burnishing, rapidly and gently)
hey guys
I'll dig out my old recipe books from way back when I worked as a restorer for a museum of personal items and report back. I restored old pipe mouthpieces, combs, all sorts of things made of hard rubber and the results were really good. (the fumes were really intoxicating too! )
I'll dig out my old recipe books from way back when I worked as a restorer for a museum of personal items and report back. I restored old pipe mouthpieces, combs, all sorts of things made of hard rubber and the results were really good. (the fumes were really intoxicating too! )
I'll bet that you could really build up a following if you started offering this as a service: very few people (me included) would even want to try their hand at it!
I have bought a couple of old HR pens from the dreaded which are, to be honest, fit for the bin but cost accordingly. I bought them really in search of flexy nibs but they have broken caps too and are worthy victims to attempted repairs with something new.
Split BHR caps seem a common thing, perhaps the reason for the cap rings in the first place. The split starts vertically up the cap and then turns right (not left in the Northern hemisphere!) about 1/2 inch up and continues in an arch until it reappears at the edge again and the chunk falls out.
I have tried various types of glue to repair the split or rejoin the chunk on a couple of these with little success. Even after a week of glue drying anything approaching stress breaks it off again. One of the wonderful things about these pens is the thinness of the material used, but this means little surface to join and HR seemingly resistant to the effects of glue.
The pen in question here had a tiny split which was made much worse (up to the right turn bit) by a friend who, thinking it was a felt tip, whipped the cap off. Its car park experience finished the arch.
So far so good, after nearly two weeks its still strong with the Araldite. I'd actually like to break it apart again as I think I could make a closer fix, but I wont risk it.
By the way, after 2 weeks heavy use the colour is returning to full black again. I find this with BHR pens in use, they seem to enjoy the work and regain their healthy colour. Anyone else find this?
Greg
Split BHR caps seem a common thing, perhaps the reason for the cap rings in the first place. The split starts vertically up the cap and then turns right (not left in the Northern hemisphere!) about 1/2 inch up and continues in an arch until it reappears at the edge again and the chunk falls out.
I have tried various types of glue to repair the split or rejoin the chunk on a couple of these with little success. Even after a week of glue drying anything approaching stress breaks it off again. One of the wonderful things about these pens is the thinness of the material used, but this means little surface to join and HR seemingly resistant to the effects of glue.
The pen in question here had a tiny split which was made much worse (up to the right turn bit) by a friend who, thinking it was a felt tip, whipped the cap off. Its car park experience finished the arch.
So far so good, after nearly two weeks its still strong with the Araldite. I'd actually like to break it apart again as I think I could make a closer fix, but I wont risk it.
By the way, after 2 weeks heavy use the colour is returning to full black again. I find this with BHR pens in use, they seem to enjoy the work and regain their healthy colour. Anyone else find this?
Greg
grease from your hands most likely is returning the pen to "fully blackness". Good carnauba wax (no need to get ultraexpensive small containers from "specialty" sites, go get 3M premium paste wax for cars, last forever and does a terrific job at about the cost of one small tiny winy "ladies purse" size pot) and control of potentially harsh enviroments (such as parking lots! :shock: ) keeps it black.
The only really successful hard rubber repair that I've had is on a feed that broke years ago. I immediately glued it with an epoxy, and it's still holding, even though the pen was in rotation for a while.
Adhesives will not stick to an old break. The surface of the hard rubber oxidizes, and it can't stick. A fresh break you stand a chance. An old one, no. You might try cleaning the break with 1500 sandpaper, and then an adhesive. But that may nor may not hold for long. Lynn Sorgatz has commented that he does epoxy machined pieces together, but he has no idea how long it will hold. Maybe for years, as has been the case with my feed. Maybe not!
Adhesives will not stick to an old break. The surface of the hard rubber oxidizes, and it can't stick. A fresh break you stand a chance. An old one, no. You might try cleaning the break with 1500 sandpaper, and then an adhesive. But that may nor may not hold for long. Lynn Sorgatz has commented that he does epoxy machined pieces together, but he has no idea how long it will hold. Maybe for years, as has been the case with my feed. Maybe not!
QUOTE (Ron Z @ Jul 23 2008, 06:10 PM)
The only really successful hard rubber repair that I've had is on a feed that broke years ago. I immediately glued it with an epoxy, and it's still holding, even though the pen was in rotation for a while.
Adhesives will not stick to an old break. The surface of the hard rubber oxidizes, and it can't stick. A fresh break you stand a chance.
Adhesives will not stick to an old break. The surface of the hard rubber oxidizes, and it can't stick. A fresh break you stand a chance.
How fresh a break? I broke a pen last week, does it stand a chance?
QUOTE (Ron Z @ Jul 23 2008, 06:10 PM)
The only really successful hard rubber repair that I've had is on a feed that broke years ago. I immediately glued it with an epoxy, and it's still holding, even though the pen was in rotation for a while.
Adhesives will not stick to an old break. The surface of the hard rubber oxidizes, and it can't stick. A fresh break you stand a chance. An old one, no. You might try cleaning the break with 1500 sandpaper, and then an adhesive. But that may nor may not hold for long. Lynn Sorgatz has commented that he does epoxy machined pieces together, but he has no idea how long it will hold. Maybe for years, as has been the case with my feed. Maybe not!
Adhesives will not stick to an old break. The surface of the hard rubber oxidizes, and it can't stick. A fresh break you stand a chance. An old one, no. You might try cleaning the break with 1500 sandpaper, and then an adhesive. But that may nor may not hold for long. Lynn Sorgatz has commented that he does epoxy machined pieces together, but he has no idea how long it will hold. Maybe for years, as has been the case with my feed. Maybe not!
Of course then there is Ron's rosewood HR Wahl.
-d
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