Hi all,
This morning I've posted a picture of a new "mystery" tool I made, and asked if someone could tell its usage.
Clearly a too simple question, already the first reaction was spot on, it was a prototype tool to remove vintage Pelikan nib assemblies.

Aiming for perfection, the design however evolved somewhat in the meantime
Although the tool -shown in my earlier posting- is working relatively well in its "simple" form, I missed a positive clamping.
I therefore optimized the tool,on the attached pictures you can see how the prototype actually looks.

Going through my spares, I also found there are 3 different HR feeds on the vintage Pelikan's :
-The 100 feed has 3 fins, with grooves parallel to the nib contact surface
-The early 400 feed has 4 fins, with grooves parallel to the nib contact surface
-The later 400 feed has 4 fins,with grooves inclined to the nib contact surface
-The Rappen, 120 & 140 feed has 3 fins with grooves parallel to the nib contact surface

The clamping block I've added allows positive clamping on the nib & feed.
The clamping block is made from Ketron -Peek, a hard plastic which will not deform when screwing the assembly together.
Note the 3 & 4 point marks on both blocks, when used on a 3 or 4 fins feed the marks on both parts should match.
So one has to turn the clamping block half a turn when changing from a 4 to 3 fins feed & inversely.
The clamping block can pivot in the axis off the feed ,allowing positive clamping of the 4 ribbed feeds with inclined grooves.
This can be seen on the third picture, were the block in inclined ,so it has full contact on the nib .
Allowing this inclination of the plastic block the screw bores are partly enlarged from the underside & a pair of concave /convex washers in installed under both screws.
Avoiding as much as possible torsion on the feed, the tool should always be clamped as close as possible the the section.

Note the tool can also be used the straighten bent fins : just moderately heat up the fins, slide the cam carefully in the grooves & cool off in water while the cam is still in the grooves.

I'm sure some of you can make a similar tool for themselves, wishing you success !

Cheers, Francis

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h89/foun...lel34ribs-1.jpg
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h89/foun...ralel34ribs.jpg
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h89/foun...clined4ribs.jpg

I once saw an original clamping tool for the Pelikan 100 series on fleabay. It sold for almost $400.

It looked like a pair of pliers with 3 grooves cut into it for the ribbed feed.

John

francis

is amazing how two people in opposite sides of the earth can think so alike. I crafted a couple of tools very similar to yours this very morning for some stubborn nib units. I also made a piston remover and a correct tool fo rremoving this early nib units using the 2 keyways they have on the front of the collar.

If I only had something like this!
I have at least three stubborn nibs that do not unscrew ....