Removing an Esterbrook section

[Raymond]

I am trying to remove a stuck Esterbrook section. I am thinking that some heat may be needed. Can anyone tells me how hot should I try using a low power heat gun? I am afraid that if not done properly, the shiny barrel of the Estie may be damaged. Is that barrel material celluloid?

 

Any info will be greatly appreciated.

 

TIA

[jackoguit]

Look on the Esterbrook Forum for more guidance.

As I understand it, Esties, at least the J and SJ's, were made from a very strong plastic.

 

I use my wife's hairdryer set on low for this kind of work.

I finally went to the bad big box for a soft, flexible, woven shelf liner to cut up and use to increase my grip strength. I wrap a small piece around the barrel and one around the section. I haven't used my foam lined pliers in a long time.

 

See Richard's web site for more practical guidance:

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

 

Jacko

Edited November 18, 2006 by jackoguit

[Gerry]

Esties are remarkably bulletproof. Heat can be applied via heat gun, hot water or open flame (be careful here...) all reasonably safely.

 

Normally heat is not required to remove a section from a barrel. If it has been shellaced, a heat gun or hot water immersion will be required. The barrel is plastic, and will ot be harmed by the hot water. The section is usually BHR, but the hot water doesn't appear to harm it.

 

Use grippers - ie inner tube, rubber ring removers, etc. - whatever to increase your grip.

 

Good luck,

 

Gerry

[antoniosz]

Esties are remarkably bulletproof. Heat can be applied via heat gun, hot water or open flame (be careful here...) all reasonably safely.

 

Normally heat is not required to remove a section from a barrel. If it has been shellaced, a heat gun or hot water immersion will be required. The barrel is plastic, and will ot be harmed by the hot water. The section is usually BHR, but the hot water doesn't appear to harm it.

 

Use grippers - ie inner tube, rubber ring removers, etc. - whatever to increase your grip.

 

Good luck,

 

Gerry

The later models with the metal caps (deluxe SM TK etc) are weakened by heat and can break. The regular J, LJ, and SJ are bulletproof as Gerry said.

[bobioden]

I used a piece of 3/4" tubing over the section and gently used a pair of pliers on a stubborn Estie section. It loosened up quite easily with very little pressure.

 

Bob

Edited November 18, 2006 by bobioden

[Raymond]

Thanks to all who so promptly replied. After a good night's sleep I will venture into Estie repair today. Thanks again for the info.

[Maja]

Thanks to all who so promptly replied. After a good night's sleep I will venture into Estie repair today. Thanks again for the info.

Good luck, Raymond...and remember---don't force anything! Go slow and easy.

Let us know how it goes!

[Raymond]

Thanks Maja:

 

I managed to remove the section. I used a low power heat gun. The Esties plastic is good. Bulletproof as you guys said. But I managed to deform the pen, so that the cap and barrel don't fit well anymore......:-(

 

This is the first time I use the heat gun ( embrossing heating tool). So a bit unfamiliar with the heat it produces. At least I found the problem is not with the sac, but the lever filler. A piece of metal fell out of the pen. The sac is OK though.

 

Well it has been fun. I put the pen in the parts box. At least the nib and section and sac are good.

 

Cheers

Raymond.

[wdyasq]

Well it has been fun. I put the pen in the parts box.  At least the nib and section and sac are good. 

Just my attitude but I'd use the section and sac as a unit but would not 'reuse' a 50 year young sac. New sacs are less than $3 and a good investemnt.

 

I think I will start 'putting back' old pens I get with swollen barrels, bent barrels, lost caps and other stuff that makes them unworthy of repair due to the value of the pen and occationally offer them for slightly above shipping for new pen destroyers rebuilders.

 

Ron

[Gerry]

Please put me on your list of people to consider for this offer Ron. I've been restoring Esties for a little while now and have far fewer parts than I need (a problem it seems if you are successful at restoring... ;-))

 

Anyway, real high on my list are J caps with undamaged jewels. That, or another source for replacement jewels is what's standing in the way of more than a couple of J restorations...

 

Pocket clips seem to be the next most damaged part - since they are not interchangable between various models (well, ok probably are for the LJ and SJ, but... again, the J stands out as a special)

 

 

Regards,

 

Gerry

[Raymond]

Thanks Ron: That is a good idea. I will keep the cap and barrel just in case I can find a way to rebuild the pen. It was in almost brand new condition before I deformed it. I guess I am qualified as a new pen destroyer.

 

That heat gun you suggested was in fact excellent. But I need to work out a safer way of using it. With hot water I can maintain 70 degree C and soak the pen for 30 min. But with the heat gun, I have to work out a safe set up so that the pen would not be overheated.

 

Please put me on your mailing list for getting rid of old pen parts. Considering the pens that I have destroyed, I will be looking for the following:

 

Estie LJ cap and barrel (any colour)

Estie L barrel (black)

Parker 21 Super cap ( the one without clutch fingers)

Parker 21 Mark II barrel (black)

Parker 21 Super nib (any width).

Parker 51 Vac 1945 collector (yes 1945 only, other years fit too loose)

Parker 51 Demi gold filled cap.

Parker 180 nib

Parker VP filler unit.

Mont Blanc 22 Ball Point cap tassie (grey with the white MB star on it)

 

So much for now.

Cheers.

[wdyasq]

Just to clarify things.... I will prbably be offering things like: "Banjo Brand, bent nib, looks like celluloid, cracked cap, bent nib, bad sac and bulge where lever attaches, section has not been removed - $2 to cover cost of shipping.

 

I can guarantee old Esterbrook parts get recycled here as well as many Parker and Sheaffer parts. The main thing I want to offer is a pen or two to folks who have never had a pen apart. I destroyed the first pen I took apart. It was a good lesson in applying too much heat.

 

Even better 'junk' pens will be saved. All pens will be examined for good nibs - the gold ones and flex ones will stay here for the time being. I don't plan on throwing away good trading material. I just want a few to have the oppertunity to take a pen apart without tearing up a good pen.

 

Ron

[Maja]

Thanks Maja:

 

I managed to remove the section. I used a low power heat gun. The Esties plastic is good. Bulletproof as you guys said. But I managed to deform the pen, so that the cap and barrel don't fit well anymore......:-(

:(

Oh no....Well, I know it sounds trite, but I would chalk it up to a learning experience. Better to learn by accidentally damaging a common pen than one that is more rare and/or of sentimental value.

[Raymond]

Oh Ron:

 

I didn't mean you give away those parts. I am perfectly willing to trade or buy them.

 

Maja:

 

That is how I look at it. I will frame the Estie on my workbench with a sign saying "Be careful with heat".

 

Cheers

[Gerry]

Raymond,

 

If the pen is really destined for the parts bin - ie the barrel considered wasted, there's a final trick you might try.

 

Not for the faint of heart, but one that has worked on some deformed Esties I have found that were left in a window or bent under pressure while heated...

 

The plastic used does have some memory, which means that if reheated, it can return close to the original shape it had before being deformed.

 

You need to exercise care, and some 'help' may be required by forming a little when hot. The care is necessary since you cannot work near the lever and it's associated spring (the spring pressure will deform the barrel badly if you do). If you are going there, you must remove the lever and spring beforehand. The other place to avoid is anywhere near the tapered end of the barrel. I was straightening a bent Estie with heat - and all worked well until I got too close to the tapered end, whereupon it shocked me by untapering and assuming the same diameter as the rest of the barrel. That's when I learned that originally the barrels were formed from tubes, and the taper must have been applied using heat and a die. I have tried all forms of rolling while hot, but can't get the taper formed correctly on both sides at once. Reheating just straightens the other side out... <_<

 

As I said, if you are going to use the barrel for parts - it's something you might try. Nothing to lose really.

 

Regards,

 

Gerry

[Montrose]

As a newbie pen destroyer myself, I can vouch that some restraightening can be done. In my case, I thought that if hot water was good, really scaulding hot water would be better. When I did succeed in getting the section loose, I wound up with a bent barrel. Nothing to lose at this point, so... another dip in the hot water and rolling the pen on a flat surface got it back into reasonable shape again.

 

Almost lost a $5 Wearever.

[Kelly G]

Why in the world don't you folks invest a few bucks for a thermometer? A decent heat gun that has adjustable heat with a low starting temperature (somewhere around 120 degrees) isn't a bad way to go either. At the very least, get the thermometer - I use a Taylor meat thermometer - analog, small dial.

Shellac softens around 140 degrees and you rarely need more heat than that for "normal" sections. Whatever Sheaffer used to seal triumph nibs takes a bit more heat, but not much more. When you get above 165 degrees or so with most plastics, you are pushing the edge. Hard rubber is more forgiving with heat but you typically don't need excessive heat.

The best rule is more time at lower heat rather than short times at higher temps. If you're using a heat source that is not adjustable, you really shouldn't be without a thermometer for a reference check. The other rule of thumb is, if it's too hot to touch, it's too hot. When I was a kid, my optometrist used a glass bead heater and always checked the heat of the plastic by touching the frames to his cheek - more sensitive than your fingers I guess.

I always use 140 degree heat when removing the section from the barrel of any pen and when reinserting the section - a hard lesson learned working with Skylines.

The most important thing with heat is knowing how much heat you are working with; if your heat gun is putting out 250 degrees, you're in trouble from the start.

[eastonp]

Thanks very much for the advise on using a thermometer with the heater. I will use a meat therm. to get a solid reading before I start to use it on my Esterbrooks. Looking to do some re-sac work for the first time. Also been reading into what type of barrel pliers to use on them...

[ac12]

Go to the bicycle shop and get a flat tire tube. Use that as a gripper.

 

I highly recommend to NOT use a plier of any sort, for a beginner. The problem are:

1) You cannot feel how much pressure you are putting onto the pen, so you can crush the section.

2) It is very easy to pull the section at an angle rather than straight, breaking the barrel.

 

The plastic and rubber barrel shrink over the years, and some shrink a lot, TIGHT onto the section.

Heat the barrel just enough so that it lets go of the section, enough to remove the section with your fingers. Sometimes you have to try several times; let the barrel cool down then try again later.

A dial termometer with a 140-160F range + an IR thermometer ($18 from Harbor Freight) are 2 good tools for those of us who do not pull sections often.