Oh. That Might Have Been A Bit Too Warm.

[subbes]

I am now the incredibly non-proud owner of the deformed barrel of what once was an Estie desk pen, because I got called away while they were warming (in preparation to pull the section and re-sac it).

 

 

 

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

 

 

Every day is a learning experience.

 

 

(I SHALL KEEP IT IN ORDER TO SCARE ANY NONPERFORMING ESTIES.)

Edited January 11, 2012 by subbes

[dgturner]

Please post pics!!!!!!!!

 

I am afraid to apply heat for fear of either warping a pen, or worse setting it on fire...

[subbes]

This was my first time trying a different heating method - usually I use a warm water soak - and a good reminder that I cannot allow myself to be distracted. Terrible camera phone picture attached. Hopefully you can see what happened - the section got soft, and the J-bar pressure deformed the barrel. I suppose I could try to heat it back up and reshape it, but I doubt it would work properly.

 

Silver linings:

• it was $3
  
• the seller was a heavy smoker and the pen stunk of stale tobacco smoke
  
• now I have a spare section and tail
  

 

So of all the pens I could have made this mistake with, better this (or the Wearever).

Edited January 11, 2012 by subbes

[PaFitch]

Oh, that's sad. But it does have an up side. The red taper is nice and Estie desk pens are easy to come by, so you can make a new one. A good j bar is useful too. Not all is lost.

[OcalaFlGuy]

Searching this forum would have found evidence that you aren't the first to explore alternative heating methods to separate a section.

 

Sometimes it just doesn't pay to try and reinvent the wheel.

 

For best results the temp of the section should rise pretty quickly and the heat source should be aimable to a small area.

 

It really is hard to do that better than with a heat gun or (2nd choice) a hair dryer.

 

Obviously distraction has no place in any process requiring any level of skill and attention to detail.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[mark e]

I am now the incredibly non-proud owner of the deformed barrel of what once was an Estie desk pen, because I got called away while they were warming (in preparation to pull the section and re-sac it).

 

 

 

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

 

 

Every day is a learning experience.

 

 

(I SHALL KEEP IT IN ORDER TO SCARE ANY NONPERFORMING ESTIES.)

 

uhhhh...what....did you have it in a toaster?---microwave?---now you're makin me nervous about using heat

[estie1948]

Very sorry for the loss of your pen. That is horribly sad. I have found that heat is rarely needed in this process with Esterbrooks. I use a good pair of section pliers on the stubborn ones. Then, maybe I have just been very lucky. Again, I am sorry for this horrible accident. Good luck in the future.

[Tom Heath]

You may have learned a very valuable lesson here.

 

When doing repairs do not leve things un attended. Getting distracted is quite easy to do . You may have done a repair operation 1,000 times and you get distracted , leave the pen along while

soaking or heating and you return to find the pen is distored or dis colored most times with irreversable consequences.

 

Good luck with your future repairs

Tom

 

We repair men have all done this sometimes on an important project.... egads I had to think about it. But that is way the parts drawer grows !

[subbes]

For the curious: I was using a heating pad on one of my RSI-afflicted arms and the Stupid Idea Fairy visited (she dresses very similarly to the Bright Idea Fairy, but visits more often). I've never used section pliers because I fear cracking a section or barrel; maybe it's time.

 

 

Obviously distraction has no place in any process requiring any level of skill and attention to detail

 

And this is why, as my grandmother reminds me, I shall never accomplish anything.

 

(I'LL SHOW HER. THEY MAKE MEDICATION FOR MY PROBLEM NOW.)

[pjsmithe]

Wow, how hot does that heating pad get? As imple heating pad produced enough heat to warp the plastic? :confused emoticon:

[OcalaFlGuy]

Very sorry for the loss of your pen. That is horribly sad. I have found that heat is rarely needed in this process with Esterbrooks. I use a good pair of section pliers on the stubborn ones. Then, maybe I have just been very lucky. Again, I am sorry for this horrible accident. Good luck in the future.

 

Just because one hasn't openly cracked for you yet doesn't mean you haven't (unnecessarily) stressed the plastic in the thread area that may cause it to crack later on (pulling the section to realign the nib?) when it might not if not stressed before.

 

You also may not have done many Transitionals which for me and others are more prone to crack than the double jewels.

 

Using heat to both pull and reinsert the section is just good, cheap, insurance. With Esties, there's just no real, good reason NOT to use it and plenty of good ones TO use it.

 

Most everyone already has access to a hair dryer which works fine and in the U.S. the craft embossing heat guns that many of the pros use are readily available for about $20.

 

If you insist on not using heat to pull Esties sections, it's more a matter of WHEN you'll crack one, not if. And of course, when that time DOES come and you hear that sickening CRACK, it's likely to be on a pen you REALLY didn't want to hear it on rather than some oogly junker...

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL-it's not like we say this because we're getting kick backs from the heat gun makers...

[OcalaFlGuy]

 

Obviously distraction has no place in any process requiring any level of skill and attention to detail

 

***And this is why, as my grandmother reminds me, I shall never accomplish anything.***

 

(I'LL SHOW HER. THEY MAKE MEDICATION FOR MY PROBLEM NOW.)

 

Hey, not all of us can be Ron Zorn, Richard Binder or Farmboy.

 

I have the mechanical aptitude of a small appliance bulb. The one redeeming mechanical "skill" I have is to (usually) know when, if I do One More Thing, I'll wreck it beyond all repair. (Actually, not That Bad of a one skill to have.) Still, if you had told me 5 years ago that I would be restoring Esties, I would have said you were insane.

 

<Inspector Callahan> A man has to know his limitations. </Inspector Callahan> And, I do know mine. Still, there ARE ways to widen your abilities and decrease those limitations. Studying everything you can find about how to do the procedure you're going to attempt, not working on pens when you are tired or frustrated and putting the job down for the time being if you get that way help alot there.

 

When advice like use heat or just real genuine plain talc is given out here it's usually because the giver outter has already had to learn the same lesson the hard, painful way and doesn't want YOU to have to do that too. The very best life's lessons are the very most painful ones that you get to learn at the expense of SOMEONE ELSE making them instead of you.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[subbes]

 

 

 

I'm amazed by the PMs I've received about this - big thanks to both PenFisher and Brian Anderson for their kind offers of replacement barrels.

[kathleen]

I have only ever cracked one, a beautiful little blue SJ, I felt sick in the instant that I heard it snap and there is no going back. I have since heeded the advice to slightly warm the area. I use a hair dryer, when my fingers begin to feel warm, that is warm enough. I have the section wrapped with a rubber band (no need for section pliers, the rubberband gives me a sure grip) and I wiggle, wiggle the section and barrel apart, ever so gently, sometimes re-warming the area. Patience is imperative and a prayer never hurts.

My Estie Clinic has seen 40+ patients, and I am pleased to report one little blue SJ has been my only fatality. I comfort myself in the knowledge that its parts may be donated to another and thus restore another wonderful Esterbrook pen.

 

 

Here is a different blue SJ wrapped just prior to being warmed for a barrel/section separation procedure.

 

 

Edited January 12, 2012 by kathleen

[pen2paper]

deep heavy sigh..

it's why I haven't tried to resac yet.

Just know my tinkering instinct will love it, but have to actually take the risk 1st.

maybe we should schedule a re-sac-along, in real time..?

[tmenyc]

I have its matching section! I didn't overheat it, but I did forget to have a nib/feed in it when I squeezed too hard...

 

Tim

[kathleen]

I have its matching section! I didn't overheat it, but I did forget to have a nib/feed in it when I squeezed too hard...

 

Tim

 

Tim, my little blue SJ cracked through the threads at the top of the barrel. Are you saying you need an SJ section? Did you crack the black section that holds the nib&feed?

If that is what you need, I will send you my SJ section, then we could hope it is a good fit to your barrel.

PM me.

Kathleen

 

Pen2paper, I just know you could bring a few of the wonderful Esties back to service if you like to tinker. There is not that much required if you are just replacing sacs and J bars and cleaning them up. It really is very satisfying to restore one of these beautiful writing instruments. Now there are others here with abilities far beyond mine; I have not replaced jewels, clips, levers or pulled cap liners. I read their posts that detail such procedures with keen interest, I hope to learn more and perhaps someday I will be brave enough to expand my skills.

[kathleen]

I have its matching section! I didn't overheat it, but I did forget to have a nib/feed in it when I squeezed too hard...

 

Tim

 

Tim, my little blue SJ cracked through the threads at the top of the barrel. Are you saying you need an SJ section? Did you crack the black section that holds the nib&feed?

If that is what you need, I will send you my SJ section, then we could hope it is a good fit to your barrel.

PM me.

Kathleen

 

Pen2paper, I just know you could bring a few of the wonderful Esties back to service if you like to tinker. There is not that much required if you are just replacing sacs and J bars and cleaning them up. It really is very satisfying to restore one of these beautiful writing instruments. Now there are others here with abilities far beyond mine; I have not replaced jewels, clips, levers or pulled cap liners. I read their posts that detail such procedures with keen interest, I hope to learn more and perhaps someday I will be brave enough to expand my skills.

[kathleen]

I have its matching section! I didn't overheat it, but I did forget to have a nib/feed in it when I squeezed too hard...

 

Tim

 

Tim, my little blue SJ cracked through the threads at the top of the barrel. Are you saying you need an SJ section? Did you crack the black section that holds the nib&feed?

If that is what you need, I will send you my SJ section, then we could hope it is a good fit to your barrel.

PM me.

Kathleen

 

Pen2paper, I just know you could bring a few of the wonderful Esties back to service if you like to tinker. There is not that much required if you are just replacing sacs and J bars and cleaning them up. It really is very satisfying to restore one of these beautiful writing instruments. Now there are others here with abilities far beyond mine; I have not replaced jewels, clips, levers or pulled cap liners. I read their posts that detail such procedures with keen interest, I hope to learn more and perhaps someday I will be brave enough to expand my skills.

[kathleen]

I have its matching section! I didn't overheat it, but I did forget to have a nib/feed in it when I squeezed too hard...

 

Tim

 

Tim, my little blue SJ cracked through the threads at the top of the barrel. Are you saying you need an SJ section? Did you crack the black section that holds the nib&feed?

If that is what you need, I will send you my SJ section, then we could hope it is a good fit to your barrel.

PM me.

Kathleen

 

Pen2paper, I just know you could bring a few of the wonderful Esties back to service if you like to tinker. There is not that much required if you are just replacing sacs and J bars and cleaning them up. It really is very satisfying to restore one of these beautiful writing instruments. Now there are others here with abilities far beyond mine; I have not replaced jewels, clips, levers or pulled cap liners. I read their posts that detail such procedures with keen interest, I hope to learn more and perhaps someday I will be brave enough to expand my skills.