re-sacing, my first attempt

[Skyp]

I bought a cheapie at a recent show with the intent of trying to resac this... my first attempt.

I have it soaking but it doesn't seem to want to unscrew. I know that one normally uses cold water in dealing with fountain pens. In a situation like this, before I get out my pipe wrench, would hot water be advisable?

 

cheers

skyp

[Dennis Lively]

Skyp,

 

 

More details on the pen would be very helpful. But a ganeral rule of thumb. You can use water slightly warmer than room temp to help free a stuck section. A pair of section pliers will come in handy as well.

 

Tell me more about the pen and I can offer more advice.

 

Dennis

[Skyp]

Well it is a sheaffer balance, lever filler with a small window above the section. It's small, a jr's or ladies variety, looks to be from the 40's or so. Grey striped.

I have the section out. I don't know if the bottom part, starting with the window, unscrews from the rest of the pen. I haven't been too strenuous in my efforts.

 

If it DOESN'T unscrew, I don't see how one can get to the sac to take it out much less install a new one...

[Dennis Lively]

does the pen have a conical triumph nib or an open nib?

[Skyp]

I took a look at it tonight and it is an open nib. Is that good news or bad news?

skyp

[Keith with a capital K]

The pen sounds like your typical lever filling, open nibbed Jr. Balance with a visualated section and it sounds like the nib and feed have been removed...not the section.

 

The section on these is friction fitted to the barrel and if it is still factory original or has been reaired to specs, the section will be shellaced in place.

 

If this is the case, dry heat needs to be used to soften the shellac and section pliers may very well be needed as well... wet heat and open flame are not advisable as one will cloud the section and the other can easily turn the visualated section into a roman candle. This clear section material is extremely flammable

 

Once the section is removed then replacing the sac should be pretty straightforward, the section will most likely have to be shellaced back in place as the two differing materials have poor adhesion to each other and can easily slip apart.

 

I believe I have an identical pen here so if you cannot provide pics I can always post a picture of the pen I have here in assembled and disassembled poses.

[Skyp]

Right, I have the nib and the feed off, the visualated section is still attached.

 

Thanks a lot for this detailed response. I'll borrow a hair dryer and see what I can do.

I THOUGHT I had located a photo off the web of the pen but then I noticed that my pen doesn't have a white dot. It says sheaffer on the clip but no white dot.

 

Let me experiment a little and see if I can get the section out and report back.

skyp

[Free Citizen]

Careful Skyp,

 

If you break it, you'll have to send it to a Pen Doctor

[Keith with a capital K]

Skyp - There isn't any difference between a white dot and non white dot pen except that one has a white dot.

 

I hope that the disassembly goes well and that you can come back and tell us how nicely the pen is writing.

 

Cheers!

[Free Citizen]

Skyp - There isn't any difference between a white dot and non white dot pen except that one has a white dot.

Keith,

 

I think the appearance of a white dot means that the pen is a lifetime warranty model. Correct me if I am wrong.

[Keith with a capital K]

Lim - The white dot was Sheaffer's indication that the pen in question was indeed, warranted for the life of the original owner but there was often no difference in the construction quality of many pens such as Balances.

 

When Sheaffer stamped their name on a pen that in itself was always an indication that the pen was going to be extremely well made regardless of it having a white dot or not.

 

Sheaffer's white dot is the equivalent of the Parker blue diamond or the Eversharp double check marks. These were all indicators that the pen had a lifetime warranty.

 

This gets me to thinkning that this little topic might warrant an article in the history section since it is a question I hear frequently.

[Free Citizen]

This gets me to thinkning that this little topic might warrant an article in the history section since it is a question I hear frequently.

I agree, why not we ask Dennis if we can split this to Rob's forum

[Skyp]

ok borrowed the hair dryer and got the section out in good shape. The sac was indeed ossified and so I got it out, the lever works smoothly. I need to scrape the old sac off the section now.

I like long projects. I THOUGHT I had a sac that I bought at the same time I got this pen but I can't find it so ordered a selection on line along with a pic and a spreader... I didn't get any shellac. I understand shellac has a shelf life... I seem to recall someone saying you could use nail polish?

And I also recall somone talking about using wax but I'm not sure where the wax seal goes...

[Gerry]

I like long projects. I THOUGHT I had a sac that I bought at the same time I got this pen but I can't find it so ordered a selection on line along with a pic and a spreader... I didn't get any shellac. I understand shellac has a shelf life... I seem to recall someone saying you could use nail polish?

And I also recall somone talking about using wax but I'm not sure where the wax seal goes...

I wouldn't worry about the shelf life of the shellac, that applies to it's suitability as a wood finish, not as a glue. The shellac used for pen repair is typically formulated differently (a stronger mixture) as well.

 

Do not use Nail Polish. I believe that it would likely become a permanent adhesive, and because of the solvent may actually weld the pen parts together. Someone may want to be able to replace the sac you put in there someday.

 

Don't recall any discussion regarding wax - rubber cement (the paper kind) could also be used.

 

Sounds like you're making good progress. You're just about there now. A milestone in your restoration career. Still remember my first re-sac job

 

Good luck

 

Gerry

[Free Citizen]

Looks like you guys are having a good time

[Skyp]

Ok, at what point do I test the flow? I don't want to get the whole thing all put together only to find that it has a clogged feed... can I test that before I shellac and cement?

[Keith with a capital K]

One more post and then I have to go... the doctor expects to see me this morning.

 

Nail polish should fine if you don't have shellac. Really.

 

Once the old sac remnants have been removed and a new sac has been affixed to the section nipple you're almost ready to re-assemble the pen.

 

Before you attach the sac, try blowing through the section to ensure that there is no blockage in the feed. Since you have already removed the nib and feed it should be pretty clean and air should flow easily through the pen.

 

After the sac has been installed you can test the sac seal by filling the pen using your fingers to compress the ink sac (do this before you put everything back together).

 

The visualated sections on these Balances were shellaced in at the factory and they generally need a little glue (clear nail polish) to keep them secured.

 

Remember to align the top of the nib with the lever when things go back together... this is both aesthetically pleasing and practical as when you set the pen down horizontally with the lever facing up, the nib will also be aligned so that any residual ink seeps back into the reservoir and no ink will seep past the nib and feed.

 

Cheers!

[Gerry]

Keith,

 

What's the procedure for removing a section cemented in with clear nail polish?

 

I have a couple of resistant estie sections, and heat (to the point of softening the section) hasn't worked. Of course, the glue may not be Nail Polish, but I want to try everything.

 

The wife's nail polish remover cautions - quote - harmful to synthetic fabrics, wood finishes and plastics, so that's probably a no-no.

 

What works for you?

 

Gerry

[mr_inky]

Nail polish removers can sometimes contain acetone which would do a lot of damage to a plastic pen. Not to mention your brain if you breathed the fumes a long time indoors!

 

If the sections on your Esties were truely glued in w/ fingernail polish you might very well be out of luck. It could have welded the parts together. That's why I only use orange shelac when I re-sac a pen. If you heated to the point of the sections being soft and couldn't get them apart then it isn't shealc. Shelac generally softens at around 150 degrees. Got a feeling your sections if not held in w/ fingernail polish were put in w/ super glue or something else nasty.

 

I'll go now that I've spread enough good news around!

[Keith with a capital K]

Gerry -

 

The usual tools for removing stuck sections are heat, padded pliers, and a great dose of patience.

 

It sounds like someone used some type of mystery super glue to secure the sections on those Esties and the sad thing is, they (normally) don't need it. Shellac and nail polish would not cause these kinds of problems so I suspect something else was used.

 

Break Adhesives like some types of Loctite only respond to force and no amount of heating will affect their integrity.

 

Contact cement is pretty nasty.

 

Super glues (cyanoacrylates) can be a good tool if used for the right purposes but if a section was secured using this the odds of it coming apart cleanly and without damage are going to be much reduced.

 

If heating had no effect then you may be dealing with one of the aforementioned adhesives so removing the sections might require extreme physical force.

 

There is a risk that things will break but on the bright side, these are Esterbrooks and can take a lot more than other pens without suffering harm.

 

Nail polish remover is a definate no as the acetone in the remover will melt plastics.

 

So... padded pliers and crossed fingers might be the way to go.

 

On the bright side..I have dealt with some pretty stuck pens and have only had one beat me. I suspect that super glue was used.