Sac Replace, Or Roll The Dice?

[craigs63]

I've got yet another Estie on the way via eBay, and nothing was mentioned about it being restored. Should I assume the worst, or should I try to fill it (lever fill) with ink or maybe water, and see if it holds it? (I bought it because it seemed like the price was less than the same nib was going for without a pen attached). I assume if the lever doesn't move, or moves all the way with no resistance, something needs to be replaced.

[PaganArcher]

I'd test it with water to see if it needs repair or more importantly, if there's ink residue left in it.

[Hobiwan]

I'd pull the section and inspect the sac before trying to fill it. If it's near death, you could suck up some water, have the water mix with the dried ink, then have it break and slop up the inside of the barrel (been there, done that). Better (sez me) to work the sac in water outside of the barrel.

[Leftytoo]

I also suggest pulling off the section and checking the condition of the sac - it may close to failure (on old pens, turning into a gummy mess). I just bought some sacs from Anderson pens $2 each. Fast service, and their site has application data. The commonest size is #16. If you like classic pens, having a few sacs on hand is a good idea.

Bob

[pajaro]

The wisest course is to resac, because you have no idea of the real condition of the sac. That's conventional wisdom. With these pens, where a resac is not very difficult, I have done this. On more difficult pens like Parker 51 Vacumatics, I have often rolled the dice and used a sac for years. It's a gamble, though.

[ScienceChick]

Re-sac and check the J bar while you're at it.

[Sasha Royale]

If there is ANY resistance, whatsoever, in the operating the lever, service is indicated. Unless you are confident that the sac has been replaced recently, ASSUME that a new bladder is needed. If the sac fails, there is nothing between a load of ink and your cashmere sweater, except a plastic pen barrel with a large hole (lever slit). As with any 75-year-old, strength of the bladder is questionable.

 

Safest to assume a new sac is needed.

[ac12]

Unless I KNOW that the pen has been resaced recently, I presume that the sac needs to be replaced in ANY pen I get from eBay. Because even if the sac is still flexible, it is over 60 years old, and could fail next week. So I just resac the pen. Then I know that I am good for the next 10-15 years.

[craigs63]

Thanks everyone! Got it over the weekend, and looks like I'll be reading the various repair threads and ordering a few supplies.

 

Re-read the listing, and it did say 'unrestored, and lever not working'.

Edited May 31, 2016 by craigs63

[ac12]

The most critical/dangerous part of resacing a pen is, getting the section off the pen without damaging/destroying the pen. If you are lucky, it will pull out with minimal effort. If you are not lucky, it will take dry heat and a LOT of care and luck to pull the section.

 

I advise you to get a bunch of cheap junkers to practice pulling the section, before touching a pen you care about.

I have a couple pens in my AW $HIT box from mistakes in pulling or installing the section.

 

gud luk

[craigs63]

This one was only about $15, section came out with no fuss or heat. I'd soaked in water for a couple of hours, and used a rubber jar opener.

[corgicoupe]

As with any 75-year-old, strength of the bladder is questionable.

 

Safest to assume a new sac is needed.

This brought a chuckle...I'm 76.

[Vintagepens]

This one was only about $15, section came out with no fuss or heat. I'd soaked in water for a couple of hours, and used a rubber jar opener.

 

Soaking in water is not a good way to remove a press-fit section. If the section is held by shellac, the water won't do anything. If it's held by friction, the water will reduce extraction effort but will only make cracking the barrel mouth that much easier if the section fit is very tight -- as it often is.

Professionals use dry heat, and no soaking. It is much safer, and much faster.

[craigs63]

 

Soaking in water is not a good way to remove a press-fit section. If the section is held by shellac, the water won't do anything. If it's held by friction, the water will reduce extraction effort but will only make cracking the barrel mouth that much easier if the section fit is very tight -- as it often is.

Professionals use dry heat, and no soaking. It is much safer, and much faster.

 

I also wanted to clean off any cooties or residual DNA!

[ac12]

I hope you did not soak the entire pen.

The problem is getting ALL the water out of the barrel, as water + ferrous metal (lever and J-bar) = rust

Edited June 3, 2016 by ac12

[FarmBoy]

Did the pen sac hit craps in the Dice Game?

[pen lady]

To remove one more "aw (bleep)" possibility, always have a nib screwed into the section before you remove it from the barrel. I speak from experience

[pajaro]

Several sections I have removed from Esterbrooks came out easily for resaccing. When I replaced the sections I resisted ideas of shellacking the section in. It's nice to leave these just snug for the next time you resac. I'm sure you find some of these if you do enough of this work.

[FarmBoy]

Why are we shellacking sections into barrels?

[Vintagepens]

Why are we shellacking sections into barrels?

 

Is that a rhetorical question?

Or, perhaps, existential?