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Esterbrook Nib Unit Disassembling ?


fabri00

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Hi,

I was wondering if someone has never disassembled a Esterbroook nib unit.

I have bought a bunch of Esties recently, but nibs are quite rusty and oxidated.

I would like to get nibs out of the unit, in order to polish them.

Thanks.

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I have screwed the nib units into a spare section, then put he section nib down on a knockout block and tapped nib and feed out gently with a punch and light hammer. There must be room for the nib to fall. Some say you should heat the nib unit.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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Keep in mind that some Renew Points have a pin holding the feed in the collar while others have a heat set indentation while still others have shrunk so tightly around the unit that they would likely split given a reason to do so.

San Francisco International Pen Show - The next “Funnest Pen Show” is on schedule for August 23-24-25, 2024.  Watch the show website for registration details. 
 

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Lots, or at least, several people have done exactly what you propose with very good results. Do be careful of the band at the top of the feed that the nib fits under. These can become very brittle. I am not suggesting that you not do as you propose. On the contrary, I would encourage you. Just be careful of the black or green bands at the top of the nib and feed.

 

-David.

No matter how much you push the envelope, it will still be stationery. -Anon.

A backward poet writes inverse. -Anon.

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Warning: I followed the instructions of some here on FPN to simply knock out the feed from the collar. And it ended in a disaster. The feed caught on the indentation in the feed that FB mentioned, and RIPPED the collar. IOW the collar was destroyed.

 

IF the nib assembly does NOT have a pin in it, which secures the feed to the collar, here is my procedure:

- heat up water to below boiling, or about 180-200F

- hold the nib with a padded plier, so you don't mangle the nib and burn your hand from the HOT water

- dip the collar into the HOT water for a couple minutes, this softens the collar

- remove from water, then try to GENTLY wiggle out the nib. CAUTION, the nib may be HOT !!!

- if the nib does not come out, put it back into the water and repeat

- once the nib is out, rotate the feed so that the indentation in the feed is away from the indentation in the collar, then pull the feed out

 

I plan to try then modify this procedure using a heater, to avoid using HOT WATER.

 

If you have a shrunk collar, you will likely need to heat the collar to soften it, to put the nib+feed back into the collar. But heat won't guarantee that you won't split the shrunk collar.

Edited by ac12

San Francisco Pen Show - August 28-30, 2020 - Redwood City, California

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If your only reason for doing this is to clean the nib, I would suggest a different approach. I've done the nib-ectomy a few times, but always out of necessity, such as recovering a 9128 nib from a broken collar.

 

For cleaning purposes, I use a nib holder dip pen handle, and then just clean the nib as is. I can use a toothbrush to gently scrub the bottom, and I've been successful using Flitz on the nibs.

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Hi,

I was wondering if someone has never disassembled a Esterbroook nib unit.

I have bought a bunch of Esties recently, but nibs are quite rusty and oxidated.

I would like to get nibs out of the unit, in order to polish them.

Thanks.

 

I think you could polish the nibs as found, in the collar, unless you think you need to polish the back (underside) of the nib. I think removing the nib for this purpose entails unnecessary risks, according to those reporting issues with knocking out nib and feed from the collar. I would recommend just polishing the nib without removal.

 

That stated, I have punched out a couple of dozen Esterbrook nibs without any incident I can remember. My purpose was often to put a gold or two tone nib in the collar with Esterbrook feed. Eventually I tired of this sort of tomfoolery, producing frankenpens being somehow unsatisfying.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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If your only reason for doing this is to clean the nib, I would suggest a different approach. I've done the nib-ectomy a few times, but always out of necessity, such as recovering a 9128 nib from a broken collar.

 

For cleaning purposes, I use a nib holder dip pen handle, and then just clean the nib as is. I can use a toothbrush to gently scrub the bottom, and I've been successful using Flitz on the nibs.

Thanks, but I need to polish the 2 sides of the nib, and also to clean the feed from a thik old ink which did not went cleaned after days placed in a glass of water.

 

Otherwise I would have done a cleaning without having to disassemble the nib.

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A chacun son gout.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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A chacun son gout.

What the meaning of this french sentence?

 

I don't see any question of "gout": what alternative I have with a nib unit blocked by ink, probaby India ink?

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What the meaning of this french sentence?

 

I don't see any question of "gout": what alternative I have with a nib unit blocked by ink, probaby India ink?

 

"To each his (or her) own taste" (or preference).

 

You may find that pen flush (or very dilute, say 1/10 ammonium with a dash of dishwater detergent) is more effective than water in helping to shift the ink.

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"To each his (or her) own taste" (or preference).

 

You may find that pen flush (or very dilute, say 1/10 ammonium with a dash of dishwater detergent) is more effective than water in helping to shift the ink.

Thanks for the translation.

 

I'M italian but I speakfrench, and other 3 languages (English, german and spanish). My question was not referred to the translation of that sentence, but in the meaning of it, as for me is out of the contestime.

 

Flushing wit ammonia will not solve the problem of the rust.

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At this point, unless these are unusual or hard-to-find nibs, I would think you would be able to buy them easier than repair them. I don't know of the availability and cost there, but Anderson Pens here probably has whatever you'd need.

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"To each his (or her) own taste" (or preference).

 

You may find that pen flush (or very dilute, say 1/10 ammonium with a dash of dishwater detergent) is more effective than water in helping to shift the ink.

 

To each his own poison.

 

I was wondering why someone would go to all this trouble, but then, this being a hobby, many will seek to fix just about anything. There are learning experiences in these things. Many times, trying some repair and doing damage or even destroying a pen, I have learned much about pens, including avoiding pitfalls. So, rock on and try fixing things, even if others think it's less than optimal. You might not learn unless you try stuff.

Edited by pajaro

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

If your only reason for doing this is to clean the nib, I would suggest a different approach. I've done the nib-ectomy a few times, but always out of necessity, such as recovering a 9128 nib from a broken collar.

 

I'm with Gweimer, in my lifelong belief that doing less before more is often as successful at less risk. Since the portion of the nib under the collar will never be seen, I don't pull them unless I have a broken collar with a good nib I want to reuse.

Tim

Tim

 timsvintagepens.com and @timsvintagepens

 

 

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1.Get that nib and feed.

2.Fill a cup with water.

3.Shove that cup in the microwave.

4.Heat it up for a minute.

5.Take it out of the microwave. (Doh!)

6.Throw the section in for a little bit.

7.Take the section out of the water with tweezers.

8.wiggle the nib and feed from the holder.

9.If this doesn't work then repeat steps 6-8.

10.Presto! everything has been disassembled!

 

Just keep in mind that the bottom of the feed goes were the notch is.

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I'm with Gweimer, in my lifelong belief that doing less before more is often as successful at less risk. Since the portion of the nib under the collar will never be seen, I don't pull them unless I have a broken collar with a good nib I want to reuse.

Tim

 

I am in accord with this. Every time you disassemble something, there is a bit of wear and tear on the materials. The fewer times you disassemble something, the less wear and tear and longer life. Every time you unscrew something you get closer to stripped threads. Every time you punch out the nib and feed, boil out the nib and feed or nuke the nib and feed, the closer you are to material stress leading to material failure. The more times you nuke a section, the closer you come to a cracked section from material stress.

 

Everybody loves to play with their hobby items, particularly when the hobby is new. The hobbyist wants to take it apart to see what it looks like under the guise of cleaning or maintenance. However, the fewer times you take things apart, the less chance there is for a mischance. If it isn't broke, please do not fix it.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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You might want to use an "ultrasonic" cleaner with just a drop of ammonia (pure with no chemical additives) and put in in for five or ten minutes. A while back I bought a bunch of old Esterbrook screw in nibs (1550, 2668, 2988, 9550, 9556, and maybe some others) on the bay. I am finally getting around to cleaning them to sell cheaply at a pen show in Boston in September.

 

Using the ultrasonic cleaner today for 10-15 minutes without ammonia cleaned a LOT OF DIRT or whatever from these nibs. It was easy to do and although I had previously soaked them in water w/ a little dish washing detergent I was VERY surprised at the dirt that remained after that initial cleaning.

 

Finally, depending on the specific nibs there are two small "tabs" that have to be "overcome" in order for the nib and feed to be removed intact. A VERY knowledgeable and experienced friend advised the careful use of a heat gun and a knock-out block in order to take it apart. As he is an engineer by trade he also noted that the type of plastic used will resume its original shape (with the two protruding plastic tabs).

 

So please keep us informed.

Edited by brgmarketing

“Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today, because if you do it today and like it, you can do again tomorrow!”

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