How To Semi-Protect A Wooden Pen

[beanbag]

Hello folks,

 

This question isn't about pen making, but I figured this was the best forum to ask on.

 

I have one of those Maple wood fountain pens from Pilot. For what I read on the internet, it is an un-coated wood, so it is supposed to slowly get "darker and richer" just due to your hand oils. Well, the thing is I don't want my grubby hand oils on this pen. (Plus, wouldn't it look funny with dark and light spots where I don't ever touch the pen?) Anyway, I would like to somehow semi-protect this pen, including making it resistant to ink stains. Yet I don't want to completely seal the pen, with some kind of a lacquer or clear coat. I still want the feel of the wood, and not a slick surface. A couple of suggestions I ran across were:

 

tung oil

wax (Usually Renaissance is mentioned, but I only have carnauba car wax)

maybe some other chemical?

 

I also don't want to turn the pen totally glossy either.

 

Thanks for any suggestions.

[Pickwick]

There is a forum in FPN discussing your pen, if you go on the internet and key in Pilot Maplewood fountain pen you will find it. The member is from Japan and he explains how the wood is treated before making your pen, He also recommends rubbing the whole pen with your hand on a frequent basis to produce a rich patina.

[Jamesbeat]

A good substitute for renaissance wax is Johnson's paste wax (for floors). Car waxes often (but not always) contain a mild abrasive.

 

I think wax might make the pen feel odd though, maybe try some on a cheap wooden dowel first to see if you can live with it.

 

I'd say the best option for how you describe wanting the wood to feel is linseed oil. You'll still feel the wood almost as if it's not there.

Wipe it on, then wipe it off again.

Leave it for 24 hours to cure, then repeat about two or three more times.

 

Tung oil would be a close second, and I believe has the advantage of drying faster than linseed oil, though I have never used it myself.

Edited January 19, 2017 by Jamesbeat

[Pierre---]

Oil, to my opinion. The wax will not hold for long.

I use two or three layers, the first one diluted with turpentine to impregnate the wood deeper (I even dip it overnight usually), the last one pure. But I let it dry much longer than one day, say one week, more if I have time. I think there is no sense to add more oil to an oil that is not really dry, it doesn't add anything. And the shine will be better.

[Jamesbeat]

It is true that adding new oil over a layer that hasn't fully cured is not good.

The oil has to be very thin in order to cure (it polymerizes when exposed to oxygen) so if you go too fast it will just end up sticky.

 

Having said that, the old adage for linseed oil on shotgun stocks is 'Every day for a week, every week for a month, every month for a year, and every year thereafter'.

 

I found this worked well when I was restoring one of my shotguns; each of the first few layers only needed to cure for about 24 hours, but by the end of the first week I could tell that it would have started to become sticky if I had continued to do it every day.

 

As Pierre said above, thinning the first coat will help it penetrate.

 

You won't need to go this far with a pen though, I'd say three to four coats should do it, just wipe on then wipe off in order to leave a very thin coat.

Leave it somewhere in the open to dry. If you put it in an enclosed space it will not get enough oxygen.

 

I feel that I should give a warning here too - linseed oil on rags can spontaneously combust due to the exothermic reaction as it oxidizes.

Make sure to soak any used rags in water and put them in a plastic bag before disposal.

 

I actually used toilet paper and flushed it afterwards.

This left a little lint on the finish, but I was able to wipe it off with my hands.

Edited January 20, 2017 by Jamesbeat

[Pickwick]

It is true that adding new oil over a layer that hasn't fully cured is not good.

The oil has to be very thin in order to cure (it polymerizes when exposed to oxygen) so if you go too fast it will just end up sticky.

 

Having said that, the old adage for linseed oil on shotgun stocks is 'Every day for a week, every week for a month, every month for a year, and every year thereafter'.

 

I found this worked well when I was restoring one of my shotguns; each of the first few layers only needed to cure for about 24 hours, but by the end of the first week I could tell that it would have started to become sticky if I had continued to do it every day.

 

As Pierre said above, thinning the first coat will help it penetrate.

 

You won't need to go this far with a pen though, I'd say three to four coats should do it, just wipe on then wipe off in order to leave a very thin coat.

Leave it somewhere in the open to dry. If you put it in an enclosed space it will not get enough oxygen.

 

I feel that I should give a warning here too - linseed oil on rags can spontaneously combust due to the exothermic reaction as it oxidizes.

Make sure to soak any used rags in water and put them in a plastic bag before disposal.

 

I actually used toilet paper and flushed it afterwards.

This left a little lint on the finish, but I was able to wipe it off with my hands.

 

From what I've been reading about this Pilot pen, the wood has been impregnated with a resin before turning. If this is the case would your recommendations have a detrimental effect with regard to penetration and merely end up on the surface, which might cause problem's with handling?

[Jamesbeat]

Hmm, it's difficult to say.

If it was completely impregnated with resin, how does it absorb oils from your hands?

If it was impregnated before it was turned, how deep did the resin penetrate the wood? Was any of the resin lost when the outer layer was removed during turning?

 

I'd contact the manufacturer for advice before applying any extra finish.

[Pickwick]

Hmm, it's difficult to say.

If it was completely impregnated with resin, how does it absorb oils from your hands?

If it was impregnated before it was turned, how deep did the resin penetrate the wood? Was any of the resin lost when the outer layer was removed during turning?

 

I'd contact the manufacturer for advice before applying any extra finish.

 

From what I've gathered the resin was injected with a hypodermic needle but didn't specify how far the resin penetrated into the wood. You are right it would be advisable to contact Pilot before proceeding with any treatment.

 

If you key in Pilot Maplewood fountain pen on the internet you will find the FPN member who is from Japan extensively reviews the making of this pen. I don't know how to make a link.

[beanbag]

I don't think Pilot USA deals with wooden pens. Who can I contact?

 

I've been reading about Formby's Tung oil finish, which is technically not a pure tung oil, but is called a finishing varnish. I think it dries a lot faster than tung oil, but doesn't penetrate as deep.

Edited January 22, 2017 by beanbag

[Pickwick]

I don't think Pilot USA deals with wooden pens. Who can I contact?

 

I've been reading about Formby's Tung oil finish, which is technically not a pure tung oil, but is called a finishing varnish. I think it dries a lot faster than tung oil, but doesn't penetrate as deep.

 

You are implying that you haven't contacted Pilot USA. Their website has a technical help phone line. Give them a call!

[Parker51]

My suggestion may sound odd, but I suggest Udderly Smooth Udder Cream. It will change the color of your pen somewhat, so test an inconspicuous spot first to see if the color change bothers you and don't treat the pen if it does, but if you like the result, rub the pen with the cream and it will allow you to keep the wood from drying out and help limit the transmission of you skin oils to the pen in an uneven manner. The nice thing about using Udder Cream is it won't stain what you let the wood of the pen touch once it is rubbed into the pen, the udder cream won't hurt your hands, if anything it will help them and it is not only gentle, it is environmentally safe and won't generate nasty rags needing to be disposed of. It will need to be reapplied occasionally, but it's cheap, safe, quick and easy to apply.

[Pickwick]

My suggestion may sound odd, but I suggest Udderly Smooth Udder Cream. It will change the color of your pen somewhat, so test an inconspicuous spot first to see if the color change bothers you and don't treat the pen if it does, but if you like the result, rub the pen with the cream and it will allow you to keep the wood from drying out and help limit the transmission of you skin oils to the pen in an uneven manner. The nice thing about using Udder Cream is it won't stain what you let the wood of the pen touch once it is rubbed into the pen, the udder cream won't hurt your hands, if anything it will help them and it is not only gentle, it is environmentally safe and won't generate nasty rags needing to be disposed of. It will need to be reapplied occasionally, but it's cheap, safe, quick and easy to apply.

 

If its main constituent is lanolin then a piece of wool from a sheep fleece would probably work much better.

[Oruc Gazi Kutluer]

Rubbing cold-pressed linseed oil gives great surface, and secures the wood. It needs a few days for a good penetration into the wood. Just rub the surface two-times a day and wait at least 6 hours between the coats. you will be mesmarized after 2-3 days

 

Linseed oil is also healthy and nutrituous for your hands

[mmg122]

Maurizio at Grifos Pen Company recommends bees wax for wooden pens. I've used it on a bog oak pen and an olivewood pen and it's been great. Protects the wood while retaining the wood feel and natural appearance.

[beanbag]

Pilot USA said they would forward my question to Pilot Japan.

[Pickwick]

Maurizio at Grifos Pen Company recommends bees wax for wooden pens. I've used it on a bog oak pen and an olivewood pen and it's been great. Protects the wood while retaining the wood feel and natural appearance.

 

As has already been stated the wood used by Pilot had already been injected with a resin before machining, How far this resin has penetrated, the pen may not accept any other treatment than what was recommended by Pilot. It would be better for the OP to obtain advice from Pilot before going ahead with any kind of treatment.

[beanbag]

Update: I heard back from Pilot Japan, which disappointingly was the standard response of "don't do anything, let your grubby hand oils darken it."

 

Instead, I used a product called Formby's Tung oil finish, which is technically not a pure tung oil, but is closer to a penetrating varnish that leaves very thin layers. I got the low gloss version to maintain the original wood look and not turn it into a deep and glossy object.

 

I added just one layer, and it only changed the pen's look slightly. It's not so much that it's slightly darker, but more like it removed the appearance that the wood looks pale and dried-out. In terms of feel, the pen still has the wood texture, but is slightly smoother, i.e. a bit more like plastic. Based on advice from Formby's, I also lightly rubbed the pen with 0000 (4 zeros) steel wool to bring back more of the wood feel. I would say the feel changed from raw wood into wood lightly sanded with fine sandpaper.

 

So far, I am pleased with the results, as the pen is much more resistant to sweat stains.

Edited February 12, 2017 by beanbag

[Cryptos]

Does anyone know if this kind of approach is required for the Platinum Izumo Tagayasan?

[beanbag]

What I would do is put a drip of water on the pen, wait 20 seconds, and wipe it off. If it leaves a spot, that means that water can soak in, so you might think of protecting it. Just for reference, I have another wooden pen, the Platinum Briar, and it doesn't seem to need any treatment.

Edited February 13, 2017 by beanbag

[corgicoupe]

I don't think Pilot USA deals with wooden pens. Who can I contact?

 

I've been reading about Formby's Tung oil finish, which is technically not a pure tung oil, but is called a finishing varnish. I think it dries a lot faster than tung oil, but doesn't penetrate as deep.

Formby's contains no tung oil. It does not penetrate the wood, but sit on the surface. It is a varnish thinned with mineral spirits. See Flexner on Finishing, by Bob Flexner.

Edited February 15, 2017 by corgicoupe