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twisted J bladder cure?

eli

By eli
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eli Mint

eli

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I pulled a balky Esterbrook J apart today only to discover the bladder is twisted and collapsed, so it interferes with filling and the lever action. It is still very supple and I believe it is fairly new, so I'd like to know how to restore the sac.

 

Cheers

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garythepenman Extremely Rare

garythepenman

Posted
Posted

Hi Eli,

 

I've never pulled one of these apart, does the section screw out of the barrel or is it just a tight fit ?.

 

When the sac is out is it normal or still twisted ?.

 

Sorry for the Q's, just trying to understand the problem.

 

Gary

A wizard is never late, he arrives precisely when he means to.

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Elaine Donor Pen

Elaine

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Even if the sac is still pliable it will probably have to be replaced. Try pulling the sac off. It should come away easily if it was installed properly. Once off, does it spring back to an open normal looking sac? If not, toss it. If it does, you still may want to toss it. I have reused sacs before, but it's generally not recommended. The next step is to go to Richard's Pen Site and follow his directions for replacing a sac. It's very easy, especially on an Esterbrook.

Edited by Elaine
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eli Mint

eli

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Thanks for the replies Gary, Elaine.

 

Gary, the section pulls apart. I had picked up spark plug pliers yesterday from Harbor freight ($3) and used those to grip the lower end of the barrel as I gently wiggled the section off. Other than a concern that I might crack or somehow deform the pen with this tool, it was fairly easy, though next time I'll apply heat first.

 

Elaine thanks for the information. I've bought a bunch of Esties, knowing several need new sacs before they get here, so ordering one more won't be a problem. I'll look over the link you pointed me to and I'm sure everything will be ok.

 

Thanks again and if someone else has something to contribute, jump right in; I’m growing very fond of the Esterbrooks and all tips and trivia are welcomed.

 

By-the-way, why are ‘J’s called ‘J’?

 

Cheers,

Eli

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tryphon Vintage

tryphon

Posted
Posted
By-the-way, why are ‘J’s called ‘J’?

 

Cheers,

Eli

Oooh, good question. Calling Brian Anderson!

Actually, the pressure bars are called "J" bars because of their shape!

See the attached picture from the Tryphon Catalog (imagine the bars upside down...)

http://tryphon.it/JB.jpg

http://s26.postimg.org/fp30mhy6x/signature.jpg

In punta di penna.....

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eli Mint

eli

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Posted (edited)

Actually I was wondering about the Esterbrooks pens’ name. Are they called 'J' for the action?

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Michael Wright Extremely Rare

Michael Wright

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One small tip from my limited experience. It helps to prevent a pen getting its sac in a twist if you sprinkle talcum powder on the outside of the sac before reassembling the pen. With an Esterbrook, you could, in principle, just push the section straight in, but IME it's often easier to use a twisting motion, and that's when a sac can get twisted.

 

Best

 

Michael

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garythepenman Extremely Rare

garythepenman

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Yes Michael,

 

My thoughts exactly. Your crystal ball must be working well today :lol:

 

Gary

A wizard is never late, he arrives precisely when he means to.

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Gerry Donor Pen

Gerry

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As mentioned earlier, it is likely the twisting action of 'screwing in' the section contributes to the twisting of the sac. Pushing straight in will generally avoid that, but if you prefer to twist to ease the section in, use a back and forth twisting action. If you note were the section aligns up when you start, and try to end up there you won't twist the sac by going back and forth.

 

A good alignment point is to use the nib as a reference point, or note the nib orientation when you start - align that with the lever (sort of gives you a nice symmetry to the pen anyway). Twisting back and forth and finally finishing with the nib still aligned with the lever should ensure no residual twist in the sac.

 

Talcum powder on the sac is recommended.

 

Check the J bar to ensure it is installed properly. It should remain pushed up against the lever and body of the pen at rest. Sometimes I have noticed an improperly installed one droops a fair bit, likely catching the sac when you install it.

 

A touch of sillicon grease where the lever slides along the J bar helps to finish a resac properly.

 

Enjoy.

 

Gerry

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