How do you fix it?

[LDB415]

I bought a J from ebay from an apparently widely known seller. I started using it tonight and after an hour or so noticed the section is loose, just friction fit into the body. I pulled it out out of curiosity and the sac slid easily out and then back in. I didn't touch the sac, not wanting to get any skin oils on it in case that is detrimental. Anyway, I can email the seller and see about warranty but thought if it was simple enough I'd try fixing it myself.

[RayMan]

I use a thin coat of clear nail polish to tighten sections, and let it dry completely before trying to friction fit it again. One coat is usually enough. You can always sand off the excess if you apply too much nail polish.

[ZeissIkon]

I use a thin coat of clear nail polish to tighten sections, and let it dry completely before trying to friction fit it again. One coat is usually enough. You can always sand off the excess if you apply too much nail polish.

 

Recommendations I've seen suggest substituting shellac for nail polish in the above, all details left otherwise untouched. Note that this is applied to the section boss, not inside the barrel.

[OcalaFlGuy]

Leo, there's a perfectly fine down and dirty way to do it and a better "more professional" way of correcting this.

 

If I were you, honestly, I wouldn't send the pen back for that. The quick and easypeasy method is to cut a narrow maybe 1/8" wide strip of GOOD Scotch tape, (not the crappy stuff) and start with just ONE wrap around the section maybe 1/4" down from the retaining ridge. That should thicken it up enough to hold it fine. It's your pen, no one will know it's there but you and YOU won't be able to see it. Remember it's just a friction fit, it's not like there HAS TO BE some airtight fit there for functionality.

 

Some sections are looser than others. For me, it's actually nice to have one "loose" enough that it will come out to work on with just a little effort and

not have to heat it. (But of course, there's also a bit too looser than that...)

 

The "better" more professional way to correct it is to paint the same 'bout 1/8-1/4" stripe of shellac around the section AND LET IT DRY THOROUGHLY *BEFORE* you put the section back in. In effect, you are building up the section just a hair, EXACTLY like you would do with the tape. (You DON'T WANT TO "GLUE" the section in with wet shellac!) <FWIW, I just had to do this yesterday, it's no big deal, but I DID let the shellac dry overnight too.>

 

PS Just be sure and slide the sacced section back in straight without twisting or kinking the sac. While you have the section out, right before you put it back in, if you want and have changed nibs and the nib/fill lever orientation isn't even, you can also line that back up too while you're there.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

Edited August 17, 2009 by OcalaFlGuy

[LDB415]

OK, so it is supposed to be a friction fit then? I anticipated some sort of adhesive. That would be why it has a band around it that is shiny/wet looking but isn't. I think even I can manage to put another stripe around it and then work it back into the body once it's dried.

[LDB415]

Hmm.. I do have some good Scotch brand tape and might try that rather than buying shellac just for this. Now that I know friction fit is actually correct that helps too.

[Artie]

Hmm.. I do have some good Scotch brand tape and might try that rather than buying shellac just for this. Now that I know friction fit is actually correct that helps too.

 

Nail polish or lacquer is better than shellac for this kind of repair. But first make sure that the reason it is loose is not because there is a hairline crack in the barrel.

[OcalaFlGuy]

Shellac is a recognized item for pen repair. Nail polish and other lacquers aren't. I'd rather NOT have nail polish anywhere near any of my celluloid whether it's dry or not.

 

Just my .02, use whatever you want on YOUR pens.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[scutterdav]

Shellac is a recognized item for pen repair. Nail polish and other lacquers aren't. I'd rather NOT have nail polish anywhere near any of my celluloid whether it's dry or not.

 

Just my .02, use whatever you want on YOUR pens.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

 

 

Agreed. I would stay away from nail polish and stick with shellac.

[LDB415]

I think rather than nail polish or shellac I'll go with Scotch (tape).

[OcalaFlGuy]

I think it would work just as well and you wouldn't have to wait for it to dry. Again, I'd use just a narrow 1/8" of so strip of it so you can keep it nice

and flat to the section. You can always add more if it's still loose but I think 1 wrap around should do it.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[FarmBoy]

Some random thoughts:

 

Nail polish is mostly acetone.

Shellac is the traditional way of snugging up a section.

I often see Esties show up with a thin slip of paper holding the section tight.

Section sealant would do the trick as well.

Cracks in the threads are bad.

 

EDIT:

 

Todd

Edited August 17, 2009 by FarmBoy

[ZeissIkon]

Nail polish is mostly acetone.

 

And in case that wasn't obvious enough, many older nail polish formulae had nitrocellulose as their primary solute. As in, first cousin to the celluloid on the pen. A thinner that will dissolve nitrocelullose is probably unwelcome near celluloid, unless you're trying to solvent weld a crack...

[Readymade]

I pulled it out out of curiosity and the sac slid easily out and then back in.

 

Hangonaminute - is the sac loose too? Or just the section?

 

Might want to check with a loupe that there're no cracks in the barrel threads. Sometimes cracks develop down the striping of the celluloid so they're easy to miss.

[LDB415]

I pulled it out out of curiosity and the sac slid easily out and then back in.

 

Hangonaminute - is the sac loose too? Or just the section?

 

Might want to check with a loupe that there're no cracks in the barrel threads. Sometimes cracks develop down the striping of the celluloid so they're easy to miss.

 

I don't think anything is cracked but couldn't say for certain... old eyes. Anyway, I'm going to try one wrap of Scotch tape and see what that does.

[pen2paper]

will the scotch tape be temporary? till you use the shellac?

wondering about the tacky stickem on the celluloid, unless its an inert material?

[Artie]

lacquer is very similar to the plastic used in older pens. That is why such a solvent will damage a pen and why a thin coat of it will not. It will permanently thicken the section while all the other methods mentioned are OK but they are temporary fixes. Unless I am mistaken, clear nail polish is also lacquer. Shellac is customary to use on the sac where it joins to the section because it can be removed when the sac wears out. In time it will crumble and fall off the section if used on the outside. If the section is hard rubber (I don't know if any Esterbrooks were) but if they are, shellac isn't a good choice for this job. Lacquer can also be used to thicken up the threads on a pen that won't tighten anymore.

[LDB415]

I envision the tape being a permanent fix. It will just build the diameter ever so slightly to make it a tight friction fit... I hope.

[pen2paper]

I envision the tape being a permanent fix. It will just build the diameter ever so slightly to make it a tight friction fit... I hope.

if this is a very nice example of an estie..then suggest you at least use archival tape, possibly 2 sided archival tape.. but then that will cost as much as the laquer/sealant, or more.

To those who repair Esties? when you find tape, (which has aged), as the space filler, has this affected the celluloid underneath?

[LDB415]

If my nicest pen is a 10 I'd rate this one about a 7-7.x or so. It's definitely nice enough with good jewels, no rust etc. but it's not the polished, shiny beauty my others are. I guess I'd call it a "good" example pen and a "great" user pen.