Hazy Estie Finish

[devaldez]

After reading several articles and posts, I successfully removed my section from my barrel using off-boil water. I'm guessing that the water was around 190. It was a brief dip and I was successful. HOWEVER, there is now a significant whitish discoloration mottled along the barrel, roughly equivalent in character to frost. Did I just expose something done by a previous owner or was I dumb with the water? If you've experienced this, did you cure it and how?

 

Sigh...I'm hoping I at least resolved the major leakage problem so I have an excellent writer again.

[Brian Anderson]

Repeat after me... Never use hot water. Never use hot water. Dry heat or cold water only.

 

Try using simicrome and see if it polishes off.

 

Brian

[777]

I can only further repeat what Brian said. Hot water is an evil substance when touched to a pen.

 

I think simichrome should do the trick! It seems to work for everything on pens!

 

I hope your Estie turns out alright... Good luck on the polishing.

 

Regards,

777

[FarmBoy]

Repeat after me... Never use hot water. Never use hot water. Dry heat or cold water only.

 

Try using simicrome and see if it polishes off.

 

Brian

I've heard that somewhere.

 

You oxidized the surface of the section. It is made of rubber.

 

Harsh polishing should take the haze off. I suggest polishing while not in the barrel. Gunk in the threads and all that.

[watchin]

Black Hard Rubber does oxidize but it is just a thin surface layer. Micromesh or Simichrome (and some elbow grease) will return it to its shiny self.

-William-

[welch]

I use hot tap water to encourage an Estie section to separate from its barrel.

 

Once I tried a heat gun and got the same white spot. Won't use that heat gun on an innocent Estie. Boiling water is too hot. Incidentally, I also warped a P51 hood by dipping it into boiling water. Heat is risky. Heat is risky.

[Brian Anderson]

Without some form of heat you won't get past swapping out the nib. Even that sometimes requires heat if the ink has dried or someone has used india or higgins ink. Careful application of heat will restore many a pen. If the heat from the heat source causes the pen to be so hot you recoil from touching it, it is too hot. I always use the lowest setting, and I take my time. Heat a bit, pull away and feel the temperature, heat a bit, repeat. Also avoid keeping the pen in one position. Also, try to avoid putting pressure on the pen where you just applied heat. You can squash a dollar pen barrel if you grab right by the section to try and remove. I always pull form the end of the barrel where it is coolest and pull straight out.

 

P51 vac hoods are very soft, much more so than aerometrics. Slow and steady wins the race.

 

Brian