What is this, and what do I do with it???

[Ron Z]

When Dan Kirchheimer asked me on one occasion if I ever go walking around the hardware store looking for something that will help with repairs, I had to admit that I do indeed wander. "Can I help you find something sir?" they ask. Says I, "ah, no, you wouldn't understand!" Easier than trying to explain what I'm trying to do. :blink:

 

Taking ordinary objects and adapting them to help you with repairs can save time and money.

 

Like taking this thing:

What do you do with that?

Look here.....

 

OK, just for fun, what could you do with these? I do use them on a regular basis, for a number of different things. (You guys who went to the dinner at the DC show, don't give it away!) Let's hear some of your ideas. I'll tell what I use them for later on.....

 

(edited because I didn't read the preview carefully)(twice!)

[StanSoph]

Lettuce spinner for a centrifuge. Do I win a free bag of packaged Spinach ?

I think you use the chopsticks to catch flies.

Edited September 17, 2006 by StanSoph

[Johnny Appleseed]

Chopsticks can make a great knock-out rod.

 

I use bamboo skewers for a number of things, but #1 is to get twist-fillers into the barrel. I have one that is the perfect size for Chas Ingersoll's. I also use them to scrape ink out of celluloid barrels.

 

John

[aunt rebecca]

hi ron,

 

ernestine,angelina olga and i conferred with the doodledandycomputer and it is obvious that you use the chopsticks to clean out your ears.

 

:ltcapd: :ltcapd: :ltcapd: :ltcapd: :ltcapd:

 

:roflmho: :roflmho: :roflmho: :roflmho: :roflmho:

 

:blink: :blink: :blink: :blink:

[pigpogm]

OK, I'll go for making an idiot of myself...

 

Is the fact that the chopsticks are on top of a page of scribbles a clue? Do you hold one on top and one below the nib, and use them for bending or straightening nibs? I'd imagine plastic or wooden chopsticks could do the job, without the same risk of damage metal pliers could bring.

 

I'm guessing that StanSoph is right about the salad spinner as a centrifuge.

 

I had a bad enough experience at a large hardware store asking for shellac. They'd never heard of it, so the first thing they asked was "What's it used for?"

 

I had no idea.

 

They suggested Copydex instead.

 

I politely declined.

 

Got it in the end, from Ian at Cathedral Pens (in the UK).

[Oxonian]

Hi Ron & Co,

 

It sounds as if John A and I went to the same school of pen repair.

 

I use chop sticks and wooden skewers for a whole range of things. chopsticks make a good support for nib work, you can find a bit of the chopstick just about the right size to fit under any nib when giving it a polish or a gentle tine reset.

 

Knockout rods as John says.

 

You can get bits of recalcitrant Sheaffer sac out from the inside of metal sac guards with them.

 

The butt end of chopstick is the ideal thing to hold the inner cap on a 51 still and in place while the clip screw is set and before the clutch is fitted.

 

I have never tried it, but rolled up Parker vac diaphragms and long barrels spring to mind, they look as though they would do a good job of getting them to where they need to be.

 

There are a whole list of things that they can be used for including as Aunt Rebecca says cleaning your ears. :blink:

 

But as to what Ron does with them I haven't a clue and as this is an open forum I think that this is not the place to speculate although seeing as he appears to have given a demonstration in a restaurant perhaps it is not too off the wall.

 

Awaiting enlightenment. Cheers John

[Ron Z]

Good guesses so far, and one came pretty darn close. The fact that it's on top of a pad with scribbles just happens to be because I was too lazy to move the pad. THAT I use for testing flow and smoothness of nibs.

 

I don't use them for cleaning my ears. Ernst might, which could explain some of the confusion at MT.

 

BTW, a possible use was suggested in a thread a week or two ago, having to do with a nib that got scrunched in a cap.

[Oxonian]

Hi Ron,

How about for checking clearances inside the inner cap, how much the section can be shortened to allow the threads to catch?

 

Watch for soon to be published '101 uses for a Chopstick'

 

Cheers John

[philm]

Do you use the chopsticks in a vise as a vertical holder of pen caps and sections when polishing them or (I don't want to startup a reblackening argument here) re-blackening or reinvigorating the color? Just a guess based on what I do with wooden rods. Next time I go get sushi, I will have to pick up some free ones

[wimg]

First thing that came to mind: burnishing nibs. I think the clue you gave about the damaged nib was the clincher...

 

Warm regards, Wim

[Gerry]

With tissue/cloth, can be used to clean out caps, would be useful to push an inner cap into place if it weren't set deep enough into the cap, pushing feeds either into the section - or out, installing J-bars, Parker vacumatic pellet pusher, could use one to nudge the barrel o-ring into place or push the lever bar spring into its groove, pushing cap bands into place, straightening cap clips (adjusting to press against cap), pushing out Estie jewels etc. etc. etc.

 

For some of the uses above, the size or shape might have to be altered to suit.

 

Regards,

 

Gerry

[SMG]

Ok, Ron pretty much gave it away there. The chopsticks are for checking the depth of the inner cap so that you can ensure that you do not munch a nib when you have reset it.

 

There is, I believe, another iteration of this tool that I saw in Toronto at the pen show. A good tool to have if you reset alot of nibs.

 

Thanks for the interesting quizz Ron.

 

Cheers,

SG

[Ron Z]

There really is no right answer for this one..... I use mine most of the time to help me invert diaphragms for vacumatics, but also to hold pen caps or barrels in my stand while solvents dry. But it also gets other uses as you can see...

 

Burnishing nibs, measuring inner cap depth (I hadn't thought of this one until it was mentioned a couple of weeks ago), setting "O" rings in Sheaffer TD/snorkels, pushing "J" bars into place, a punch to knock out feeds. The bamboo chopsticks are tougher than dowels, easier on things than a steel rod.

 

I just wanted to see how well we think outside of the box when repairing pens, and look for things that you can adapt to your needs! Good job on round 1!

 

I've got more of these up my sleeve that I'll post over the next week or two

[Maja]

Great thread, Ron! Some excellent ideas there....

 

Looking forward to the next edition of What Is This, and What Do I Do With It???

[aunt rebecca]

hi ron,

 

btw nothing smaller than your elbow should go into your ears!!

 

looking forward to other things that have multiple uses in pen repair.

 

have fun....regards to robyn, and the boys.

 

people can eat with chopsticks...except me... :blink: :blink:

[Johnny Appleseed]

One question/comment on chopsticks,

 

Do you get special bamboo chopsticks from some resteraunts? I had read that most disposable chopsticks were made from Aspen (and primarily old-growth Aspen at that).

 

John

[kissing]

You're all WRONG

 

How can you all not see the obvious? It is a TRICK question

 

The Salad mixer is used to prepare a pasta salad, and the chopsticks is used to eat it course !!

http://www.robsworld.org/chopsticks1.gif

 

:bonk:

[Johnny Appleseed]

And Ron, of course you know that the salad spinner is much less effective than than the steam-powered pen cleaner developed at MT, as seen in this post - Link.

 

Of course, the salad spinner is about $37,000 cheaper. . .

 

John

Edited September 19, 2006 by Johnny Appleseed

[Ron Z]

And Ron, of course you know that the salad spinner is much less effective than than the steam-powered pen cleaner developed at MT, as seen in this post - Link.

 

Of course, the salad spinner is about $37,000 cheaper. . .

 

John

I do realise that! But for all of $12, what do you want?

The problemis that I don't have the research department or the staff that MT does. Of course, neither do I have the expenses of certain beverages for lubricating either.

 

I rather liked Andy's lawn mower powered one. A little hard on the pens, and those who send their pens in for repair might not appreciate the slight wear to the nib. But hey, that's the price of advances in science.

 

Funny thing though. I bought the salad spinner in Marshalls last spring, and I haven't seen a single one in the local stores since then. Do you think the word got out??? :ph34r:

[aunt rebecca]

hi ron,

 

no, i think the government recalled them--something about dangers to fingers placed in little dohickies while said salad spinner is operating at top speed.

 

:ltcapd: :ltcapd: :ltcapd: :ltcapd: :ltcapd:

 

:roflmho: :roflmho: :roflmho: :roflmho: