Dried Out Sacs In Osmiroid 65...

[shiaokun]

Hello all,

 

Newbie here. I have three Osmiroid 65 pens with dried out sacs. I have been soaking them in water to unscrew them. Two out of three are loose now and this is what i got: please see the attached picture.

 

my questions:

 

1. Any other method other than water soaking to loose the third pen and expose the sac?

 

2. How to clean out the dried sac bits inside the pens? (I am using a thin wood stick which seems working to clear out the chunks...)

 

3. You can see the dried out sac bottom is completely stuck. Any solution to soften it?

 

Appreciate any help. Thanks in advance.

Edited August 3, 2012 by shiaokun

[Chi Town]

Yes there is another method..... Heat. Use either a heat gun or a hair dryer, and be very carefull when using the first one! Your better off using the 2nd one and use it in increments while turning the pen, your fingers will be able to tell when the heat is too hot!. at that point twist the section off and it should move. You also will find that you won't have the mess inside from the water to deal with. Then you can use a pair of twisers to pull out the old garbage that is left inside the barrell.

Now, for the other two barrells that have all the junk that is left inside them, do you have some tweezers around the house that you can use? If not you may need to go to Harbor Freight Tools and get a set of dental pic's for about 4.00 to scrape out what is left inside of those barrells. You can also find those tools at Hobby Lobby or Michaels, but they may be a bit more.....While you are at it, if you go to harbor Freight, pick up a pen light so that you can see inside the barrell to be able to tell if you got all the junk out.

[shiaokun]

Mike,

 

Thanks for the post and ideas. Luckily after further soaking the third one came loose as well. I am going to give the heat treatment a try once I re-sack them though. They are still very tight to screw on/off.

 

I used some DIY tools (LOL!) to clean out the junk. The first one was easy. The completely dried out sac has turned into flakes. No such luck with the second (dried out but sort of stuck inside) and the third (still retains certain elasticity but it's obviously not ink-worthy).

 

The summary picture attached.

 

Yes, two wood coffee stir sticks and a paper clip. I can see that I'd need some proper tools if I am to do this on a regular basis.

 

The red mark is how "deep" once I cleaned out everything.

 

Still soaking the three nibs (like the one pictured above) with dried out sac/cement. They have become brittle and I think given a few hours more I should be able to clear them.

[sera0516]

Just to give a bit of encouragement: I have put new sacs in 2 of these pens and now they work beautifully and I really enjoy them. Good luck.

[shiaokun]

Thanks! Can you tell me the correct sac size? I "think" it's the 16 but would like to make sure. Again, these are the 65 pens with big font markings.

[PDW]

AFAIK 18 is the 'correct' size, but you risk twisting it as you screw the section back in, so I tend to use 16s these days.

 

Sorry if I'm stating what you already know, but use plenty of talc on the new sac to lubricate it as it goes back in and, yes, heat helps the section go back but you might still need (just a little) brute force.

 

Good luck.

[shiaokun]

Thanks, and no I didn't know to use talc as lubricant. These three pens are my first work.

 

Today's progress: removing all three dried-out sac bottoms from the pens. Now need to shop for sacs and supplies...

[PDW]

I've found that the remaining ring of dead sac on a section can be easier to remove after soaking the section in cool water for a while. Don't know why it should work, but it does.

 

If you haven't yet, read a tutorial on this repair, such as http://www.pentrace.net/penbase/Data_Returns/full_article.asp?id=50 starting from 'Sac Selection and Installation'.

 

A final thought - Osmiroids are unusual in that the section screws in to the barrel rather than being a press fit - you need to be sure to keep shellac away from the threads on the section. If it gets on the threads while fitting the sac, wipe it off immediately, or you might have problems reassembling the pen.

 

A final, final thought - make sure a nib is fitted in the section before screwing the section into the barrel. If you try to fit the section without a nib, there's a chance that the section will collapse or split as you put pressure on it.

 

Good luck!

[shiaokun]

thanks for the link to the tutorial. i've also found a how-to post in the Esterbrook forum which is very helpful and clear as well.

 

and thanks for the warning on leaving the nib in when putting things together. i've never thought about the danger of crushing the barrel...so much to learn...

[PDW]

and thanks for the warning on leaving the nib in when putting things together. i've never thought about the danger of crushing the barrel...so much to learn...

 

Not the barrel - it's the section that's vulnerable. I first saw this advice for an Esterbrook, which has the same removable nib fitting.

[ErinneM]

Hi there,

 

I got an Osmiroid italic pen when I was in the 4th grade (1970) stupidly, I pulled the lever and it crackled and so I rinsed the entire pen - and what looked like hard plastic pieces fell out - I can take the nib off, but I can't open the barrel and I think - after reading here - that I broke the sac. I think this was an inexpensive pen at the time - awarded for good penmanship - but I love it and would like to fix it! Are there replacement sacs for pens such as these?

 

Thank you,

Erinne

 

[Pentode]

Normally I wouldn't suggest warm water, but the plastics in Osmiroid pens are pretty sturdy and stable. Because of that, I'd say warm water is a safer heat source than either a heat gun or hair dryer-for these pens, at least.

 

A #16 sac would be a safe bet for these. They'll hold a few drops less ink than an #18 but they're a lot less likely to bind.

 

Make sure to use pure talc only - no baby powder or scented talc. It makes a difference. Baby powder contains oils that can cause the rubber sac to break down.

 

The threaded sections on Osmiroid pens shouldn't need to be sealed with anything so once you've gotten them removed and cleaned you shouldn't need any heat to put them back on. The threads might feel a little tight if the plastic's shrunk a bit, but you should be okay.

 

To remove the broken sac from the barrel your homemade tools are as good as any. Coffee stirrers, dental tools, manicure tools... whatever gets the job done is the right tool. Just be careful not to crack the barrel.

 

When removing the neck of the sac from the section nipple I often use a razor blade or Exacto knife as a scraper, but they're often so crumbly I can just use a small screwdriver or my fingernail. You may need to use an abrasive to clean the shellac remnants off the nipple and fine emery boards work well for that.

 

Always proceed thoughtfully and slowly and have fun!