Someone Pressed On Nib Too Hard

[VladDracule]

Hello all,

 

Monday a coworker of mine grabbed my pilot Vanishing Point while i wasnt paying attention, and pressed too hard on the nib, even said that ink sprayed out.

 

The tines dont visibly look bent, and there doesnt seem to be any seperation from the feed, however it seems to skip alot, especially when writing in print.

 

The tines do seem more "spread apart" than they used to be, is there any easy way to correct this? is the spreading of the tines the reason for the skipping even?

I dont mind the wetter flow that seemed to come as a result but i DEFINITELY mind the skipping

[TimGirdler]

Yes, there is a way to correct it. However, without seeing the pen, I don't know what I can do.

 

You can contact me through my website below if you'd like.

 

Blessings,

 

Tim

[rochester21]

You can try this(but i`m not liable for the possible destruction of your pen): turn the pen with the nib upside down and gently press on it while executing a semi-circular motion(rocking motion)- on paper, of course, This may hep the tines get back on their original position. Don`t press too hard though, as you will bent the tines in the opposite direction. You can also use a loupe to see what you`re doing.

Another possible way to do it, in conjunction with the first, is to very gently grab the nib from each side(left-right) and apply some light pressure to both sides in the same time, to correct the angle of the tines.

These sort of operations work best with a stiff nib.

 

If i contacted someone every time i`ve seen a bent nib/misaligned nib, i would have spent a fortune on repairs. Of course, not all people are handy(or crazy) like me

Edited July 18, 2013 by rochester21

[provis]

Are the nibs sprung? For a stiff nib, the ends of the tines should touch in order for capillary action to take place and transfer ink to paper. Otherwise, skipping will happen.

 

It might not be visible to the naked eye, so if you have a loupe nearby, take a look at the nib through that.

 

Or if you have a powerful camera, use the macro function and zoom in on the nib.

 

I wouldn't recommend turning the nib upside down and pressing on it down - this could bend the nibs unnatrually downward and cause more problems later on.

[Indy_Pen_Dance]

It is quite possible to fix this type of nib and in fact I have done several of them. The tines at the tip should have about a .025mm gap in them so that the ink can flow to the paper properly. If this gap has become too wide the pen will be cranky at best and won't write at all at worst. Capillary action takes ink to the smallest point along its path. It this point is anywhere above where the nib actually touches the paper, then the pen isn't going to write right. Richard Binder has written up the process to fix this type of situation, however if you aren't comfortable working on the nib or working with the smaller size nibs it might be something you want to send to one of us here on FPN that does repairs and nib work. If you feel comfortable taking on the nib yourself, just remember that you can easily cause further problems if you push the nib too far while trying to close the gap.

 

This is the way Richard trained me and I would suggest you give the following a try -

 

Hold the pen horizontally, nib pointing away and facing upward. Place your thumb under the feed for support and put your finger on one tine right at the end of the feed. You can still press down, even with the resistance of the feed, and need to press this tine down and in until it clicks under the other tine. Repeat the procedure on the other side of the nib for the other tine. CHECK the gap and see if it is where you want it, if not repeat until you get the gap where you want it. (Richard Binder's method)

 

Remember, don't close the tines completely. As Richard has said many times - two things can't be in the same place so if you have the tines touching the ink can't be there too. (ok, so I paraphrased that I'm sure.)

 

Hope this helps, but if you need anything else feel free to send me a note and we can talk about what is going on.

 

Kindly,

Linda

 

 

[studiohead]

Linda and Tim are correct, but, make sure to take the nib unit out of the body before performing any of these repairs.

[tguk911]

Are the nibs sprung? For a stiff nib, the ends of the tines should touch in order for capillary action to take place and transfer ink to paper. Otherwise, skipping will happen.

 

It might not be visible to the naked eye, so if you have a loupe nearby, take a look at the nib through that.

 

Or if you have a powerful camera, use the macro function and zoom in on the nib.

 

I wouldn't recommend turning the nib upside down and pressing on it down - this could bend the nibs unnatrually downward and cause more problems later on.

The VP nibs spring very easily so I would also make sure this also not the case because sometimes it can be hard to see and this is usually something that cannot be fully fixed since the metal has gone beyond it's point of no return. I think your safest bet would be to send it off the Pilots repair facility in FL because the warranty is void if altered by a third party.