52 1/2V Repair Questions---How To Pull Off The Section?

[tommy1994]

Hello,

I 've received a pen from ebay and i think i have to check the sac condition before i do anything to it.

it should be a woodgrain hard rubber?

My question is that ,i seems not able to pull off the section.It might be shellacked in place?

Is it a good idea to use hairdryer to heat it?

thanks

 

 

Edited August 6, 2013 by tommy1994

[balson]

yes, a hairdryer or heat gun is advisable for opening pens of all types. the biggest thing to watch out for is using too much pressure when trying to yank the section out. if the pen will still not open after heating and pulling, put it away for a couple days and try again later. another tool that is helpful for removing the section is something to aid with gripping the pen. some people use a rubber hose tube from a hardware store, i use foam rubber shelf liners. many people find special rubber coated section plyers helpful as well.

[Azura]

Seems like a flex nib~~

[tommy1994]

yes,that's a flex nib

[tommy1994]

should i soap it in tap water?

[Ron Z]

Don't soak the pen. It's hard rubber, and the water is likely to discolor the rubber. Soaking also won't do anything if there is shellac on the section. Remember, shellac is what you use to attach a sac because it's water resistant, fills the gaps, and keeps the ink from leaking, so soaking won't do anything to soften the shellac and release the section.

 

Use heat to release the section and prevent the rubber of the barrel from cracking. Heat will also soften the shellac if it was used to secure the section in the barrel. Since it is hard rubber you can use far more heat than you would on a celluloid pen. Don't get so close to a heat gun that you burn the pen, but it can get quite warm, close to being hot.

 

You really do want to use section pliers to get the section out. Simply wrapping some foam shelf liner aound the section and using regular pliers isn't safe. They can cut through and gouge the section. I've seen it far too often. But you don't have to buy spark plug pliers if you don't want to. Take a look at my articles on cheap tools on how to make your own.

[tommy1994]

great i have pulled it off from the barrel

is that normal in the picture?it isn't straight

so,what's next?should i pull the lever to check the filler condition before i install a sac?

many thanks

 

[tommy1994]

is that normal inside the barrel? =_=

or i just got a missing lever filler?

[Ron Z]

Nothing incorrect in either picture. Waterman pens do not have a J-bar, simply the pressure bar attached to the lever. The feed is centered - it just is cut away a bit on the underside at the inside end.

Don't forget to remove all of the old sac from the sac nipple before you attach the new sac, use orange shellac to secure and seal.

I would recommend doing a bit of research before working on a pen so that you understand the manufacturers quirks. Even experienced repair guys need to dig for information! Richard Binder's site has lots of "under the hood" diagrams, and information about repairs. I also recommend the Marshall/Oldfield book on repairing pens (I have both editions). Excellent resources that help you figure things out. There are also reprints of the manufacturers original repair manuals available.

Here's a picture of my reference library. I still go digging in it after about 2 1/2 decades of repairing pens....

http://www.mainstreetpens.com/pix/referenceshelf.jpg

[tommy1994]

thanks for the advice.i still have a lot of think that i need to learn about vintage pens.We dont have many way to buy or obtain any information about fountain pens here as there are none fountain pen repair people in hong kong.

I will do more research next time,thanks

[rpk1204]

I have one of these pens as well, so I'm glad to see all the advice and to know its not a threaded section!