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Catching A Hairline Crack In Its Early Stages


ironwampa

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I have an open nib Sheaffer's Snorkel and there is a small crack in the section. So far the crack hasn't had any functional consequenses as would be expected of a snorkel. I was wondering if anyone had advice on how I can prevent the crack from becoming something significant.

Note to self: don't try to fix anything without the heat gun handy!

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STOP !

 

Put the Sheaffer safely into a secure container.

Email Ron Zorn. (Sorry, Ron, if this is outside your limits.)

He will do no harm, and I trust his work.

Auf freiem Grund mit freiem Volke stehn.
Zum Augenblicke dürft ich sagen:
Verweile doch, du bist so schön !

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  • 3 weeks later...

Check out 'Capt Tolley Creeping Crack Cure'. I've never used it, so it would need a bit of research, and proceed with caution - I mentally 'tagged' it in case I ever get a similar problem. It looks like it uses the capilliary action of the crack to fill the repair. Worth looking into at least - and maybe someone else here has a view.

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Check out 'Capt Tolley Creeping Crack Cure'. I've never used it, so it would need a bit of research, and proceed with caution - I mentally 'tagged' it in case I ever get a similar problem. It looks like it uses the capilliary action of the crack to fill the repair. Worth looking into at least - and maybe someone else here has a view.

 

I think this is used to prevent liquid seeping through a crack, so might be of use in an eyedropper. It will do nothing for repairing the crack, if that is what is required.

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Captain Tolleys is not the thing to use. It seals, but has no structural strength, and I am fairly certain will fail in this application.

 

Given the relatively low cost of the sections, in most cases it's more economical to replace it rather than have someone repair it for you. If you want to try repairing it, use a solvent for acrylic. You need something that contains methylene chloride. Tenax-7R, or the stuff sold at hobby stores made by Plastruct should work. Spread the crack gently so that there is a gap. Use a soft artists brush (natural bristle) to drop some solvent down in the crack. Let it close, hold it closed and set it aside for 24 to 48 hours. With this stuff the immediate strength is pretty high. It hits about 80% in the recommended time window, and then continues to strengthen over the the next few weeks. Blending the repair is the tricky part.

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Attempted the fix I think about 2 weeks ago. It turns out that the acrylic cements (containing acrylic) and acrylic solvents have really similar chemical names. Be very careful when picking your poison.

Note to self: don't try to fix anything without the heat gun handy!

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