Shellac drying time?

[Farace]

Just a quick question: I just installed a new silicone ink sac in an Esterbrook that arrived in the mail today (I think they're multiplying . . .). How long should I let the shellac dry before levering some ink up in there?

 

Thanks!

 

[psfred]

At least half and hour. I'd wait several hours, if you can stand it, with a silicone sac.

 

Let us know how the silicone sac works out for you, I've been leaning that way myself.

 

Peter

[Phroneo]

 

I'm really conservative about things that need to dry if they are used as a type of glue, as in this case in which the shellac is used to hold the ink sac onto the section feed, or in such cases where the shellac is used to prevent ink from leaking around and through screw threads.(B-T-W, on Parker '51s' or almost any screw threads that separate ink from a dry area, I always use Tryphon's section sealant rather than shellac.) I always wait overnight before I put any stress - read that filling the pen with ink in this case - on the part being sealed. There is too much of a possibility of the ink finding, through pressure on a not quite dry area, a way to leak out if one doesn't wait long enough for it to dry.

 

My reasoning for this is that shellac is soft and it takes a long time for it to "dry" depending upon the relative humidity of one's work place. My next reason is that once I've taken the trouble to disassemble. clean, and fix the fountain pen, what difference does a few extra hours make just to be certain that the seal is dry and leak proof? Besides, I like the anticipation of being able to fill the pen the next day and know that I've a job well done.

 

Peace

[Gerry]

Actually, the drying time for shellac depends on a number of factors, such as age, temperature etc. Of course, overnight is conservative, but certainly no harm comes from giving it this time to dry completely. The half hour mentioned should normally be adequate, although this might not be enough if the shellac is old.

 

A very simple way of both determining the time to dry, and whether your shellac is reasonably fresh is to regularly test it by applying test strips in 15 (or 10 depending on the resolution you want) minute intervals (number determined by experience - say initially 4-6) to a clean non porous surface. Then wait 15 (or 10) minutes and test for tackiness.

 

You can alter the parameters to suit the expected or previously measured drying time.

 

Tracking the time every couple of months will give you a very good idea of whether the shellac is taking longer to set - a good measure of whether it is getting old. Outside of an increased drying time - age doesn't appear to have other negative effects, although perhaps very old shellac may exhibit other negative effects. Don't know for sure...

 

A mixture of white and orange shellac - and a more concentrated mixture - such as Giovanni sells will likelly have an extended shelf life.

 

You might consider replacing the shellac when the drying time has increased 50% or 100%, the choice is yours...

 

Regards,

 

Gerry