Loctite Epoxy Plastic Bonder Glue

[MYU]

I have a very rare nib assembly from a vintage Capless fountain pen that unfortunately suffered terrible damage. The feed completely snapped, near the point where the feed goes into the metal assembly. I've been unable to source a replacement. Seeking out a candidate pen having cosmetic damage that's pointless to restore, but having an intact nib assembly, has been going nowhere.

 

I'm circling back to the idea of repair... and I understand that cyanoacrylate adhesives ("super glue") may be strong enough for the initial application but ends up compromised by sustained exposure to moisture from ink. But then I learned about Loctite Epoxy Plastic Bonder. This is supposed to provide all the strength and resilience of a quality epoxy while being very moisture resistant. I'm wondering if this might work. There's also a new PlasticWeld glue by JB Weld... but I'm not sure if it's appropriate.

 

Is this a futile pursuit, or has anyone here tried these glues to fix something like a feed?

[pajaro]

If you repair the feed, will ink penetrate through it, or will the adhesive make a barrier to ink passage?

 

It might be better to have patience and continue to search for a donor pen, or perhaps send the pen out for an expert opinion on the feasibility of a repair.

 

Sometimes I have searched for a year or more for a part or donor pen.

Edited April 25, 2017 by pajaro

[praxim]

I have not fixed a feed. I have had success (so far) with a cyanoacrylate repair to a section. CA is moisture resistant and to date has retained strength. The product you identified is superior in that regard, allowing continuous exposure to water. If you think you can control where the glue goes, and can devise a method of applying stable clamping force to the components for at least the longest period recommended by the manufacturer, then I would suggest give it a go ..... allowing it is not my pen.

[Chrissy]

I wouldn't have thought it was impossible to find a replacement feed for a Capless. Have you tried asking the manufacturer?

[Beechwood]

The specs sound impressive, Loctite say that it will work on PVC, polycarbonate, acrylic, ABS, FRP, Nylon™, Mylar™, Delrin, phenolic, aluminum and stainless steel.

 

May be worth a practice on a donor pen.

 

Edit: Looked on the Loctite UK site and I cannot see this listed as being available in the UK.

Edited April 25, 2017 by Beechwood

[MYU]

I wouldn't have thought it was impossible to find a replacement feed for a Capless. Have you tried asking the manufacturer?

 

It's a very old model and they don't carry parts for it any longer. Most people that know about the Vanishing Point / Capless pens is that the nib assemblies seem to be compatible for all of them... which is only true of recent history. Starting in 1981, Pilot finally got their act together on a solid and dependable nib assembly design, and for the most part have kept the metal shell the same size/dimensions -- thus, remaining compatible with even the models being made today. Prior to the 1980's, it was a very different story. Pilot experimented with about 6 different designs that went into production, AFAIK. It might be even more. Those are all long gone... unfortunately.

 

The feed isn't very thick... so there's no "internal dowel" method possible. However, I do think it might be possible to burn in a channel such that a pin segment could be installed on the underside, where there is no ink flow. It won't look pretty, but it'll do the job and at least make the pen workable for the time being, while a donor pen is sourced.

Edited April 25, 2017 by MYU

[Ron Z]

Your chances of getting holes for a pin to line up with the slits in the feed lining up as well are slim to none.

 

I would prefer solvent welding, then chasing the ink channels with shim stock or a razor saw. I'm very skeptical about any plastic adhesive having had many of the bonds suddenly let go. One moment it's holding and then for no apparent reason it fails. Maybe this one is different. <shrug>

 

OTOH, if you read the technical data (link to the PDF on the page your link goes to), it specifically says, "Not recommended for: #3] Use in continuously wet areas, prolonged immersion in water etc." so I rather think it will fail too.

 

I understand that there are some advanced CA adhesives available. Don't ask for details though. I don't use CA very often...

[MYU]

Your chances of getting holes for a pin to line up with the slits in the feed lining up as well are slim to none.

 

I would prefer solvent welding, then chasing the ink channels with shim stock or a razor saw. I'm very skeptical about any plastic adhesive having had many of the bonds suddenly let go. One moment it's holding and then for no apparent reason it fails. Maybe this one is different. <shrug>

 

OTOH, if you read the technical data (link to the PDF on the page your link goes to), it specifically says, "Not recommended for: #3] Use in continuously wet areas, prolonged immersion in water etc." so I rather think it will fail too.

 

I understand that there are some advanced CA adhesives available. Don't ask for details though. I don't use CA very often...

 

Actually, the idea would be to carve out a straight channel across the two pieces of feed plastic along the underside, then lay the metal pin segment inside it, sealed over with a glue... in addition to applying glue to the snapped area. Yeah, you make a good point on the product detail page, regarding prolonged exposure to moisture. My thought is that the ink travels over the top of one side of the feed, and the whole feed gets momentarily submerged into ink... so that it's not a constant application of moisture.

 

Another candidate adhesive could be MarineWeld by JB Weld. It is supposed to be waterproof with 3960 PSI tensile strength.

Edited May 1, 2017 by MYU

[MYU]

Giving the feed further examination under higher magnification, I can see that there is a prominent slit down the middle. So a single pin in the center wouldn't work. It would have to be two pins, one on either side of the slit. I imagine with a micro-drill bit properly lined up it would be possible to do this, but in the end, the expense would probably be higher than finding a damaged pen donor. I'll have to keep looking. If only Pilot made a more commonly available version of the Capless with a compatible feed that could be swapped out.

[Dr.Grace]

Would it be possible for someone to make a new feed from scratch?

[praxim]

If you are wholly decided to buy a donor pen for a feed, then while you are waiting glue this one as you originally proposed.

 

In those circumstances it is a virtually cost-free option which may yet pay off. It will be important to keep the joint reasonably clamped and entirely stable for at least the recommended 24 hours.

[sodul]

I have a pen that snapped ate the section threads joining to the barrel. I have tried cyanoacrylate (All American Super Glue) with no success. While the pen is a no name brand the nib is very nice and flexible so I would love to salvage it.

 

 

 

In this case there is going to be not just moisture from the ink but also a lot of mechanical stress on the repair and with ink all over the place in case of failure. 3D printing a new section might be my only option here but I would rather fix the pen if it is in any way salvageable.

[praxim]

That looks a difficult repair for normal use of ordinary CA glue. It may be salvageable by an industrial glue professionally applied.

 

Alternatives may be possible. I would need to see it more closely than is possible in photos but that is not going to happen. I was thinking about replacing both threaded parts with a single stepped metal component threaded for each of the barrel and cap. That will allow you a large fastening surface with a single metal component for strength. It might or might not be easier than forming a new section. Just a conjecture.

[Ron Z]

We forget that there can be an awful lot of stress at that joint as we press down on the paper. I'm not especially heavy handed, but I often feel the section shifting as it flexes a bit in barrel. I would not expect any repair to hold, especially now that the surfaces have been "contaminated" with CA.

 

It might be possible to reinforce with a bushing - but it would take some careful lathe work. Even so I suspect that a replacement section may be your only option.

[Beechwood]

If the nib is the saving grace of the pen, I think I would find a new home just for the nib and feed.

[MYU]

If you are wholly decided to buy a donor pen for a feed, then while you are waiting glue this one as you originally proposed.

 

In those circumstances it is a virtually cost-free option which may yet pay off. It will be important to keep the joint reasonably clamped and entirely stable for at least the recommended 24 hours.

I re-examined the pen and the only way I could attempt gluing this together is by removal of the feed from the nib assembly ... and unfortunately I do not have a tool for that. Richard Binder has one that he made. I imagine Pilot has some. But for the end consumer, doesn't look like there's a way.

 

 

Would it be possible for someone to make a new feed from scratch?

 

I'm sure someone could, but the cost would likely be enormous... I'd imagine about $200 USD.