Removing Engravings.

[badrsj]

Ok, I am going to try to remove engravings from some FP's - These according to most accounts should be treated like a scratch and buffed out - however I want to minimize the flat spot - any experiences or recommendations - please advise.

Thanks for your time.

[Oxonian]

Hi Badr,

 

What are the pens? It might be easier to get replacement barrels for some of them if they are common models and colours, particularly if the engraving/imprinting is deep.

 

On just about everything other than lever fillers and facetted pens if the maker's imprint isn't important to you it is possible to use a lathe at low speed and with a light touch to polish the whole barrel if the plastic is thick and strong enough. If you don't have a lathe then gentle sanding all around the barrel, avoiding the makers imprint and concentrating on the area around the unwanted imprint as well as the imprint itself will lessen the flat spot efffect.

 

Where are the personalisations, on the barrel or on the cap, you find these from time to time on European and for some reason particularly German pens? It is easier to deal with engravings in some places than others.

 

What are the materials you are looking to deal with? Some materials have a hard, smooth surface but a more granular and less easily polished core or may contain very tiny air/gas pockets in the body of the meterial which will dull the surface by holding tiny specks of polish, the harder you polish the more of these you may find.

 

BTW, I should add that on some materials it is possible to fill the imprints but that is a whole different can of worms.

 

Basically it is down to patience and practice to get it right.

 

Cheers, John

Edited May 22, 2007 by Oxonian

[QM2]

 

I believe Richard Binder offers this as a service:

 

see " Remove personalization (engraving) "

under " General Services "

 

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=rep_txt.htm

 

QM2

[Richard]

Ok, I am going to try to remove engravings from some FP's - These according to most accounts should be treated like a scratch and buffed out...

IMHO, "most accounts" are dead wrong. I've handled entirely too many pens that have had the engraving removed in that manner, and they ALL show a disfigured area where the damage work was done. The only good way to remove engraving is to fill it completely to a level above the original surface (to allow for shrinkage as the volatiles flash off) and then bring the surface back down to its original level as I did with this Striped Duofold pencil.

 

http://www.richardspens.com/images/ref_info/restoration/depersonalization.jpg

 

QM2, thanks for the referral!

[KendallJ]

Ok, I am going to try to remove engravings from some FP's - These according to most accounts should be treated like a scratch and buffed out - however I want to minimize the flat spot - any experiences or recommendations - please advise.

Thanks for your time.

 

Ugh. Why do you want to do this?

 

[cuteline]

Ok, I am going to try to remove engravings from some FP's - These according to most accounts should be treated like a scratch and buffed out...

IMHO, "most accounts" are dead wrong. I've handled entirely too many pens that have had the engraving removed in that manner, and they ALL show a disfigured area where the damage work was done. The only good way to remove engraving is to fill it completely to a level above the original surface (to allow for shrinkage as the volatiles flash off) and then bring the surface back down to its original level as I did with this Striped Duofold pencil.

 

http://www.richardspens.com/images/ref_info/restoration/depersonalization.jpg

 

QM2, thanks for the referral!

What do you fill with, especially for those pens with color? Super glue? Epoxy? or melted original material?

 

Jun

[penuria]

Hi .... Don't remove them .... They are part of the history. I have tried and always regretted it.

 

John

[badrsj]

The pens in question are a brown shadow wave vac, and a set of sheaffer craftsman. While a significant # of people treat them as history and character to an old pen - most others would rather not have such an item. I do think the best suggestion so far is from Mr. Binder - however it would be interesting to know what to fill the material with - I personally would think a 2 part mixing clear epoxy - if that is harder than plastic it could pose a problem and need much care to smooth down.

These are not of such historical significance or pristine condition to deserve Mr Binder's attention. They are more like fixer uppers one gets to practice on.

Best Regards

badrsj

[cuteline]

I know for sure that two-part epoxy (2500 ton strength) is softer than the pen plastics. I've done it a couple of times, including molding a small part for the cap of my junky sheaffer balance 5-30 pen. So far it still works nicely and in fact the repair is not easy to see without a loupe. But I am not sure how long it can last. according to an article by Victor Chen, the usual commercial grade epoxy lasts only a year or two. there are more professional grades, but I don't know where to get them.

 

Jun

[badrsj]

I would think it also has to do with the application, cleaning of the surface area, and amount of epoxy applied. Thanks for letting me know that 2500 strength is softer - which is probably the 1st thing to try. I have also heard dental molding grade epoxies as longer lasting - I am not sure they are economical for the work and easily available.

[Oxonian]

Hi Badr,

 

The best thing as far as I know to fill any engraving would be the same material as that of which the pen is made up into a filler paste with a suitable solvent. If it is patterned material this can be tricky

 

Finding out what the material is and what solvent one should use and how thick the paste needs to be needs research, getting some of the solvents, at least in UK isn't the easiest thing and the filling without the solvent damaging the pen body beyond the engraving needs practice on parts and pens that don't matter. As I am sure that you know that not all materials that look the same are necessarily the same material.

 

The rubbing down, finishing and polishing is much the same as fine ding filling on bodywork, it takes a bit of practice and a lot of patience and elbow grease.

 

All in all if the pens are important to you it might well be worth having Richard do it, he has already done the research, has the experience and as you can, or rather can't see, does a really top job.

 

Cheers, John