Jeph
January 28th, 2014, 12:57 PM
It is time for another installment of Jeph shows you how NOT to fix a fountain pen.
I recently got this nameless beautiful black button filler with silver grey marbling and a 14K Rupp nib. The color was absolutely stunning. (That should have been my first clue.)
I soaked everything for an hour and cleaned it up and it got even better looking.
I was able to get the threaded section loose, but not the button housing. I did not unscrew the section as that is a sure way to mangle the pressure bar. The pressure bar needs to be removed from the top before the section is removed.
I tried 3 sessions with gentle heat trying to get the button housing out and got nowhere.
I decided to give soapy water a chance, so I filled the barrel with the soapy water and submerged the button housing and about another 1/4 inch of the top of the pen in water (top down) with the pen leaned up against the side of the tub to keep it upright and the rest of the pen out of water. The next day (about 18 hours) I went to take it out of the water and the (threaded, remember?) section came straight out of the barrel. I looked at the pen and I was holding a swollen banana. My heart sank. I cursed. Alot. I realized immediately what had happened. I had read about casein pens but never expected to stumble across one. For those that don't know about casein, there is an excellent series of articles here
Pentrace casein article by David Wells (http://www.pentrace.net/penbase/Data_Returns/full_article.asp?ID=264&cname=)
I figured that I had nothing to loose, so I got a bigger tub where the barrel could lay flat submerged and left it overnight. My hope was that it would continue to expand, but now straight without leaning against the corner of the tub and allowing mean Mr. Gravity to have his way. As expected that was no use. But, the button did fall out of the button housing. Now I am not sure if the button housing screws in or is an integral part of the barrel. How sad is it that I might not have ever needed to soak it? Oh the what-if's.
I intend to let it dry (no heat) and see if it cracks and what shape it returns to when dry. I see very little hope that it will suddenly straighten itself.
So, if the barrel decides not to crack, does anyone know of a master repairman that has had luck trying to straighten casein pens that some bonehead has soaked in water?
:cry::help:
9307
I recently got this nameless beautiful black button filler with silver grey marbling and a 14K Rupp nib. The color was absolutely stunning. (That should have been my first clue.)
I soaked everything for an hour and cleaned it up and it got even better looking.
I was able to get the threaded section loose, but not the button housing. I did not unscrew the section as that is a sure way to mangle the pressure bar. The pressure bar needs to be removed from the top before the section is removed.
I tried 3 sessions with gentle heat trying to get the button housing out and got nowhere.
I decided to give soapy water a chance, so I filled the barrel with the soapy water and submerged the button housing and about another 1/4 inch of the top of the pen in water (top down) with the pen leaned up against the side of the tub to keep it upright and the rest of the pen out of water. The next day (about 18 hours) I went to take it out of the water and the (threaded, remember?) section came straight out of the barrel. I looked at the pen and I was holding a swollen banana. My heart sank. I cursed. Alot. I realized immediately what had happened. I had read about casein pens but never expected to stumble across one. For those that don't know about casein, there is an excellent series of articles here
Pentrace casein article by David Wells (http://www.pentrace.net/penbase/Data_Returns/full_article.asp?ID=264&cname=)
I figured that I had nothing to loose, so I got a bigger tub where the barrel could lay flat submerged and left it overnight. My hope was that it would continue to expand, but now straight without leaning against the corner of the tub and allowing mean Mr. Gravity to have his way. As expected that was no use. But, the button did fall out of the button housing. Now I am not sure if the button housing screws in or is an integral part of the barrel. How sad is it that I might not have ever needed to soak it? Oh the what-if's.
I intend to let it dry (no heat) and see if it cracks and what shape it returns to when dry. I see very little hope that it will suddenly straighten itself.
So, if the barrel decides not to crack, does anyone know of a master repairman that has had luck trying to straighten casein pens that some bonehead has soaked in water?
:cry::help:
9307