Please recommend your favourite nib knock out blocks

[Chrissy]

I've taken on the task of repairing a few pens for a friend, and she says she has more. :confused:

Two of them are fairly straightforward as they are Esties, with interesting Relief nibs, that just screw out. :)

The other is a Mabie Todd button/bar filler mentioned elsewhere in this forum.

I have now carefully managed to detach the three sections from their respective barrels, with the help of my travel hairdryer. I have removed and cleaned off all of the old sac material, and they are ready to fit new sacs onto. That's a minor problem, because I have no sacs, but I know I can buy these somewhere.

So far as the Mabie Todd nib and feed is concerned, I would really like to get it out of the grip. :eek:

So, if I need a nib block for this task, please can you recommend your favourites? Also, do they come complete with different sized drift rods for the different sized holes? Or do they have to be purchased separately? :noidea:

Imagine I am a novice setting up to repair just a few fairly simple pens. Well, actually, I am. So, what do I need? :noidea:

[RuiFromUK]

At the time I bought mine from Vintage Pens and Parts here in UK. They also trade on ebay.

For a rod one can really use anything but I use some brass rods that are sold as part of train railways toys or even a mandrel would do. One just needs to be careful as fountain pens are a bit fragile.

My suggestion is that you also get a hammer with a softer head than metal, e.g. plastic or even hard leather.

"So far as the Mabie Todd nib and feed is concerned, I would really like to get it out of the grip." I assume grip is the barrel, please bear in mind that some Mabie Todd sections screw to the barrel. A photo could help here.

Pen Practice website, and other websites, sells a book on pen repairs. It is like a bible to me when it comes to pen repairs.

It is a pity you cannot make it to Saturdays' meetings in London as Cob and I quite often talk about pen repairs and I could take some of the tools with me.

[Deb]

http://goodwriterspens.com/?s=knock+out+block

My thoughts on the subject from a few years ago. The cylindrical type is quite good and is widely available.

[RuiFromUK]

http://goodwriterspens.com/?s=knock+out+block

My thoughts on the subject from a few years ago. The cylindrical type is quite good and is widely available.

Deb on her website also has a section on tools for pen repairs where she discusses a few simple but effective tools.

[mhosea]

So far as the Mabie Todd nib and feed is concerned, I would really like to get it out of the grip. :eek:


I try not to remove nibs unless they're askew or the feed is clogged so well that the bulb syringe can't get anything through. If it is set properly, and if some fluid can be pushed through with the bulb syringe, Rapido-Eze is your friend.

As yet I've been too cheap to buy a pre-made knockout block and too lazy to make a good one with all the sizes I might want. I have drill bits and scrap wood, so I just make a new one if the one I have isn't right. I don't need a commercially-made block, but I really should buy some suitable tubing for the rods.

[Chrissy]

Thank you all for your really quick and expert replies.

I have the Marshall pen repairs book. That's how I have made it as far as I have. :)

I was thinking of removing the Mabie Todd nib and feed, but after reading the excellent advice in Deb's pages I have decided I will leave it as it is. I'll give it another quick zap in the Ultrasonic and then use my bulb cleaner as advised.

Because I have done ceramic restoration for many years, I already have various tools that I can use for pens. I also have a license to purchase IDA, so I have plenty of that if I need it. I also have a few different types of adhesives including shellac.

In fact right on the point of this Mabie Todd turning button I spotted a small closed crack that I have stabilised with my trusty 'creeping crack cure' that I would never be without.

The only nib knock out blocks I've ever seen are cylindrical ones, so I assumed they would be the most common.

Deb yours looks really professional. :)

[Jeph]

I looked around and didn't really see anything that I wanted. So I ended up with this Knock-Out-Block-Overkill (http://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/6433-Knock-Out-Block-Overkill)

I have some short, well chamfered aluminum rods that I use and some brass punches. I use those with a cheap jeweler's hammer with replaceable tips.

I admit that I rarely need to use it anymore, other than just a slight tap, and that is mostly because I already have the block.

[D Armstrong]

I use a watchmaker's 'bench anvil'. They come in several shapes and sizes, but have the right sized holes:

http://www.restorersart.com/images/blog/tools/bench%20anvil.jpg

You can often find these in antique shops or online for very reasonable prices. I often place it over a piece of wood with a larger hole drilled in it, so as to get the right height clearance.

I pair it with a set of "transfer punches" like these: http://www.leevalley.com/en/hardware/page.aspx?p=54892&cat=1,43456. They are actually one of the most used tools I have, and can double as mandrels for nib repair, handy mounts for pen caps and barrels which need to be off the bench, etc. Just be careful of (or grind off) the pointy ends.

Looking for tools from other trades is a great way to find handy things. Just because it's not sold as a pen repair tool, doesn't mean you can't use it as one!

[Farmboy]

So far as the Mabie Todd nib and feed is concerned, I would really like to get it out of the grip. :eek:


I try not to remove nibs unless they're askew or the feed is clogged so well that the bulb syringe can't get anything through. If it is set properly, and if some fluid can be pushed through with the bulb syringe, Rapido-Eze is your friend.

As yet I've been too cheap to buy a pre-made knockout block and too lazy to make a good one with all the sizes I might want. I have drill bits and scrap wood, so I just make a new one if the one I have isn't right. I don't need a commercially-made block, but I really should buy some suitable tubing for the rods.

Mike,

I'm with you on this. I don't understand the desire to always knock out the feed and nib. But I'm not a pro.

[Cob]

So far as the Mabie Todd nib and feed is concerned, I would really like to get it out of the grip. :eek:


I try not to remove nibs unless they're askew or the feed is clogged so well that the bulb syringe can't get anything through. If it is set properly, and if some fluid can be pushed through with the bulb syringe, Rapido-Eze is your friend.

As yet I've been too cheap to buy a pre-made knockout block and too lazy to make a good one with all the sizes I might want. I have drill bits and scrap wood, so I just make a new one if the one I have isn't right. I don't need a commercially-made block, but I really should buy some suitable tubing for the rods.

Mike,

I'm with you on this. I don't understand the desire to always knock out the feed and nib. But I'm not a pro.

In principle, I agree, but many times I have decided to leave the nib and then fell it necessary to remove it for tine re-alignment. It is then I discover that despite good water flow from the bulb, that there is still a surprising amount of muck in the feed channel.

Cob

[mhosea]

In principle, I agree, but many times I have decided to leave the nib and then fell it necessary to remove it for tine re-alignment. It is then I discover that despite good water flow from the bulb, that there is still a surprising amount of muck in the feed channel.


Yup. Seen that. Blasting water through with the bulb syringe will leave stuff behind. It's step 1 of a good cleaning, not all the steps of a good cleaning. Good flow of water through the feed doesn't imply that the feed is clean any more than the kitchen sink not being clogged means that the drain pipes are clean. But in my view, if you can get some water through, you can get pen-safe solvents in there like diluted ammonia (for aniline dyes), vinegar (for stuff IG ink leaves behind), and Rapido-Eze (for India Ink and other stuff). I'm always using an ultrasonic cleaner to shake things up, too. Won't work on everything, but if the pen works well enough, and what's left doesn't dissolve in ink that subsequently goes in, ignorance is bliss. :)

[D Armstrong]

Knocking out a nib and feed is always a cost/benefit thing. Some pens (Vacumatics come to mind) are rarely worth it, as are pens which have delicate parts (like hard rubber ring around Pelikan nibs and feeds.) They can be done, but it's not worth it for cleanliness only. Other pens (like Waterman's) can often be done with your fingers alone, and reset the same way, so they aren't a problem.

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that cleaning a truly mucked-up feed without disassembly can loosen bits of ink just enough to cause problems in the future. If newly-created ink bits get pulled up into the reservoir, they may then work their way back down into breather tubes, or obstruct the main feed channels, causing flow issues. And sometimes there is no solvent that will dissolve those chunks.

If it's truly dirty (like if a full pen was left to dry out completely, or it was a non-standard ink), there is nothing for it but to completely disassemble things. The 'hope and pray' method just isn't quite safe enough for my taste.

[gweddig]

First of all I agree about knocking out the feed and nib, I don't usually find it necessary but I'm only an amateur.

Since no one has mentioned it I will buzz market Ron Zorn's helpful pages here (http://mainstreetpens.com/articles/cheaptools_1.htm). This is what I build based on that:

http://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=18537&d=1430523357