Mabie Todd

[Hawk]

When I was flushing out the pen, suddenly I couldn't get it to pump water. Upon disassembly, I found out the sac came loose from the section. The sac is latex and the feed is hard rubber. The pen repair bible and da book recommends fingernail polish. Will this work for this combination? I don't know what was used during the repair. thanks.

[D Armstrong]

No. No, no. Don't ever use fingernail polish on a vintage pen (or any other, come to think of it). Books notwithstanding.

Use shellac (http://fountainpensacs.com/cement.html). $4 gets you a lifetime's supply. It's guaranteed not to damage your pen, is fully reversible, and authentic. It's handy for joining together many things in addition to pen sacs (instrument makers use it to glue the pads to flute keys, among other uses).

Please, please don't use fingernail polish on your pen.

[00Photo]

Definitely go with Shellac. I've been using my bottle from the anderson's for quite some time now. It lasts a while as you only need a small amount for each sac.

[Hawk]

Thanks for the good advice. I didn't know if shellac would adhere to the sac material. The repair is done and I will patiently wait for a few days before I reassemble the pen.

[Cob]

Thanks for the good advice. I didn't know if shellac would adhere to the sac material. The repair is done and I will patiently wait for a few days before I reassemble the pen.

12 hours should be more than enough.

Cob

[00Photo]

I usually wait at least 12-24 hours. I will shellac the pen then reassemble the following day.

[SteveE]

Yup. . . This is one of the places where Da Book gives information that was popular in its time, but has since been deemed improper. Back when Frank Dubiel wrote/compiled the book, a lot of amateur pen repair people did use clear nail polish to install new sacs. We no longer recommend using nail polish because although it does work to replace a sac, it is pretty much not removable without risk of damage to the sac nipple. The polish will seal, but the next time you need to install a new sac, the old one may not come off. Also, after a couple of years' being in contact with the polish, the sac nipple may no longer retain its original size and shape.

Frank was a master at "making do" with whatever was at hand for repairs. It worked but sometimes was not the best way. Back when he was around and active repairing pens, many vintage pens were plentiful, so if one became unusable once today's repair wore out, it was tossed and another pressed into service.

So, 00photo and David have given you the correct answer. I'm just agreeing and trying to give some explanation as to why we are so adamant about it.

BTW, if I was out in the bush and my pen's sac failed, if I had a sac but no shellac, you can bet I would use the nail polish. At least I would be back in operation, at the risk of my pen's future.

[Hawk]

Thanks everyone. Steve, your explanation helped because I like reasons to do or not to do something. BTW, I used shellac. Hope others will benefit from the thread.