Using a Nib Block?

[reason]

Are there any resources online (or any books) for learning how to use a nib block? I've looked around quite a bit, but haven't found much.

[Jon Szanto]

At the top of the (small) list of available repair books would have to be "Pen Repair, 3rd Edition" by Marshal and Oldfield. There isn't a whole lot to say (and they don't). You should be sure to have soaked the section/feed/nib to loosen up any dried inks, and if it is an ebonite/HR section, it is probably a good idea to warm it a bit prior to using the nib block (and probably a good idea for any section). Use as large a punch as possible so as to cover as much of the end of the feed as possible, and have the block on a secure surface (if there is a breather tube you'll have to have a hollow punch or piece of metal tubing). A small hammer is all that is needed, using repeated light taps rather than pummeling the thing. You should feel it loosen and then the nib and feed should drop out.

It is highly suggested that you place a mark on the section, on the area that seats into the barrel, in line with the breather hold of the nib. It is sometimes very important to align the nib and feed back into the section in the exact same place, as sections can deform to fit around the feed in a certain way. Placing a mark with a white pencil or some other marking will allow you to return the nib and feed to the exact same position as they were in prior to removal.

[Deb]

You're describing the use of a knock-out block. A nib block is a tool used to burnish a bent nib back into shape. The anwer to the OP's question is practice. The nib block is really for badly bent nibs - there are other, easier methods of dealing with lesser nib problems. I started with scrap steel nibs to give me an idea of where to apply pressure and how much pressure to use. Of course gold nibs require less pressure to straighten tines or remove kinks than steel ones. It's not a technique for the faint-hearted or incautious. It's just as easy to ruin a nib as to repair it but if you proceed with baby steps and be prepared to walk away for a while when things are not going as you would like, you'll be surprised how well the nib comes back into shape.

[PaulS]

firstly just to say a big warm welcome back to Deborah - hope to see more of your words of wisdom and skills here, now that hopefully things more settled for you.:wave:

This is not the first occasion in recent times that there's been some confusion regarding the difference between the knocking out block and the nib straightening block - it does seem to have become commonplace to describe both types as a nib block, so when speaking of these things, need to say which sort we mean.

Knocking out blocks are easy to make provide you do at least have a power drill and bit, and I've also now 'knocked up' :facepalm: a home made version of the nib straightening sort. Have used it only once, and it did appear to do the trick, but Deb's comment about being cautious is very good advice.
I used a block of beech - something roughly about 2" x 2" x 6", but could be a tad bigger or whatever - and drilled a 10 mm hole lengthwise. I then ran this though the band saw and cut the block in half down its length to give two pieces each with a groove of half the drilled hole. You could cut the block off centre too - such that your eventual 'groove' varies from full size to smaller - might be of benefit and provide a means of accommodating a variety of nib widths.
The wood might be softwood or hard - I've yet to gain experience to know whether hard or soft is more suitable, but it's a start. On my one and only trial, I used a brass rod of suitable diameter to lay in the underside of the damaged nib and then knocked with varying degrees of 'welt' - but I was reasonably impressed for a first effort.

[Fermata]

As Deb has already said nib blocks and knock out blocks are totally different animals. There is a rough and ready vid on youtube on how to use a home made knock out block, but for very little money you can buy the real McCoy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzb-l0IEZDk

For a nib block it is really intuitive, the pentooling site shows you what is needed but if you are not sure how to burnish metal, and it is a nib block that you would like to learn how to use, then this site looks pretty good. They even have a package deal of a nib block and a knock out block for $190, more than I paid for my block alone.

Nib Blocks are on ebay for $30 from David N. In plastic but I hear they give good results.

Hope this helps

http://www.pentooling.com/burnish.html

[Deb]

Thank you kindly, Paul.

You can see my nib block here (https://goodwriterspens.com/?s=nib+block). It was made by Laurence Oldfield. Yours sounds very good. I think it would be best cut on the bias to suit several sizes of nib.

[PaulS]

the 'bias' - yes, that's a good description........ we wouldn't want the edges fraying:)

[Jon Szanto]

"Ok everyone, the words to the chorus are easy to remember, just sing them out strongly on each refrain: Jon is an idiot!!, Jon is an idiot!!"

(It had been a long day of work and while relaxing I wanted to be helpful. I should have read more carefully. Thanks to my friends for picking up the ball and running with it!

[reason]

Thank you for the responses!

So I did mean Nib Block and not a Knock-Out Block. I have the inexpensive wood Knock-Out Block from Pentooling and it's been invaluable (Pentooling in general is invaluable).

I picked up the inexpensive acrylic Nib Block from David Nishimura's Vintage Pens site (another great resource) and got the cheap burnisher set and dapping punches he recommends picking up.

However I'm not sure of where to start really.

For instance do I just hold the nib on the block and rub the burnisher back and forth over the kink? (I have two nibs with kinks in them toward the tip, no idea how that happens).

Also what are the dapping punches used for? Rubbing across the bent part or are they used to kind of press it down?

I noticed Pentooling has some smaller burnishing tools. Maybe those will be more helpful? The burnishers I bought are pretty large when compared to a nib.

Last question, if the nib is bent downward do I place it in the Concave part or Convex part to work out the bend?

[reason]

Also, no worries Jon! I appreciate the help even if it was for a different pen tool :D

And I have the Oldfield book, but it doesn't really have much on nib blocks.

[PaulS]

sorry, never heard of 'dapping punches', but assume for applying pressure in some form. My own thoughts on re-forming a nib's shape, is to work from the premise that there will be a greater chance of a quicker and safer re-shaping if the nib makes two points of contact - with the block - whilst downward pressure is applied to straighten the tip.
As opposed to ........... if the point has excessive downward bend, and the nib is placed on the block with point uppermost, there will be only one point of resistance as pressure is applied. If on the other hand this is reversed - as the nib would appear in a pen - then you have two points of contact with the block, as you apply pressure.
This avoids the introduction of springiness, and the need for too much repeated pressure/pushing/hitting etc.

Of course, this all assumes that care is taken to safeguard tipping material, and excessive pressure that has been known to make points suddenly ping off. Despite their thinness, nibs can be surprisingly resilient with much resistance to moving where you want them to go.

Just my two penn'th, and since I've attempted only one re-shaping then the above might be utter rubbish, but worth a go:)

[Fermata]

Before I had a block I use to use two round pencils, one to hold and support the nib and the other rubbed gently over the nib until I obtained the required shape.

[ac12]

I got my nib block from David Nishimura.
Before that, I did similar to Fermata, I would use a metal punch of a similar size to the nib, to use as a form to smoothen the pen onto.

For burnishers, I've used a bunch of different things:
- chop sticks
- smooth end of a butter knife handle
- punch
- smooth part of a plier.
Basically anything hard and smooth. You want smooth so that you do not scratch the nib.

Go to a pen show and look in the boxes of "cheap stuff." What you want are pens with bent nibs, or CHEAP pens to bend the nib and practice on. Or get some of the cheap Chinese pens and bend those nibs. Yes stainless steel is harder than gold, but learning is about technique. Then practice. As was said, it is a matter of you learning what works and what doesn't work.

Along the way you will learn your limits, and when to punt and call for help. Example, while I can work on a nib, I really hate to work within 2mm of the tip. I just do not have the skills to work there, I broke one tip trying. But that is what the cheap pens are for, practice, and if you damage it, it was cheap practice.

BTW, sometimes just manipulating the nib in your fingers will work better than using the nib block. This is just one of those things you learn along the way.

gud luk

[ac12]

BTW, Jon is not off the block.
I once responded in reverse.
The person was asking about a knock out block, but called it a nib block.
So I responded about a nib block.

[Deb]

Jon,
I could have handled that better! I could, for instance, have commented on the quality of your instructions for using the knock-out block, which was first-class! My apologies for the brusqueness.

[Jon Szanto]

Jon,
I could have handled that better! I could, for instance, have commented on the quality of your instructions for using the knock-out block, which was first-class! My apologies for the brusqueness.

Oh, hon, not to worry! I was just being silly. And, of course, the hilarious part is that last year I (also) bought one of David Nishimura's acrylic nib blocks. I just haven't really sat down and messed with it much at all. However, it does bring up a question:

How to you properly 'hold' the nib in place while you are doing the burnishing? Especially when doing a concave burnish (from the underside of the nib) I found it hard to keep the nib in place while trying to hold the back end of it.

[ac12]

How to you properly 'hold' the nib in place while you are doing the burnishing? Especially when doing a concave burnish (from the underside of the nib) I found it hard to keep the nib in place while trying to hold the back end of it.

Jon, when you find out, will you let me know. I'm still working on that. I just stick my finger on the nib or use a chop stick.
I might try a trick that I once saw. Put a layer of masking tape on the nib block. It has just enough friction to keep the nib from sliding too much. But it is hard to do that to the concave part of the nib block that you are talking about.

[PaulS]

double sided tape or perhaps try Blue Tack - for helping to stop the nib from moving. On my only occasion the nib had been flattened somewhat around its mid area - probably by someone gripping it too tightly when pushing back into the section. I put the nib - upside down - onto my home made nib block, laid a length of small diameter brass rod into the concave nib, and tapped cautiously. I think it removed something like 90 odd percent of the problem. I'd agree that working close to the point/tip is going to be difficult - just a case of supporting parts of the nib that might flex suddenly, and go very slowly and carefully.
Today I came home with a dozen pens - all except one with perfectly aligned nibs ------- the duff one is a c. 1930s Dinkie (a very small nib) - so going to need the nib block some time soon.
Other times duff nibs seem to predominate.

[Deb]

So far, I've been able to hold the nib with a finger. Blu-Tac sounds like something worth trying.

[Farmboy]

"Ok everyone, the words to the chorus are easy to remember, just sing them out strongly on each refrain: Jon is an idiot!!, Jon is an idiot!!"

(It had been a long day of work and while relaxing I wanted to be helpful. I should have read more carefully. Thanks to my friends for picking up the ball and running with it!

In your defense, you will need to use a knock out block before you can use the nib block....

(Sung to the tune of ...)

[Farmboy]

I see a few bent nibs. I find that most (90++%) can be dealt with using nothing more than a finger nail and a block of wood with a divot in it.

The best nib block is the one from Vintage Pens with the ledge on the convex taper.

If you are using a metal block try some masking tape in the groove.

FB

[reason]

Thanks again for all the replies and tips.

Sounds like some experimenting with inexpensive nibs and a lot of practice is the key.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[ac12]

Sounds like some experimenting with inexpensive nibs and a lot of practice is the key.



Yup.

I watched Farmboy, then practiced on my own, a lot.
I looked in the box of "cheap pens," for pens with bent nibs, to practice on.
The more you practice, the more you learn.

BTW, getting the nib OUT of the section, without breaking the section, is just as valuable to learn.
WHACKING on a TIGHT feed, could end up breaking a difficult and expensive to replace section/collar. Been there, done that, was not happy. Once you break it, that is it.

[penwash]

My experience agrees with what Todd (Farmboy) said.

I use the "wavy" metal part of a hair curler because I didn't know that the acrylic nib-block existed until I saw it at a pen show. :)